Google has had several logos since its renaming from "BackRub". The current official Google logo was designed by Ruth Kedar, and is a logotype 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, like the Olympics. These have become known as Google Doodles.
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History of the Google logo
In 1998 Sergey Brin created a computerized version of the Google letters using the free graphics program GIMP after teaching himself how to use it. The exclamation mark was added, mimicking the Yahoo! logo.[1]
History of the Google Doodle
The first Google Doodle was a reference to the Burning Man Festival of 1999. 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. [2] 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.[3] Google doodles have been produced for the birthdays of several noted artists and scientists, including Andy Warhol, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Louis Braille, Percival Lowell, Edvard Munch, among others. Welsh novelist Roald Dahl has also been featured, with the logo containing characters and items from some of his books, such as Matilda. Additionally, the featuring of Lowell's logo design coincided with the launch of another Google product, Google Maps. The logo is also notorious among web users for April Fool's Day tie-ins and jokes about the company. 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,[4] giving the appearance that the "l" was missing: thereby displaying "Googe". In response to several speculations the Official Google Blog,[5] 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."
Doodle4Google Competitions
The Doodle4Google competitions are British based, and are hosted every year. The competition is opened to students aged between 5 and 16 in the UK. There is usually a deadline, of which all submissions should be entered. Each doodle requires a title and a statement that is less than 60 words. The process of choosing a winner is split into different sections. After some time, the regional winners are announced and then the winning doodles go onto the Doodle4Google website, where the public get the opportunity to vote for the winner. The prize is a trip to the Google campus in California and the hosting of your doodle for 24 hours on the Google UK website.
See also
References
- ^ Vise, David; Mark Malseed (November 2005). The Google Story. New York: Bantam Dell, 43. ISBN 978-0-553-80457-7.
- ^ Hwang, Dennis. "Oodles of Doodles." Google (corporate blog). June 8, 2004. Retrieved on July 19, 2006.
- ^ Williams, David E. "Google's unknown artist has huge following." CNN. July 19, 2006. Retrieved on July 19, 2006.
- ^ Google logos Valentine's Day logo. February 14, 2007. Retrieved on April 6, 2007.
- ^ Official Google Blog Strawberries are red, stems are green.
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