Ask Logo

Ask.com LogoAsk.com Logo PNG

The Ask logo is also a URL and contains the domain name – the platform the site is on. This design is a well-thought-out marketing technique because this is an Internet resource, and it is the fastest way to get to it, knowing the exact “coordinates” in advance.

Ask: Brand overview

Founded:June 3, 1996
Founder:Garrett Gruener and David Warthen
Headquarters:
Oakland, California, U.S.
Website:ask.com
Ask is an American Internet system with the function of searching for answers to questions. It was originally called AskJeeves.com and was based on technology developed by Gary Chevsky. It launched as a full service in 1996, founded by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen. The place of its appearance was the city of Berkeley in California, and now the headquarters is located in Oakland in the same state. InterActiveCorp currently owns the brand.

Meaning and History

Ask Logo History

Ask was based on the original information retrieval algorithm embedded in the AskJeeves.com platform. At the same time, Jeeves meant a personal assistant who could provide an answer to any question. It was the name of a literary character – a valet who worked for Bertie Wooster from the works of P. G. Wodehouse.

In 2006, the owners abolished the second part of the name, removed the name prefix, and created an actual search engine. It still helps Internet users get answers to questions asked in a natural, mundane way. It also focuses on keywords generated by the dictionary, math, and conversion algorithms. The company launched the beta version in the spring of 1997 and the full version in the fall. In this form, the search service existed until 2001 – until the time when Teoma bought it.

Four years later, the service became the property of its current owner, IAC (InterActiveCorp). He converted the site to a new format and got rid of the Jeeves add-on, keeping the web resource in its original form of questions and answers. This decision was made in 2010 due to high competition in the market. Each major step in their work of Ask was reflected in his visual identity. However, it has changed little: the adjustments concerned minor details. There are four logos in its history, but they are all of the same types.

What is Ask?

Ask is a search engine with answers to both free-form questions and keywords. It was implemented in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen based on an algorithm developed by Gary Chevsky. The platform was originally called AskJeeves.com, which the owners changed to the modern version in 2006. InterActiveCorp now owns the service.

1996 – 1999

Ask.com Logo 1996

The logo that set the style for all subsequent signs belongs to that time. Its distinguishing features were a red background oval and bold white letters. In this version, the geometric figure was placed horizontally, and the symbols inside it were disproportionate and seemed to be randomly collected together. And the thing is that each of them had its configuration – there was no graphic consistency between them. For example, “K” had a distinct slant to the right, “S” looked incomplete due to short curves, and “A” looked like an Indian wigwam. In addition, the inscription contained an exclamation mark of the same color as the title. It had a diamond-shaped “dot” at the bottom and a diagonally cut top.

1999 – 2007

Ask.com Logo 1999

After the redesign, the emblem did not change much outwardly, but certain differences arose, although they were not immediately evident. In particular, the designers converted the font to lowercase (except for the first letter), turned the red oval diagonally, and placed the inscription at an angle. They also added a black shadow to the right and bottom of the white signs to make the inscription expressive, clear, and voluminous. The oval also had a shadow, but gray. Another innovation touched on the form of printed characters: the developers unified them by removing the wrong style. The tops “A” and “k” touched the edge of the red background and even slightly went beyond it. At the bottom of the oval in white space was the site’s domain name “.com.” It was done in black grotesque.

2007 – 2010

Ask.com Logo 2007

In 2007, the Ask logo was given a glossy, bulging look with highlights and a gradient. The designers removed all even shadows, leaving only their blurry outlines, so the dark areas under the letters looked like shadow areas from the objects above. They shortened the letters “A” and “k” so that their tops did not extend beyond the oval. And the left side of the base was lighter than the right, as evidenced by the scarlet color and white highlights. The inscription at the bottom, denoting the domain name, has become thinner.

2010 – present

Ask.com Logo

The Ask logo has received a plane and two-dimensionality by the fashion trend. Moreover, this is not only a trend but also a practical innovation that allows you to see the logo on any media – from electronic to advertising. In this regard, it has been simplified: no shadows, no highlights, and no gradient. Now the entire space of the oval is painted in the same red tint, and the letters do not have blackouts. The extra “.com” particle at the bottom right of the oval is light gray.

Font and Colors

Ask Emblem

A key feature of the Ask brand’s visual identity is the oval. It is painted red and is located diagonally, so the inscription inside is also placed at an angle. The main modification concerned the letters, which have changed a lot by now. They have gone from disproportionate signs to geometrically even symbols.

Ask Symbol

The basis of the logo is a typeface that is as close as possible to the Richmond Medium Italic typeface. It is designed in the spirit of the underground style of such personalities as Dwiggins Metro, Jakob Erbar, and Edward Johnston. Its closest free counterpart is Open Sans Bold Italic Font, created by designer Steve Matteson. Ask’s corporate palette includes the three most common colors: black, white, and red.

Ask color codes

Fire Engine RedHex color:#ce2027
RGB:206 32 39
CMYK:0 84 81 19
Pantone:PMS 485 C
Granite GrayHex color:#666666
RGB:102 102 102
CMYK:0 0 0 60
Pantone:PMS Cool Gray 10 C