Just Google It
The many ways Google’s design process has turned it into one of the most influential in the world
Google has become probably the most influential and well-known resource of all time. It has been a tool for as long as I was born, although I never got to experience the pleasure of using Google until I learned about the internet when I was a kid. I remember when Google was just a name and a few random colors pasted onto a white background. I never thought much of the design when using such a tool, but now as an adult and figuring out the rest of my life, I’ve become much more aware of these things.
Sometime in the 2000s, the crude design of Google was made in its simplest form. Now, in the 2020s, you see Google as more than a simple word. It is probably the most successful in the world, especially now that it is included in everyday lingo: “Just Google it.” as a term for researching something. Before this, what phrase was even used? “Just research it.” Google has more of an impact on society than we can even fathom.
However, it is not as simple as a meager name and color scheme. There are works in the background. Behind closed doors, there is a team of designers working tirelessly to come up with a brand name or new design for Google. As you can see on the Google browser page, you sometimes come across pictures that depict the current theme of the season. For example, during election month, there might be an American flag on the Google logo, or during Black History Month, Google showcased designs featuring jazzy-themed images. And now, you may visit Google and see a moon-themed Google with a play button depicting the October lunar cycles.
As far as the design process goes, which every designer in history would go through, Google features a series of steps taken to achieve their goals. First, they have to understand exactly what is needed for their projects. Maybe they interview users to see exactly what they want to see in their designs and use this data accordingly.
Next would come defining. You have to know what you’re looking for before creating something. As far as Google, they seek to clearly understand the purpose of their product and the objectives behind its creation. Why does it exist? What does it mean? How does it work?
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What comes next is the sketching phase. This is where Google can map out their ideas to allow the designers to generate and stimulate ideas. Maybe for the month of October, closer to Halloween, Google may want to change their design from the lunar cycle, to something more Halloweeny with a pumpkin, a ghost, or a black cat, etc.
Just like every designer, you have to decide. The design team would vote on which idea to pursue further. Which idea will have a greater impact in the future? This could either make or break the product.
The prototyping phase is one of the more important aspects of the design phase because it allows the designer and the client to test out the product before its final phases. Was this the right idea? Does it work? These mockups will allow the designer to receive feedback and make changes accordingly.
Last, but not least, validation. The validation process is essentially setting the ship out into open water. The users of the product will be able to experience the product as it was made and provide even more feedback to the designer. This is where the designer will decide whether the decision for the product’s creation was a good idea or not. That way that can refine it or iterate it.
In essence, Google has come a long way since 1998 in becoming a very popular browser for information seeking. It is universally used as a tool and part of everyday language. From its creation, it started off as a simple and kind of ugly font with blue, red, yellow, blue, green, red, in what looks like a very random pattern with a shadow cast behind it, but it has since become something much greater. The design has since become fatter, there is no more serifs, and although the color is the same, the lack of shadow makes it even more of an eyecatching brand.
