Google has bought product-design company Gecko for X Projects in order to add product design capabilities to its research lab. Lately, the Internet giant has been increasingly working on hardware products, rather than just software.
Gecko helps design products for clients including Hewlett-Packard Co., furniture maker Herman Miller Inc. and wearable-device provider Fitbit Inc., according to its website,
“This is an incredible opportunity for everyone at Gecko,” Jacques Gagne, Gecko’s president and owner, wrote on the site. “We are very excited and honored to join Google(x) and work on a variety of cutting edge projects.”
As Google works on the Google Glass, the connected eyewear; Iris, the smart contact lens; and Loon, the high altitude balloons that provide Internet access to remote locations, it needs a design expertise for improving the looks of its products.
