Google Chrome, decorative monograms, and biffing the Bing
How the Google Chrome logo was made, from 9GAG. (Google Chrome is a new web browser for Windows. Has anyone out there given it a shot? The Mac version is apparently in development.)
I found this brief advert for Chrome, via creativebits.
A great piece of digital graphics, no doubt, but am I the only one who finds this video creepy? It’s like some corporate robot trained to spy on us, which doesn’t give an impression I’d want from a web browser.
Wonderfully decorative monogram gallery, via Randa Clay, who also shares some of her designs from back in the day.
When starting a project many designers will inevitably experiment with monograms. The combining of two or more letters appears like an easy way out, and in most cases it is, but the most imaginative interpretations leave us with some appropriate and distinctive logos. A few I like:
Microsoft biffs the Bing logotype, via DesignNotes.
The Brand New readers have been fairly vocal about the horizontal scaling, with 220+ comments last I checked.
Perhaps — a little like my cat allergy — search engine teams are just as reluctant to get close to graphic designers (my other half is again talking about adopting a cat after our previous attempt lasted just two months).
Does the Chrome logo spin your cogs? And has Bing outdone Google in the iconic logo department?
18 appreciated comments, click here to add one
Cole
Think the provenance of the Google Chrome logo is a bit suspect:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cole007/2824810438/
()
Have to say though that it’s a pretty tidy and fast web browser
Jun 21st, 2009
John Pash
The Chrome logo reminds me of Simon:
http://images.google.com/images?q=simon+game
Jun 21st, 2009
Nonnu
Did you fin the logo and video of “Chorme” creepy?
Then check this out:
http://masterplanthemovie.com/
It’s another level of “creepyness”
Jun 21st, 2009
Monica
About Google Chrome? I’ve download it for testing and it’s by far worse than IE6 :))
@ Nonnu
Like you link, brrrrr… look at this one, it’s nice as message and as animation too :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJTLL1UjvfU&feature=related
Jun 23rd, 2009
Nonnu
To Monica.. outstanding ;)
It seamed the same voice from “masterplan”. Love to meet those guys.
About Chorme…. I prefer new Opera10 with Opera Unite any day
Jun 23rd, 2009
Monica
That’s true Nonnu, but me, personally I like Mozilla, it’s excellent for web dev…
About the links, there are a few more I found on Youtube that are great, linking from this one, regarding all sort of control issues. I’m not gona post them here (don’t want to overcrowd this post), but you can find all of them following that link. Some of them are extraordinary. And yes it seems like the same voice and similar animation :) This guys are pretty cool :D
I’m still going to post something really nice that I found digging around Youtube. Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVPfTlpCKaw&feature=related
All the best
Jun 23rd, 2009
Tjeerd van Sas
I LOVE Chrome… stripped fom all privacy-invading crap. For those of you who love Chromes abilities but hate the datamining, there’s an alternative: http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php
It’s Chrome without the calling home stuff. I hope for the Maccies amongst us that SRware creates an Apple version once it’s comeplete.
@Monica: worse then IE6? How?
Jun 24th, 2009
Monica
@Tjeerd van Sas
“worse than IE6? How?”
SIMPLE! try to test a complex CSS, with forms and database behind….. bla bla bla, or an iGoogle app (live feeds, lots of graphics). Our QA was on holiday, so I did the testing. I tested on IE6, IE7, Mozilla, Opera, Safari and Chrome (don’t say that you don’t mind how it looks in other browsers). It was excellent in all but IE6 and Chrome. In IE6 was fixed, but impossible to fix in Chrome. And it wasn’t my work, it was the work of the programmers and web designers that I work with and believe me, they are f… smart :D (very good ones) So… that’s the problem with Chrome being worse than IE6 and beside this, it has same big usability problems. But… don’t hit me, it’s just my (our) personal experience. :) Everybody it’s free to use whatever it suits better the taste and needs.
PS: we are not fanatics or doomsayers for watching and posting those links, they are excellent documented and have nice graphics. It’s ones to decide what to believe and not. :) It just gives you a view from another perspective.
All the best and don’t take it personal PLS :D
Jun 24th, 2009
Tjeerd van Sas
I’ve never experienced any oddities in Chrome/Iron CSS wise, but then again I’m not creating or using complex infrastructures. Thanks for your elaboration!
Jun 24th, 2009
Matthew R
I’m currently browsing this page in Chrome, and I think it’s a great browser. And btw, I too find the advert creepy!
Jun 24th, 2009
Martyn Web
I quite like the bing logo however because its part of Microsoft I feel the need to combat the urge to like it.
Even though the chrome ad is a little odd I quite like that as well.
Jun 25th, 2009
Douglas
I only use Google Chrome. I used to be a Firefox user, but I just love the UI of Chrome, very small and it has rid itself of the blue application window in most Windows apps.
Jun 26th, 2009
John A Robb
I’ve been using Chrome since it came out. It’s way faster then IE. The speed isn’t what gets me, it’s the interface. Moving the tabs into the title bar makes the most sense to me now that I’ve been using it for so long. I do miss my toolbars though :-(
Jun 29th, 2009
Sherrie
I liked Chrome, but it wouldn’t let me do certain things, such as delete “x” boxes in Facebook. Just weird, quirky things. Someone I know who works in computers told me it’s still pretty buggy. Had I not had those few issues, then I would still be using it. It is visual in orientation, which I like. For ex., when I open it, it displays mini-window screens of the Web pages I most frequent.
The logo reminds me of the top of a Simon game. Anyone remember Simon? And the video eye reminds me of “Flight of the Navigator,” the movie, for some reason.
Monograms strike me as so personal. Not corporate or business. They are used on wedding invites, towels, and sometimes shirts or cuff links. So I could see them working as logos for companies that want to add a softer, personal touch. But if their type of business didn’t match my pictures of personal, then it would seem out of place. Nonetheless I love them. Especially on pillow cases.
Jul 10th, 2009
David Airey
Flight of the Navigator! That takes me back to the days when I half-hoped it was real, wanting to drive that ship myself.
Ah the days.
Jul 15th, 2009
Reply to “Google Chrome, decorative monograms, and biffing the Bing”
All comments are subject to the Logo Design Love comment policy.