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 lowered to an summary kind positioned in entrance of a blueprint. The Android head was additionally added, peeking excessive.
When redesigning a emblem, it’s necessary to think about model components that unify merchandise inside an ecosystem. For the Android Developer ecosystem, the “robotic head” is a key model component, alongside the first Android inexperienced colour. The secondary colours blue and navy, and tertiary colours like orange, can be utilized for help.
- Iconography: use recognizable and applicable symbols, corresponding 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.
- Preserve model consistency: the Android Studio and Android Emulator designs needs to be according to the general branding and visible id of the Android household, whereas nonetheless being distinctive.
- Guarantee accessibility: the emblem needs 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 utility icon should align with the Android visible language and conform to the rules of macOS, Home windows, and Linux working programs, making certain consistency and coherence throughout all platforms.
- Guarantee versatility: the Android Studio emblem needs to be versatile sufficient to work in a wide range of sizes and contexts, corresponding to on totally different gadgets and platforms.
Paper, pencil and pen sketching, markers, Adobe Illustrator and Figma.
It began as a easy temporary: redesign the Android Studio emblem. We initiated our artistic course of by brainstorming objects and ideas that evoke a way of software program improvement — corresponding to pencils, rulers, constructing blocks, development websites, tape measures, compasses, and protractors.
We experimented with changing the drawing compass with a ruler and tried varied mixtures of design components. We even explored the thought of incorporating bricks, much like constructing blocks, and playfully stacked the Android head, a ruler, and a pencil collectively, with a nod to the terminal immediate image ‘>’.
Through the emblem exploration section, we examined totally different approaches to incorporating an “A” for Android into the design. One idea highlighted the precision of Android improvement instruments by way of 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 by way of sketching, we then proceeded so as to add the Android colour palette to our designs. This was an necessary step to make sure that our new emblem wouldn’t solely stand out by itself but in addition 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 components and reversing the colours of each marks, which might simplify their total design and make them simpler to acknowledge at a look.
We aimed to reinforce the distinctiveness, scalability, and iconography by rigorously analyzing varied design components corresponding to line weight, nook radius, and the location 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 of preserving the simplified A used within the 2020- 2022, however in the end 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 carry to their craft. Moreover, the adjustment angle radius has been reinstated, creating the crossbar essential to kind the letter A.
- Accessible: the emblem makes use of secondary encoding with a defined A for Canary and a strong A for Secure along with colour. This makes it simpler for customers with colour imaginative and prescient deficiencies to tell apart between the 2 utility 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 components from the unique compass mark. This helps be certain that the appliance icon is recognizable to customers, even at small sizes.
The Android Studio utility 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. In addition to 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 appliance icon is legible and recognizable in each darkish and light-weight mode.
Android Studio has two utility icons — one for the Canary model and one for the Secure launch. The Canary utility 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 can be nonetheless in improvement. The white define of the A compass in Canary signifies that the options aren’t but finalized and should change.
From 2014 to 2022, the Android Studio utility icons featured totally different background colours, with yellow representing Canary and inexperienced (2014–2019) and white (2020–2022) representing Secure releases. Nevertheless, the newest 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 strong A for Secure, along with colour, to successfully convey which means and make the appliance icons extra accessible for customers with colour imaginative and prescient deficiencies.
The brand new Android Studio utility icons additionally embody the spirit of software program improvement, 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.
