A Second Look at the Google Favicon
Update: Thousands of people are flocking to my site today (May 30, 2008), because Google changed its Favicon to a lowercase "G". This blogpost is a totally unrelated random musing; Google Blogoscoped has the story of the new icon.
The Google favicon is playing tricks with me. This is what I think it looks like:
Looks very serious and corporate, doesn't it? Just the first letter of the well-known logo, surrounded by a grey box. In reality, though, it looks like this:
The UI artists in Mountain View probably couldn't resist making it all colorful, just like the logo itself.
Am I the only one who fell for this?
The Google favicon is playing tricks with me. This is what I think it looks like:
Looks very serious and corporate, doesn't it? Just the first letter of the well-known logo, surrounded by a grey box. In reality, though, it looks like this:
The UI artists in Mountain View probably couldn't resist making it all colorful, just like the logo itself.
Am I the only one who fell for this?
Labels: random thoughts
46 Comments:
Google needs to do something with all the money they have. For some reason, I am quite happy that they keep them busy with that kind of work ;-)
Big G's favicon now is lower-case. Great changes on the scenario.. :-)
I've just noticed the new favicon too ;)
just noticed it today too. It's dull.
I'm getting the new favicon as well! This blog post seems to be the only one that even mentions google's favicon!
Not sure if I like it yet, we'll see.
the google favicon was different now.. it was turned into a small G :)
Terrible new icon that I've got today
LOL
1 comment 3 years ago
7 comments today
:D
Gabor Cselle, this new lowercase favicon you've ruined the Google with is just not going to work out.
Please do something about it immediately!
The new blue lowercase G is worse then the older one... come on Google.
Just to say I wrote a review about the new favicon here.
That way people can refer to a more recent post!
Searched at google for google favicon and got here. ;-) This blog is getting important now, i think.
Why, Google, why?
The old icon was clean and distinctive. This one is boring and hard to recognize. I bet there are a million favicons out there that look exactly like it.
It doesn't even look like something from Google. Google's trademark is bright colors on a white background. So why did they use a single color on a gradient background? Doesn't make sense.
I just think it's amazing that this page was indexed TODAY.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=google+favicon
this is insanity!!!
I don't like it as much, but will surely get used to it and like it more. I love how much attention we geeks are giving it though :p
This is amazing. This post is from 2005, and had only one comment. Why have 17 people commented on this TODAY?! :)
Anyway, the new favicon is boring. :( 'G' is soo much cooler than 'g'
hmm, i really don't like this change the old one, while old-fashioned, was recognisable and you knew exactly were you were immediately... I can't see them turning back though - at least google.co.uk still has the old favicon (for now, anyway... :p)
Congrats on the extra hits, btw :)
I estimate Google will change the lower-case 'g' back into the old one.It seems that most people don't like it.
The first time I noticed the colorful borders I thought it was the subpixel rendering of my MacBook display...
Well, now it is history.
I also much prefer the 'old' favicon.
When I saw it I thought something had gone wrong... that Firefox was for some reason using the favicon of another site or something.
I cleared my cache, tried google.ca and others and refreshed a hundred times in a futile attempt to clear this stain from my tab.
Please Google revert to the previous one or make another one at least using some colours.. oh i dont know, lets say blue, red, yellow and green?
Also finding it halarious how this 3 year old blog has been hijacked.
lol, looks like I aint the only one who noticed it.
new lowercase favicon sucks. i agree that the old one needed a refresh, but not like this.
theres a greasemonkey userscript to set it back to the old icon .......
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/27548
i was here, too
..the old icon was kinda boring, but the new one is lame! its not "google" at all =D
i was here too - whee! this entry is gonna be in the history-books! and when people in the year 2099 will be studying history, they are gonna read this crap! - legalize! :P
I just noticed the new favicon too. I don't like it. I like the old one better.
This blog post is the number one hit for Google Favicon on May 30, 2008!! Go Gabor!
it stinks!
It's poor. Resembles a squiggle more than a 'g'.
It's utter dull. Got me all confused to find this stupid new icon all over my tabbed browser.
Please put back the old one please.
Hi,
Thanks for letting me know what a geek I am ;-)
The new favicon just doesn't look distinctive or "solid"
Kind regards,
Shakir Razak
P.s.
Well done on you presient-of-sorts blog post!
good observation!!
but Google changes to a new favicon already
Is this all part of their transition to a new logo?
See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeLmCcx0tWA
New logo(?) here.
When I first saw the new Google favicon I thought it must have been a mistake, the small "g" is pretty cheesy :)
I don't like it too, it's a tiny icon but a huge change!
http://edi.budimilic.com/2008/06/01/new-google-favicon/
That new icon reminds of me new Coke. Is there really a reason to mess with the formula? It's become so familiar, and now they want me to drink this? :-)
Hi Gabor,
It's very funny that this 3 year old post is above Google's own post for the keywords 'Google favicon'! For the record I read your update at the top quickly and kind of assumed that it was an update on a post earlier that day. Only later did I see in the small font at the top that the post was from 2005... :)
Richard
The new logo is CRAP! i dont recognize open google pages (in tabs) no more!
Gabor I'm so proud of you - top hit on the subject. Don't think I won't be dining out on this...
Congrats to Gabor.
Ahead of his time!
Dublin
Search Engine Land has an official position from Google:
“We recognized there was a need for a Google icon that would better work across multiple applications including web, mobile and client applications. We felt the small ‘g’ had many of the characteristics that best represent our brand: it’s simple, playful, and unique. We will be looking to improve and enhance this icon as we move forward.“
more on http://arbitness.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/why-google-changed-their-favicon/
I am not impressed with new favicon too. For those who think they can do a better job, try this url
http://www.google.com/faviconideas/
Please take a look at my new Google Favicon ideas here:
CAEIOUS's Google Favicon Red Horn
&
CAEIOUS's Google Favicon Yella'Horn
Trendsspotting has wrote some interesting follow up on Google Favicon
http://www.trendsspotting.com/blog/?p=387
Seems people mostly hated the changes
Hey guys, thefaviconshomepage.com already hosts the brand new google favicon!
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