Artsy side of search: Designers, pop stars create iGoogle themes
If you thought Google's capacity for high design didn't go far beyond its primary-colored logo, think again.
The iGoogle personalized home pages have been graced with new flair thanks to the introduction of iGoogle Artist Themes, a way for Google members to do digital interior decoration.
It may not help Mountain View on its quest to organize all the world's information, but it can make some of that information look a little prettier. Microsoft did something like this with Zune Originals, trendy designs for its music players.
"We've collaborated with almost 70 artists from around the world," an e-mail announcement from Google reads, "inviting them to use iGoogle as their canvas by creating unique, dynamic themes for our users to personalize their pages." The imagery in each theme changes continually.
Artist Jeff Koons' 'Google doodle'
(Credit: Google)This is no small-time operation. Google has pulled out the stops, with contributions from artists and architects like Jeff Koons, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck, and Yann Arthus-Betrand, as well as fashion luminaries like Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Ecko, and Dolce & Gabbana. A few music artists like Coldplay, the John Butler Trio, and the Beastie Boys also are present, as are pop-culture figures like BoingBoing's Mark Frauenfelder, Jackie Chan, The Wiggles, and...Lance Armstrong.
To celebrate, Google will host an art-themed party Thursday night at a nightclub in New York's Meatpacking District, the upscale shopping and nightclub enclave that lies conveniently adjacent to the company's sprawling Gotham satellite office.
In addition, the Google.com logo has been tweaked by Koons for the day.
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
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As usual, way to Go Google? Or Way to Google go?
demand for Google using it and they stiffed me.
Here is my idea as I proposed it 6 months ago on the New York
Times Blog about google and yahoo using. It was the first
comment.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/inbox-20-yahoo-
and-google-to-turn-e-mail-into-a-social-network/
"For your grand launch of the IGoogle social network have
Takashi Murakami design themes exclusively for IGoogle. He is
expensive but Google can afford him and trust me people will
sign up in drove just to have his themes as their background on
IGoogle. Of course there are many other famous underground
and main stream artists that would get a great response as well.
If Google decides to use my ideas, I want a tour of Googleplex
and I want to meet Sergey and give him a haircut. These are my
terms and I?m not budging.
??
coolrepublica"
I'm sure someone at Google got a bonus for proposing this idea
to their boss. I hope they choke on it.