Google is finally fixing its most annoying design mistake

Remember when minimalism was cool?

When Windows 7 stripped the decoration from the overindulgent Windows XP, and Android started to look less like an amateur's attempt at creating an operating system?

It was a refreshing period. That is, until we realized that, hey, perhaps we liked the mess.

Perhaps solid blocks of color weren't the best way to convey information. Perhaps UI didn't have to be rigid and featureless. Perhaps we wanted life in our digital lives again.

There's no way we'll be returning to the 90s/00s theme that made that era so distinctive. Minimalism has its boons, and companies are starting to realize that they may have gone too far.

Google was perhaps the biggest culprit of this poor design choice, and it looks like it's making a change for the better.

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Identical app icons aren't helpful

Six years of confusing apps are finally coming to an end

In 2020, as part of G Suite's rebranding to Google Workspace, Google announced a dramatic redesign for five of its core apps: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, and Meet.

While the Docs icon didn't last long, the others are still with us today, and I hate them. Rather than a series of apps with different colors and shapes, these 2020 icons followed the same rules.

While the four-color outlines helped identify them as Google apps, they made it hard to tell which app was which at a glance. They betray the fundamental rules of icon design, as you have to take a closer look to know which app was which.

These five weren't the only ones to look like this; Maps, Podcasts, Home, and Google One also suffer from the same problem.

To me, this redesign was the pinnacle of useless minimalism. While I didn't like the gradual stripping of character from my apps and operating systems, I view most elements of my digital life as tools rather than artistic expressions.

But when minimalism makes a system actively harder to use, I have a problem. Thus, Google's return to the classics is more than a welcome change; it's a necessary one.

Google's new icons aren't perfect, but they're a vast improvement

Better than nothing

As revealed in a report by 9to5Google, Google Workspace icons will undergo a major visual revamp. Rather than the blocky colors favored by the current icons, Google is embracing gradients, glow effects, and rounded icons.

We've already seen new Gemini-inspired icons for Photos, Maps, and Home go live on our devices, and the new Gmail icon fits neatly alongside these icons. However, the rest of the changes feel like a return to the previous generation of icons.

Meet, Chat, and Calendar are switching from the four-color block design to single-color icons with gradient effects. Drive is also ditching the red in favor of a simpler three-color effect.

Docs, Sheets, Slides, Tasks, and Keep have merely been rounded out and introduced to the gradient effect.

The result of these changes is a series of icons that are more distinct than their predecessors. While there are some similarities, it's nowhere near as problematic as before.

Google's new apps feel softer and more enjoyable to look at

Less harsh angles, more soft gradients

I've always been frustrated by the harsh angles of modern app design, so Material 3 Expressive took me by surprise with its natural and enjoyable animations.

These new icons lean into this design language by reducing the harshness that marked the early Material You days.

I wish some apps were changing more. The 'M' outline that identifies Gmail is still inferior to the classic envelope icon of pre-2020 Gmail, so I wish that Google had created a more fleshed-out icon here rather than sticking to the outline effect.

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But on the other hand, the Meet icon is drastically improved. I'm also a fan of the pronounced lightbulb effect for Keep.

Overall, the change is a positive one. I love the return to gradient effects, but I would be even happier to see it return to the Android UI as a whole.

We don't need AI-generated icons; we just need to know which apps are which at a glance

Google recently launched a tool on Pixel devices that would create AI-generated app icons for all your apps.

While it technically solved the problem of inconsistencies among themed icons, the result makes it even harder to tell which app is which while they clash with your phone's UI, widgets, and app drawer.

It's obvious why Google launched such a feature, but it's not what we need. AI isn't capable of creating good UI. We need carefully thought-out designs that make it easy to tell which app is which at a glance.

While Google's upcoming changes could use more work, they are nevertheless a huge step in the right direction.