Google has had several logos since its renaming from BackRub. The current official Google logo was designed by Ruth Kedar, and is a wordmark based on the Catull typeface.[1] The company also includes various modifications and/or humorous features, such as cartoon modifications of their logo for use on holidays, birthdays of famous people, and major events, such as the Olympics.[2] These special logos, some designed by Dennis Hwang, have become known as Google Doodles. As of 14 February 2011, Google's own gallery features 1002 logos.[3]
In 1998 Sergey Brin created a computerized version of the Google letters using the free graphics program GIMP. The exclamation mark was added, mimicking the Yahoo! logo.[4] "There were a lot of different color iterations", says Ruth Kedar, the graphic designer who developed the now-famous logo. "We ended up with the primary colors, but instead of having the pattern go in order, we put a secondary color on the L, which brought back the idea that Google doesn't follow the rules."[5]
In 2010, the Google logo received its first major and permanent overhaul since 1999. The new logo was first tested in November 2009,[6] and was officially launched on May 6, 2010.[7] It utilises an identical typeface to the previous logo, but features a distinctly orange-colored "o" in place of the previous yellowish "o", as well as more subtle shadow rendered in a different shading style.
The Google logo font is Catull BQ, and it was created for Berthold in 1982 by German designer Gustav Jaeger. Catull has a calligraphic feel with contrasting stroke weights and distinctive serifs.[8]
google doodle main list of google doodle from hannag catlow The first Google Doodle[9] was in honor of the Burning Man Festival of 1998. The doodle was designed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed. Subsequent Google Doodles were designed by an outside contractor, until Larry and Sergey asked then-intern Dennis Hwang to design a logo for Bastille Day in 2000. Hwang has been designing the Google Doodles ever since.[10] Clicking on a Google Doodle links to a string of Google search results about the topic, which can drive a lot of traffic to unsuspecting sites.[11]
Google doodles have been produced for the birthdays of several noted artists and scientists, including Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Rabindranath Tagore, Louis Braille, Percival Lowell, Edvard Munch, Nikola Tesla, Béla Bartók, René Magritte, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Akira Kurosawa, H. G. Wells, Samuel Morse, Hans Christian Ørsted, Mohandas Gandhi, Dennis Gabor, Antonio Vivaldi and Jules Verne among others.[2] Additionally, the featuring of Lowell's logo design coincided with the launch of another Google product, Google Maps. Google doodles are also used to depict major events at Google, such as the company's own anniversary.[12] British novelist Roald Dahl has been featured, with the logo containing characters and items from some of his books, such as Matilda. The celebration of historical events is another common topic of Google Doodles including a Lego brick design in celebration of the interlocking Lego block's 50th anniversary. The anniversary of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds has also been celebrated. On February 14, 2007, Valentine's Day, the Google doodle featured a chocolate-dipped strawberry that combined the second "g" and the "l" as its green stem.[13] This design gave the appearance that the "l" was missing, thereby displaying "Googe". In response to several speculations the Official Google Blog,[14] responded: "When you look at the logo, you may worry that we forgot our name overnight, skipped a letter, or have decided that 'Googe' has a better ring to it. None of the above. I just know that those with true romance and poetry in their soul will see the subtlety immediately. And if you're feeling grouchy today, may I suggest eating a strawberry." For the celebration of Earth Hour, the white background was transformed black to symbolize "the turning off of lights".
Google was criticized in 2007 for not featuring versions of the Google logo for American patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.[15] That year, Google featured a logo commemorating Veterans Day.[16]
Google unveiled a steady stream of Doodles in 2009, including one with Mahatma Gandhi's face on October 2, 2009, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, which is observed by the UN as the International Day for Non-Violence.
On Friday, May 21, 2010, Google created a doodle to celebrate the 30th birthday of Pac-Man. It is their first (possibly the world's first) playable logo. The logo contains an accurate re-creation of the Pac-Man game that can be played in a browser (it contains 255 levels).[17] On Sunday, July 11, 2010, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was commemorated by a Google doodle showing the stadium where the match was played that night.[18]
On Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, Google ran one of its most interactive Doodles in honor of Sci-Fi writer Jules Verne's 183rd birthday.[19] "Pulling" on a lever enabled viewers to get a Nautilus submarine's view undersea of everything from divers to treasure to sea creatures, including a coral formation in the shape of the logo.[20]
On Friday, April 15, 2011, Google sported the first video doodle, commemorating Charlie Chaplin's 122nd birthday [21]. This doodle was a black and white YouTube video that, when clicked upon, started playing before redirecting to the usual Google search featuring the doodle's special occasion. All parts in this short film were played by the Google doodle team, and special behind-the-scenes footage was to be found on the Google blog
MICROSOFT LOGO.
WILMINGTON, Del. (CAP) - Lawyers for Microsoft, Inc. have filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court in Delaware against search giant Google, claiming the company's new Chrome OS infringes on its own Windows logo color scheme. The 48-page complaint alleges wilful intent, a charge that brings higher damages - to the tune of $54.9 million.
"Microsoft built Windows with 32 million colors, and it just so happens that Google chose the exact same four colors for its operating system logo as the Windows logo?" said Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith. "That's not coincidence; that's theft.
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"And believe you me, Microsoft knows a thing or two about theft," Smith added.
Google recently created shockwaves around the Internet after announcing that the company was working on creation of a new operating system modeled after its Chrome web browser. Microsoft officials hope a successful lawsuit will send Google back to the drawing board to come up with a new logo.
"And they better not use MS Paint to make it, either, or we'll sue 'em for that, too," said an unnamed Microsoft source.
According to law experts, whether or not Microsoft can successfully sue Google for using colors that appear naturally in the environment hinges largely on the U.S. Patent Office's approval of the Redmond-based company's pending application to patent the four colors appearing together as a single entity. Pundits say history is on Microsoft's side.
"There's a reason Apple's native logo is just plain old silver," said Yale law professor Amanda Reagan. "In Microsoft v Competitor #126, the court forced Apple to load its beautifully colorful logo into Photoshop and desaturate it 80%.
"Google will be lucky if they come out of this with a black circle," Reagan noted.
For their part, Google officials seem unfazed by the prospect of a lawsuit, calling it a challenge and "something to do with that extra $30 million we made last quarter." Google CEO Eric Schmidt said he fully anticipates this will be yet another in a long line of Google successes that includes their search-based dating service, their purchase of the Earth, and the toasting capabilities of their new browser.
"As we like to say around the Google offices - Bing it on," said Schmidt.
However, Reagan warns that Microsoft's move opens the door to similar lawsuits, such as the ones filed by Jakks Pacific, makers of the Poke Ball, and Milton Bradley, creator of the '80s memory game Simon.
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