Google Logo Evolution: Before-and-After Evaluation

Note on evidence: no source records were supplied with this brief. The dates and attributions below are widely reported but have not been checked against attributable documents here. Confirm them against Google's own brand announcements or other primary records before relying on them. Statements about how the designs look or what they communicate are editorial interpretation, not documented design intent.

The short answer: which logo was Google using in 2009?

In 2009, Google was still using the serif wordmark generally attributed to designer Ruth Kedar. It was adopted around 1999, and its exclamation mark was dropped shortly afterward. The wordmark is set in a typeface widely identified as Catull. The letters follow the familiar multicolor sequence: blue, red, yellow, blue, green, red. The 2009 version also had pronounced drop shadows and a slightly dimensional, beveled finish. Those effects are the main visual difference between it and the flatter versions that came later.

The 2009 logo is therefore the late form of Google's first long-running identity. It predates the 2010 refinement that softened the shadows. It is also distinct from the 2015 redesign, which replaced the serif lettering with a geometric sans serif.

How the logo developed: a before-and-after sequence

The commonly reported sequence of changes is below. Each date should be verified against a primary record, since none was supplied for this article.

• Around 1999: the Kedar-designed serif wordmark in Catull is introduced, initially with an exclamation mark that is soon removed.
• 2000s, including 2009: the serif wordmark stays in use with heavy drop shadows and dimensional shading.
• 2010: a refresh keeps the serif letterforms but reduces the shadow and adjusts the colors, giving a cleaner surface.
• 2013: a flat version removes the remaining shading and shadow effects.
• 2015: a redesign replaces the serif wordmark with a custom geometric sans serif, often referred to as Product Sans, and introduces related marks such as the multicolor G.

Evaluating the 2009 design against what followed

Interpretation: the 2009 logo reflects a period when on-screen interface graphics often used gloss, shadow and bevel to suggest depth. The serif letterforms give it a bookish, somewhat informal character, helped by the playful color order and the off-pattern green 'l'.

Interpretation: the later flat and sans-serif versions trade that dimensionality for simplicity. Shapes without shading reproduce more consistently across very small sizes, single-color applications and varied screen densities. A flat geometric wordmark is also easier to reduce to a compact symbol. The move toward a standalone G icon fits that direction. These are common observations about flat logo systems in general, not documented statements of Google's reasoning.

Where Google published its own explanations for the 2015 change, those statements are the right source for claims about intent. None was supplied for this article, so no intent is asserted here beyond the visual comparison.

What this means for vector artwork of the 2009 logo

The 2009 wordmark is harder to represent cleanly as vector artwork than the later flat versions, because of its shadows and dimensional shading. The letterforms themselves can be drawn as vector paths. The effects are a different matter. In a file, they may appear in any of these forms:
• vector gradients and blended shapes
• live effects that depend on the editing application
• embedded raster images layered beneath or over the paths

Files labelled as the 2009 Google logo in SVG, EPS, AI or PDF format should be inspected rather than trusted from the filename or extension. Any of these containers can hold three quite different things:
• genuine editable paths
• an embedded bitmap with no editable geometry
• a raster preview standing in for missing artwork
To check a file, open it in a vector editor and switch to an outline or wireframe view. If the letters appear as paths with editable anchor points, the artwork is vector. If you see only a rectangle or an image object, it is raster content inside a vector container.

Many versions circulating online are also redrawings or auto-traces made by third parties, not original master artwork. Traced files often have uneven curves, excess anchor points and approximated colors. Comparing letter shapes and color values against a reliable reference image is the practical way to judge fidelity.

Fonts, trademarks and permission

Several separate rights apply, and being able to download a file does not grant any of them. The wordmark is a Google trademark, and its use is governed by Google's brand guidelines and trademark law, whatever the file format. Catull is a commercial typeface, so typing 'Google' in a licensed or unlicensed copy of it raises its own font-licensing questions. Even an accurate recreation does not carry permission to alter the mark or use it commercially. Historical or editorial uses, such as illustrating an article about logo evolution, are treated differently from branding or merchandise uses. Anyone planning a specific use should check Google's current brand permissions guidance or seek legal advice.

Gaps in this assessment

• No attributable records were supplied to confirm exact launch dates, designer credits or the typeface identification.
• No official vector source files were examined, so nothing here describes the construction of Google's own master artwork.
• No statements of Google's design intent were supplied; all comparative judgments above are editorial interpretation.