14 DAY TRIAL // Google is in the process of making available a new tool designed to permit users to author their own iGoogle themes. In this manner, the Mountain View-based search giant is kicking up a notch the level of personalization capabilities offered by iGoogle. With the new tool, which at the time this article was being written was not yet live, users will be able to build their own themes to further customize the iGoogle page in accordance with their preferences in terms of visual style.
“Now, you too can capture memories and images on your iGoogle homepage by building a custom theme. We've just released our new tool for creating iGoogle themes. It's an easy way for iGoogle users to spruce up their personalized homepage without needing to know how to use XML, etc.” Kathleen Ko, iGoogle engineer, stated.
“All you need is an image, and we'll provide the rest. The theme-building tool has a simple interface for uploading your photo from your desktop, Picasa Web Album, or the web.”
Essentially, the new personalization functionality provided by Google revolves around an image provided by the end-user. The digital photography can be effortlessly tweaked and adapted to the iGoogle header, while users are also permitted to tailor the colors of the page to their liking.
“Once you've chosen a photo, the builder provides a basic set of tools to help you create your theme: Image Cropping – Crop your favorite photo to fit your iGoogle theme; Color Schemes – Pick colors to complement your photo; Real-time Preview – See immediate feedback of your changes to swiftly fine-tune your theme; Public and Private Publishing – Choose who gets to see your original themes, whether it's just you, or if you want to share them with the world,” Ko added.