Google now owns Gecko Design, an 18-year-old product design and mechanical engineering studio. The studio was acquired by Google X, a division of Google that usually works on projects that are futuristic or ahead of their time.
"People come to Gecko because they don't know how to turn ideas into real products, especially when it's something that hasn't been done before. That's what attracted Google X," said Jacques Gagné, president of Gecko.
Gecko was founded in 1996, and has worked on a number of quite high-profile products. These products include the likes of Fitbit, Jawbone and Logitech, among others.
Gecko was also a large part of the One Laptop per Child project, which aimed to develop a laptop that could withstand being dropped by children and costs less than $100.
Later, in 2013, Gecko started working on an undisclosed project with Google X, at which point Gagné started talking with Google X chief Astro Teller about joining the division.
The acquisition will help Google with some much-needed talent in the area of hardware product design, especially when it comes to products like Google Glass. Google Glass is often said to look unfinished, though Google is clearly seeking help to remedy this. In May, Google named Ivy Ross the head of Google Glass. Ross is a design expert known for her work with the likes of Mattel, Disney, Gap and Calvin Klein.
Because of the fact that it is Google X who acquired Gecko rather than Google in general, it is clear that Gecko will be working primarily on projects within Google X.
Gecko is essentially aimed at doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work associated with product design, rather than being the face of the product.
"Creativity without practicality is useless in consumer product development," says the Gecko website. "We're aware of the limitations of manufacturing and can intercept potentially costly design glitches early on. The language of design and manufacturing is often divergent."
Google X is known for projects such as Google Glass, the smart eyewear, and Project Loon, a weather balloon that delivers wireless Internet to those below.
Design is not the only thing that Google Glass is struggling with. Apart from the $1,500 price tag, Glass is also raising a number of privacy concerns because of the fact that it can record video without the consent or knowledge of those being recorded.
The amount for which Google X bought Gecko has not been disclosed.
