Journal

We asked some of the biggest names in branding for their take on the Google logo. They love the motion, but some question the word mark.

Google revealed a new logo yesterday, and in our book, it’s pretty great. With a smoother, sans serif typeface, it’s built to shrink legibly to fit the smallest screens. But the bigger story is its animated interaction language—the fact that it can morph into a series of dots that can convey anything from “Google is listening” to “Google is searching for nearby ice cream.”

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The SmartHalo looks dead simple on its surface, which is precisely how a navigation tool should be.

In the realm of interfaces, a screen isn’t always the answer. Increasingly, designers are experimenting with ambient UIs as way for devices to communicate with people in an unobtrusive, yet effective, way. The SmartHalo, a connected biking gadget, is one example of this theory in action.

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Guess No. 1?

Remember when Facebook forced you to download its standalone messaging app, Messenger, by revoking access to messages from within its flagship app? Turns out that strategy worked swimmingly for the social network: A new report by app analytics firm App Annie says Messenger is one of the most downloaded iOS apps of all time.

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Pay $5 for a Dash button, and you’ll get $5 back from Amazon once you make a purchase.

In July, Amazon officially debuted its Dash button: an Internet-connected, branded, physical button that orders refills of various products with a single press. As of Wednesday, the e-commerce giant is making the Dash button program available to all Prime subscribers—and giving you a rebate that essentially refunds the price of the button.

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