On this case examine, we are going to delve into the model historical past and evolution of the Android Studio emblem and the way it has modified through the years.
- 2013: The unique Android Studio emblem was a 3D robotic that highlighted the gears and interworking of the bugdroid. Presently, the Android Emulator was the bugdroid.
- 2014: The Android Emulator merged to a flat mark however remained in any other case unchanged.
- 2014–2019: An up to date Android Studio emblem was launched that includes an “A” compass in entrance of a inexperienced circle.
- 2019: In Canary 3.6, the colour palette was up to date to match Android 10.
- 2020–2022: With the discharge of Android Studio 4.1 Canary, the “A” compass was diminished to an summary kind positioned in entrance of a blueprint. The Android head was additionally added, peeking excessive.
When redesigning a emblem, it’s essential to contemplate model parts that unify merchandise inside an ecosystem. For the Android Developer ecosystem, the “robotic head” is a key model factor, alongside the first Android inexperienced shade. The secondary colours blue and navy, and tertiary colours like orange, can be utilized for help.
- Iconography: use recognizable and applicable symbols, comparable to compass “A” for Android Studio or a tool for Android Emulator, to convey the aim and performance clearly and rapidly.
- Improve recognition and scalability: the Android Studio and Android Emulator ought to prioritize legibility and scalability, making certain that they are often simply acknowledged and understood even at smaller sizes.
- Set up distinction: the Android Studio and Android Emulator should be simply distinguishable, to keep away from confusion.
- Keep model consistency: the Android Studio and Android Emulator designs ought to be in keeping with the general branding and visible identification of the Android household, whereas nonetheless being distinctive.
- Guarantee accessibility: the brand ought to be accessible to all customers, together with these with visible impairments. This implies utilizing clear shapes, colours, and distinction.
- Observe OS tips: the up to date software icon should align with the Android visible language and conform to the rules of macOS, Home windows, and Linux working techniques, making certain consistency and coherence throughout all platforms.
- Guarantee versatility: the Android Studio emblem ought to be versatile sufficient to work in a wide range of sizes and contexts, comparable to on completely different gadgets and platforms.
Paper, pencil and pen sketching, markers, Adobe Illustrator and Figma.
It began as a easy transient: redesign the Android Studio emblem. We initiated our artistic course of by brainstorming objects and ideas that evoke a way of software program growth — comparable to pencils, rulers, constructing blocks, building websites, tape measures, compasses, and protractors.
We experimented with changing the drawing compass with a ruler and tried numerous mixtures of design parts. We even explored the thought of incorporating bricks, just like constructing blocks, and playfully stacked the Android head, a ruler, and a pencil collectively, with a nod to the terminal immediate image ‘>’.
Throughout the emblem exploration section, we examined completely different approaches to incorporating an “A” for Android into the design. One idea highlighted the precision of Android growth instruments via an “A” ruler, whereas one other featured the unique “A” compass from 2014.
As soon as we had generated a wide range of emblem ideas via sketching, we then proceeded so as to add the Android shade palette to our designs. This was an essential step to make sure that our new emblem wouldn’t solely stand out by itself but additionally keep a robust visible reference to the broader Android Developer household branding.
To make sure clear differentiation between the redesigned Emulator and Android Studio, we explored the choice of eradicating parts and reversing the colours of each marks, which might simplify their general design and make them simpler to acknowledge at a look.
We aimed to reinforce the distinctiveness, scalability, and iconography by rigorously analyzing numerous design parts comparable to line weight, nook radius, and the position of the Android head, to create a visually robust mark. We additional simplified the design by eliminating all shadow results and reorienting the emulator cellphone to an upright place, which improved recognition, scalability, and scannability. This heightened the visible differentiation between the 2 marks, making them extra recognizable and visually distinct.
The redesigned Android Studio emblem is a contemporary tackle the unique design, that includes the Android head and the enduring A compass. The staff initially thought-about maintaining the simplified A used within the 2020- 2022, however finally determined that the simplified A was not robust sufficient of a mark to be the central image of the Android Studio model. The compass’s deal with and hinge have been reintroduced, whereas the legs of the compass have been sharpened to factors, reflecting the meticulousness and precision that builders deliver to their craft. Moreover, the adjustment angle radius has been reinstated, creating the crossbar essential to kind the letter A.
- Accessible: the brand makes use of secondary encoding with a defined A for Canary and a stable A for Secure along with shade. This makes it simpler for customers with shade imaginative and prescient deficiencies to tell apart between the 2 software icons.
- Minimal and scalable: the blueprint drawing within the 2020–2022 was eliminated to create a minimalist design that’s scalable and legible at smaller sizes. This makes it simpler for low imaginative and prescient customers to see.
- Making certain recognition: the brand new emblem’s central focus is the A compass, which includes parts from the unique compass mark. This helps be sure that the applying icon is recognizable to customers, even at small sizes.
The Android Studio software icon consists of two distinctive shapes: a squircle, a sq. with barely rounded corners generally utilized in macOS purposes, and a 13-pointed bottle cap, which is a form derived from the Fashionable Android design system. Apart from reflecting the design system, the 13-pointed bottle cap additionally serves as a pleasant Easter egg 🥚, with 13 factors particularly included to coincide with Android 13’s launch. These two background shapes are used on desktop to stick to OS tips, and to make sure that the applying icon is legible and recognizable in each darkish and lightweight mode.
Android Studio has two software icons — one for the Canary model and one for the Secure launch. The Canary software icon is a white define on a darkish blue background, representing a blueprint or prototype. The Android Studio Preview (Canary) model permits builders to experiment with new options which might be nonetheless in growth. The white define of the A compass in Canary signifies that the options usually are not but finalized and should change.
From 2014 to 2022, the Android Studio software icons featured completely different background colours, with yellow representing Canary and inexperienced (2014–2019) and white (2020–2022) representing Secure releases. Nonetheless, the latest redesign takes accessibility to a brand new degree by going past the usage of background colours alone to distinguish between Canary and Secure. The brand new design employs a secondary encoding technique, that includes a defined A for Canary and a stable A for Secure, along with shade, to successfully convey that means and make the applying icons extra accessible for customers with shade imaginative and prescient deficiencies.
The brand new Android Studio software icons additionally embody the spirit of software program growth, highlighting the transformation from a blueprint/prototype (Canary) to a completely designed and polished product (Secure). Drawing inspiration from the design language of the Canary and Secure Splash Screens, the Android Studio Canary and Secure icons visually reinforce the development of the developer’s journey from the blueprint and ideation levels to execution.
