Google changed its Chrome logo earlier this year for the first time since 2014. The new Chrome logo has some minor differences from its predecessor, with a lack of shadows, slightly different proportions and brighter colors. Most Chrome users may not even notice this change in Chrome 100. But now it turns out that this logo isn’t the only option on Google’s desk. Before deciding on the logo, Google focused on much more radical designs.
Some of the standout options included separating completely different shapes or colors with white borders for the Chrome logo. Google image designer Thomas Messenger said, “We tried all kinds of ideas in the exploration phase; softer corners, different geometries, whether or not to separate colors with white,” he says. “We’ve also tried options that diverge from the general shape we’ve been using for the last 12 years.”
One of the ideas included switching the Chrome logo to a more burnt orange look, more visible than Mozilla’s Firefox logo. As a result, however, Google opted for a safe option, with a subtle redesign that keeps the four now well-known colors of the Chrome logo in place. “We knew how well-known the four Google colors and the circular composition were, so we decided not to deviate too much from that,” Messenger says.
If you’re wondering if the 3D Chrome icon from 2014 will return, Google says it’s not out of the question. “Never say never,” says Google user experience interaction designer Elvin Hu.
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