Art and Google: How Doodlers Create the Soul of the Search Machine
What if we told you the doodle-ridden textbooks of your childhood could have been precursors to a snazzy, high-tech career at Google? Yes, there is a universe in which art nerds and incessant scribblers reign supreme. The trick is to find your way in.
Chances are you haven't heard of the Google doodlers, but you've likely seen their work. This small team of artists uses computer sketch tablets and software to design the creative website logos that commemorate special events, holidays and anniversaries the world over. From PacMan's 30th anniversary to the landing of the Mars Rover, these artists have found a way to humanize the Google machine.
It all started in 1998. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wanted a creative way to tell Google users that the team would be out of the office attending the Burning Man festival and unable to address any technical issues. The original doodle was simple--a stick figure poised behind the Google logo--but the program soon expanded, commemorating primarily U.S. holidays.
Graphic Design Elevates the Humble Doodle
Things kicked into even higher gear when Page and Brin asked artist Dennis Hwang to take over. Hwang quickly organized the team and expanded their scope to cover international and more obscure events. Today the Google doodlers create designs for more than 100 domains globally. Millions of people admire (and critique) their work each day. Their dynamic, interactive doodles can be fun, quirky or serious depending on the theme.
The team's office is really a handful of cubicles on Google's Mountain View, Calif. campus. While Google job competition is keen, particularly within a group as small as the doodlers', these sketch fanatics represent just how far a love for the humblest form of art can take you.
Art Colleges Evolve with Our Culture
Art is often a reflection of modern culture, so it's only natural that our media shift with our technology. Art schools were once a launching pad to the fine arts: students studied sculpting, painting and other low-tech expressions. While art colleges still cater to those with these traditional passions, they have evolved with the Internet revolution in which sketch pads are exchanged for electronic tablets, and hand-drawn stills for computer-generated animation. In addition to traditional design and theory, art students can now study graphic design and Web design and take digital photography courses.
Earning an art degree won't ensure you a position as a Google doodler, but it is an excellent way to hone your skills and show employers that you take your work seriously. While some freelance artists, graphic designers and Web designers can get by with modest credentials, employers increasingly prefer to hire graduates of art colleges. Students can even earn online art degrees, particularly within computer-based media. The trick is to research a number of art schools to find one that suits your artistic style and career goals. But don't rush this decision--it will shape your future.
