Google’s Gemini has a branding problem, and so does the rest of AI
Google's Gemini app is facing criticism for its fragmented branding strategy, which separates features like 'Spark' and 'Daily Brief' into distinct, confusing categories. The author argues that this approach creates a cluttered user experience and fails to provide a cohesive AI assistant.
Why it matters
As AI assistants become central to consumer software, the struggle to balance feature depth with intuitive design remains a major hurdle for tech giants.
Google gets something right in its Wednesday announcement about new Gemini Live voice features when it says, “You shouldn’t have to guess whether a task requires Spark, a Daily Brief, or a quick inbox search.” Google means that as a promise — that the updated Gemini app can handle a variety of tasks via voice commands. But there’s a ridiculousness here: Google has given every Gemini AI feature under the sun its own branding, which undercuts that very message.
In the Gemini app, users can switch between chat, Spark, and Daily Brief — three separate features, each with its own icon and place in the app’s navigation. This clutters up what could otherwise be a more straightforward consumer experience, and it suggests that Gemini is still struggling to find a killer feature.
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