13 years of Google: 1997- Present

13 years since Google started and today it stands a winner and a global leader. As you surf the internet, you can feel the power and influence of Google Inc reverberate. There are many factors that makes Google such a force but the foremost reason of its development and popularity is it constant evolution. Google, ever since its inception has had a great appetite for change and development.  Never static, the company has modeled itself-around the motto of constant change.

The fact that Google has changed its logo thrice within a span of 13 years is a testimony to Google’s constant evolution policy. Moreover, a close observation reveals that Google changes it layout every year. So in this section I bring you changes bought by Google in its layout, since its birth.

1997 – 1998

The first ever Google Webpage, available at google.stanford.edu and the Beta version not yet live. The logo was designed by Sergey Brin and Google mimicked the Yahoo Exclamation mark. A view to the first Google page rather looks amateurish.

1998-1999

An emerging Google with cluttered Webpage. It still had the Stanford search and also had the subscribe option. The Beta version finally came to live. Subscription offer, just on the homepage for updates.

1999 – 2000

Finally, a clean and uncluttered Google webpage. Google understood it could stand on it’s own and focuses only on searching.

2000-2001

Google, out of Beta was awarded as the best Search Engine. There are few things to look at it: About Google, Jobs @ Google, Language bar and SM instead of TM, just next to the logo.

2001 – 2002

It was just after 9/ 11 attacks and for the first time Google shows news and support links on the front-page. Google was developing at a steady rate and was keen on trying something more than just searching.

2002 – 2003

Google changes its mind about where to put additional links, and introduces blue tabs on top of the search box. Moreover Google officially comes up with the Doodles as the users loved the first ever Doodle developed by Sergey Brin and Larry Page back in 1998.

2003 – 2004

Not many changes, Google celebrates Valentine’s Day. Google had its Doodles referring to holidays, Festivals and important events.

2004 – 2005

Doodles getting more popular, Google celebrates Olympics. Google got rid of its tabs on top of the search box, making the page simpler again. They keep on trying something new for the tabs. Besides, Google take their company public.

2005 – 2006

Not much to change, Google introduces Google Local to the front-page and gets rid of its “Business Solutions” link at the bottom.

2006 – 2007

The somewhat awkwardly positioned personalized links pane in the top right suggests, chances are high you’re logged into one of the many Google services with your Google Account. That means Google has emerged more than just a search engine. The dream of an emerging Google coming true.

2007 – 2008

In 2007, a decade after its inception, the Google homepage undergoes a dramatical change. The navigation moves from above the search box to the top-left of the page, a move mirrored on other Google pages – like Google Image Search, or Google News search. Now, Google’s motto is to have a universal search engine integrating its different sub-search types (images, blogs, etc.) into a single experience.

2008 – 2009

The Google search box and buttons got bigger, and there’s more spacing in-between the buttons. Auto-completion of search queries has already been running for quite some time. The privacy link is at the bottom. The presence of igoogle on the top right also makes it special.

2009 – 2010

A totally-free homepage showing only the logo, search box and two search buttons. All the other links only fade in after you move your mouse.

2010 – Present

It rather seems the same Google homepage, but the difference lies in the logo. The logo was changed and had much brighter look. Moreover, on hovering you get an option to change the background. In case, you don’t like the plain and simple Google, you have the opportunity to color the background.

This may have been the step to please the one who wanted some colorful background for Google, but for me the simple Google white background suits best for Google.

This was all about the layouts of the Google which changes once a year. In the next stone, I will come up with something that changes more frequently on Google.

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