Google Chrome has been updated to version 100, which brings bug fixes, removal of simplified mode, and most importantly, a new icon.
In the 14 years since the web browser launched, Chrome has become an app that many use for more than just browsing the web. Thanks in part to the Chrome Web Store, you can play games, complete your report card, and watch Moon Knight without visiting a web page.
Google has made a fun throwback to 100 Web Moments since Chrome arrived in 2008, but while it makes for fun reading, the more pressing issue is the new icon that version 100 brings.
It made me want to remember another Instagram logo change and how their 2013 change was so significant.
an iconic icon
Logos should go with the style of the times, and an example of this is the arrival of iOS 7 in 2013. Design has evolved from scheuomorphism, which is a way of reflecting real-world objects, to a flat design that you use today. your Apple device. .
This meant that most apps had to change to fit this style, otherwise they would stand out strongly. The most prevalent for me was Instagram, which could have changed their logo from a camera to something that reflected part of the camera in a flat design. But instead, there was a change that set it apart from other social platform apps at the time.
While the revamped logo reflects a camera, the colors were bold then and still are today. When Instagram celebrated its birthday in 2020, it added an Easter egg to its app to bring back the classic icon.
Interestingly, the old icon was part of the world of iOS 14, so it was a shame to see it triumph in quick succession a short time later.
But Google's efforts with the Chrome icon have been incremental. From something that looked like an evil Pokeball in 2008, to one that looks pseudo 3D for version 100.
While its other icons have caused controversy, such as using the same color schemes for its other apps in 2021, Chrome has been consistent, almost being the template for those apps.
But as tastes and trends in technology change, we could see a crossover between skeuomorphism and flat design converge, with another major icon shift coming later this decade. And for my part, I totally agree.