Who has not shown some interest or enthusiasm when they enter their web browser of choice, enter the search engine of Google and discover that the iconic logo of the technology firm has changed its design? Doodles, the cute illustrations, animations or interactive games that the company uses to commemorate culturally significant people, places, things, events and celebrations around the world, have earned the appreciation of the millions who use the service daily.
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However, despite the fact that many already know them and are aware of their importance, very few understand the arduous creative process behind each of these logo redesigns. Googlewhich, according to what was mentioned by Perla Campos and Jessica Yu —members of the Doodle Team— can “take between 6 hours for the most basic illustration and up to one or two years depending on its complexity”.
What are Doodles and who makes them?
The doodle of Google (scribble translated into Spanish) dates from 1998, the date on which the company’s founders Larry Page and Serguei Brin made a slight modification to its old logo by placing a small man striking a pose, the isotype chosen for the music festival “Burning Man” that these executives decided to attend and represent as a tribute in their logo as a little joke before leaving the office.
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Obviously, this concept evolved over the years to become what we know today. The company describes the doodles as “a fusion of art and culture that aim to create inspiring, surprising moments that arouse the curiosity of users”. Google revealed that, to date, they have published 5,000 Doodles since the creation of the division in charge of these with an average of 450 a year.
As for the creative team, it is made up of an average of 150 people around the world, including engineers and artists, but also others such as guest independent artists and local project managers. doodleswhich are in charge of organizing and deciding ideas about what should be honored according to its importance in the specific market to which the Doodle is directed.
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The creative process behind the Doodles
Campos and Yu explained the creative process of the google doodles which begins with the collection of ideas for illustrations. Both explained that these can come from different places, both internal and external. The minds of the members of the division are the ones that often end up consolidating what will end up being published, but the team also receives suggestions from millions of users around the world through the email [email protected].
With the help of these sources, among which you can also list others such as regional managers and workers of Google that are not part of Doodle Team, a large list is drawn up a year in advance after reviewing each of these ideas. The main selection criterion is how well it fits the process and the ultimate goal of promoting culture through artistic expression and correctly representing communities.
It is precisely the deliberation of what ideas will work when becoming a Doodle that makes it such a complex process since, as Campos explains, several factors on diversity must be taken into consideration such as ethnicity, ability, profession, age, period, among others. . However, one thing that is always clear among team members is that doodles They will never be used as advertisements for commercial purposes. Even if several companies have approached Google for this purpose, they have always been rejected as “Doodles are a cultural gift to users”.
After this, work begins on the doodlee depending on the date your departure is scheduled. “It can take from 6 hours to 1 or 2 years depending on the magnitude of the project and how many team members are working on it,” said Perla Campos, Doodle’s head of marketing. To start with the creation, the Doodle Team requests the corresponding permissions from the families or people who have the rights of the characters or intellectual properties that they are going to commemorate.
Once everything is ready, the team works according to the format. Jessica Yu, leader of the Doodle Team, pointed out that a Doodle can be static, basically a JPEG or PNG file, animated, an image that features movement, or complex like a slideshow, video, or interactive game. The latter are the ones that require the most time and one of them, the Doodle Champion Island Games that was held for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, is the one that required the most time from the team; 2 years to be exact.
During the process, guest artists, communities or organizations that can contribute to the elaboration of the Doodle depending on its theme are also involved and, finally, when it is finished, it is published and its scope is amplified with various promotional tasks.
Peru present in Google Doodles
Our country has been no stranger to the technology firm and both famous people and events and dates of great importance to our history and culture have also been honored by Google. Here are some of the best doodles that the company carried out for Peru:
Importance varies by market
There are some details to consider regarding the doodles. Although many of us recognize those who pay homage to illustrious events or characters of the past, history is not the only thing that Google prioritize. The Doodles are also a reflection of what everyone is experiencing, which is why designs and illustrations have also been made of events such as the discovery of water on Mars or the importance of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, as Campos and Yu pointed out, users do not see all the doodles that the team believes since several of these are devised with the market to which they will be directed in mind. As an example, Google users in Argentina will not see the annual doodle for the Independence of Peru in their browsers and vice versa. Every year, the team consults the regional managers for each of the countries they are in charge of and, relying on their knowledge of that market, they create a list of Doodles that commemorate people, places, things, events and celebrations that are important for the people of that nation.
A brand we all recognize
Doodles have become a fundamental part of Google’s identity at an institutional level, since people often find out about a relevant event, character or date thanks to the innate charisma of these logo redesigns. Making clear its intentions not to become advertising for other companies, the technology firm reaffirms its commitment to promoting culture through these nice pieces of art that have caught our attention more than once.
Yu and Campos pointed out that Doodles as emblematic as the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man, Champion Island Games in celebration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the 65th birthday of Freddy Mercury or the 70th anniversary of John Lennon already form part of the story and “While not every Doodle will always be someone’s favorite, every Doodle is someone’s favorite.”
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Source: Elcomercio