Have you noticed Google's new logo yet? If you haven't, it doesn't mean you aren't observant. Until last week, the company didn't even admit to updating its famous wordmark, and even now, only a few users are able to see it. But, it's confirmed: The Internet's most famous brand is rolling out a new logo and homepage over the next few weeks, the first time in three years the company has altered its look.
Whereas Yahoo!'s new logo touted a "bevel" effect, Google has done the opposite — going flatter and sporting a more fluid shape and a slightly softer palette. (Check it out above.) Can't make out the difference? The evolution is incredibly subtle, which is a wise move, given how heated reactions to logo overhauls can be. There are also minor changes to the Google bar, including a new Apps section, where you can more easily integrate your Google Play downloads with your mobile devices.
Fast Company's October 2013 issue offers a closer look at Google's overall redesign process. Once considered immune to the concept of good design for beauty's sake, the company has now hired one of the most storied mobile designers in the industry, Matias Duarte. He now serves as Android's design director and will slowly be updating the company's aesthetic across all platforms in the coming months and years. As FastCo puts it, "Google is now imbuing everything it does with the sort of effortless panache that the tech world once associated only with Apple." Nothing wrong with a little competition, folks. Let the UI beauty contest begin! [Fast Company]