Google Changes Smallest, But All-Pervasive, Element Of Brand Identity – The Favicon

The New Favicon, Enlarged

It’s such a small thing — only 16 pixels by 16 pixels — but, when folks are browsing along day-to-day, the favicon is how they find the browser tab that has Google.com open, or the favorite link to Google. And Google has changed this iconic image this week, for the first time since 2009.

The company has been testing a similar new image, all blue, since at least February. Now, they have adopted it for Google.com.  Each other Google property — Google+, Play, Gmail, etc. — has its own unique favicon.

The last time the company changed the image it was resigned in part via a design contest. That colorful favicon lasted from 2009 to 2012. The new one looks very much like the reverse of one that was used back in 2008 — while that one was blue on white, this one is white and blue. This time, the switch could be part of Google’s “simpler and more beautiful” interface initiative. I’ve got an inquiry out to Google and will update if they have anything to say about the change.

Here’s a peek at previous Google favicons:

And, in context, in reverse chronological order:

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About the author

Pamela Parker

Pamela Parker is Research Director at Third Door Media's Content Studio, where she produces MarTech Intelligence Reports and other in-depth content for digital marketers in conjunction with Search Engine Land and MarTech. Prior to taking on this role at TDM, she served as Content Manager, Senior Editor and Executive Features Editor. Parker is a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since its beginning. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ and has also worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing. Parker earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.