Is this how Google's new Gmail logo should have looked?

When Google revealed its new Gmail logo earlier this month, it didn't exactly go down a storm online. The iconic envelope design was removed in favour of a more minimalist icon in Google's signature four colours – much like the rest of the logos within Google Workspace.

Many users have complained that the new logos for Gmail, Google Photos, Google Maps and the rest are too easily confused (which is one way of avoiding our best logos list). Now, one renowned Android leaker has shared his take on how the logo should have looked. 

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Rather than addressing the similarity concern across the whole of Google Workspace, Evan Blass's concept corrects an issue with the colours of the Gmail logo itself. Indeed, while there appears to be little logic to the order of the colours in Google's official effort, the overlap colours in Blass's correspond with those either side: blue and yellow become green, while yellow and red become orange.

Gmail logo

The official Gmail logo (left) and Evan Blass's redesign (right) (Image credit: Google/Evan Blass/Future owns)

Indeed, there's certainly something satisfying about seeing the colours combine correctly, and we can't help but wonder whether Google had even considered the overlaps (perhaps the company ought to have taken a look at our colour theory guide?).

And it seems many on Twitter are fans of Blass's update, with several users commenting (below) that his concept is not only more logical than Google's logo, but also more aesthetically pleasing. 

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We agree that Blass's design seems to make more sense than Google's. There's just one problem – none of Google's logos actually feature the colour orange. They all simply feature blue, red, yellow and green. That said, the new Gmail logo is the first to incorporate a darker shade of an existing colour. Instead of that magenta, should Google have simply bitten the bullet and thrown in an orange to allow for appropriate overlaps?

Google says that the new Google Workspace logos are designed to reflect "a more connected, helpful, and flexible experience". But judging by the response online, the confusingly consistent designs are proving anything but helpful. If the tech giant needs a little help next time, our logo design guide is a great place to start. 

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).