What is a Google Doodle?

Amelia McCrory, Columnist

As we open our Google homepages daily, we are aware of the creative and unique Google Doodles that welcome us. But what is the process of forming these works of art, and how can we join the Doodle community?

According to Google, in 1998, before Google Doodle was born, Google’s founders, Larry and Sergey, redesigned their corporate logo to state their presence at the Burning Man festival in Nevada. They did this by putting a stick figure behind the second “o” in the logo of Google. This was meant to humorously display that Larry and Sergey were “out of office” during the event.

A couple of years later, in 2000, the two asked intern Dennis Hwang to form an eye-catching doodle for Bastille Day on July 14. It featured fireworks above the letters of Google, as well as the flag and motto of France. The Doodle was well received by users, resulting in Hwang being promoted to Google’s Chief Doodler.

As time went on, Doodles started appearing on the homepage for primarily national holidays. Nowadays, Google’s Doodles appear almost every day, featuring animated videos, popular characters, and descriptions of the creation. Collectively, Google has arranged over 4,000 Doodles, which are also used to celebrate the brand’s personality and love for innovation. Google now has a team of professional illustrators called Doodlers, working diligently to bring a smile to our face every day.

Have an upcoming doodle idea that you would like to share with the Doodlers? Email [email protected] in hopes of possibly seeing your suggestions used on the Google homepage. To access past Google Doodles visit the Google Doodles website. Here are some examples of some modern Doodles: