Google 'Doodles' reflect company's culture of innovation_美文

Google 'Doodles' reflect company's culture of innovation

From a marketing standpoint Google, the enormously profitable Internet search engine, separated itself from the competition early on with its homepage, the iconic Google logo on a blank white screen. The stark design emphasizes the company’s view that it's a search engine, not a news or entertainment site. The homepage never changes, except for those Doodles, the artistic, sometimes funny, sometimes baffling renderings with the logo hidden within - that occasionally appear and have become famous.

Anyone who uses Google will occasionally notice a Doodle, a specially designed logo to commemorate holidays, like Chinese New Year, or obscure anniversaries, like the date the London subway system opened 150 years ago, or a quirky tribute like this Zamboni animation, depicting the machine used to resurface ice skating rinks.

These artistic renderings of the Google logo may bring more users to its homepage. But Ryan Germic, the chief Doodler, said their value to the company isn't found in a traditional business plan.

“Ahh, the existential question of 'why'? We are here to surprise and delight our users and to humanize Google,” he said.

Unlike the business side of Google that constantly analyses data and usage, the Doodles, he said, are evaluated on subjective criteria.

“We look at social networks. We look at press. You know, do we make each other laugh or smile with the thing we are doing? And try to have a more of an emotional connection rather than like this is converting more clicks than the last one,” said Germic.