Background
Google has evolved far beyond its origins as a search engine. Today, it encompasses cloud computing, mobile, voice, IoT, hardware, AI, and much more. With millions of daily visitors to about.google, the need for a bold, dynamic, and up-to-date marketing site became clear. The goal was to communicate Google’s vast product portfolio, values, and story in a way that would resonate globally while staying relevant amidst constant change.
As the primary designer on a small team that included Executives, Creative Leadership, Program Management, Customer Research, Creative Engineering, and Content Strategy, I led the design process through high-fidelity mockups, design specifications, prototyping, and asset creation.
The Challenge
Designing and launching a marketing site for Google presented several key challenges:
1. Showcasing Google’s Evolution: Communicating the breadth of Google’s offerings, from search to cutting-edge AI and IoT products.
2. Dynamic, Live Content: Creating a design that reflected the vitality of Google’s brand and its continuous innovations.
3. Multiple Use Cases: Balancing the needs of users seeking help with existing products and those looking to explore new ones.
4. Nonstop Announcements: Designing a site that could accommodate frequent updates without losing cohesion.
5. Global Launch: Ensuring the site functioned seamlessly across Google’s top 10 major international markets, including localized product portfolios, languages, and assets.
The Work
1. Communicating Google’s Dynamism
• Designed the site to incorporate live feeds and dynamic visuals, showcasing Google’s diverse offerings, from AI to hardware.
• Integrated an unofficial company screensaver to reflect Google’s vitality and the global impact of its products.
2. Telling Google’s Story
• Developed a carousel in the masthead to communicate Google’s evolution from a search engine to a multifaceted technology leader.
• Crafted vivid imagery and interactive elements to highlight the company’s human and progressive values.
3. Addressing User Needs
• Researched user behavior to understand the dual use cases for the products page:
• Learning about new products.
• Getting help with existing ones.
• Refined the page’s narrative to support both use cases effectively.
4. Collaboration Across Teams
• Partnered with executives, creative leadership, program managers, customer research teams, creative engineers, and content strategists to align on brand vision and user experience goals.
• Conducted brainstorming sessions and iterative design reviews to refine and validate ideas.
5. Global Optimization
• Designed and tested the site to ensure compatibility with localized text, product portfolios, and imagery across Google’s top 10 international markets.
• Each market featured tailored content to reflect local products and assets while staying aligned with Google’s global brand identity.
Outcome
The redesigned About.Google site successfully showcased Google’s brand, products, and values on a global scale. The results included:
• A compelling visual narrative that captured Google’s evolution and innovation.
• Improved user engagement, driven by the seamless balance of dynamic content and intuitive navigation.
• A scalable framework that supported frequent updates aligned with Google’s constant innovations.
• Successful internationalization with localized languages, product portfolios, and assets, enabling the site to resonate with diverse audiences across 10 major global markets.
