Google themes API

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, January 18, 2008 1:16 PM |
Picture 2-113

Google invited me to create an example theme for its new iGoogle Themes API. The theme changes throughout the day to tell a little story.

I also worked on a gadget with RSS feeds for the different blogs, videos, and podcasts I contribute to. You can add the theme and gadget to your iGoogle page here.

The iGoogle Themes API allows you to personalize iGoogle by modifying the page's design. Your theme can modify the header and footer images, text colors, link colors, gadget frames, and more. Your theme can also update the page's design based on time of day. This makes it easy to create a story that unfolds throughout the day, landscapes that change as the sun rises and sets, and abstract images that become more complex. Creating a dynamic theme is as simple as specifying a time with a theme's visual attributes.
You can see other example themes by Yves Behar/fuseproject, John Maeda, and Troy Lee here.

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Discussion

Take a look at this
#1 posted by my2cents , January 18, 2008 2:47 PM

Is it just me, or are google themes a way to entice people to give google their physical location, in order to geo-target ads?

Take a look at this
#2 posted by pedmands , January 18, 2008 2:48 PM

I now have a Mark Frauenfelder tab, but only the tab- and not my actual home page- displays the theme. I'm really liking the gadget, though- I think it truly captures the idea behind googleapps, which is to gather as much wonderful information on a given subject or theme on a single page.

Take a look at this
#3 posted by Egypt Urnash , January 18, 2008 3:27 PM

Wait a second... if I'm reading the theming docs correctly, I have to host all the graphics for my theme, even if I make it public, and there's no chance to stick an actual link to my own site in the 'attribution'?

I was tempted to make a theme until I realized these two things.

Digging further, they suggest hosting the images on Google Code, which I guess isn't too bad. But if I'm going to spend the time to polish a theme to make Google pretty, I kinda want a link down there on the page of everyone who might use it...

Take a look at this
#4 posted by Kulia , January 18, 2008 3:42 PM

Thanks Mark! I like my new iGoogle theme!

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#5 posted by squirrelgirl , January 18, 2008 5:20 PM

am i crazy or are the themes "Aja Tiger" and "Tea House" definitely the work of the lovely people at www.meomi.com, who recently brought us the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Mascots?

Take a look at this
#6 posted by clifford , January 18, 2008 5:53 PM

squirrelgirl, most of that flat graphical style all looks the same. it's cute but it all looks the fucking same.

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#7 posted by n , January 19, 2008 8:53 AM

Um, I think you broke my google. :(

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