Google Doodle Innovation Map

Mapping Google's Innovation to NeCSI Process

Last week, I looked at the high level of innovation Google creates with its brand identity. This week, I am mapping Google's innovation process to the NeCSI process. 

Google describes the history and process of the Google doodle brand identity on its "About Doodles" page. 

Needs

Ideas for doodles come from insight into local culture - this is sharing tacit experience. The doodles are not based on an explicit ranking or schedule. They are created not only for important holidays, but also for "a wide array of events and anniversaries". The first doodle was created as an "out of office" note, and recent doodles have celebrated a solar eclipse visible in Japan and ice cream sundaes. In addition, Google considers ideas that come from Google users.

Concept

A group of people at Google "get together regularly to brainstorm and decide which events will be celebrated with a doodle". This is where the tacit insight is into meaningful cultural events is transformed into an explicit plan for creating a doodle of Google's brand identity. There may be hundreds of ideas, so the knowledge vision is very important to successful concept development. This stage is directed by the vision to "reflect Google's personality and love of innovation". The vision at this specific stage forms part of the overall vision for doodles "to enliven the Google homepage and bring smiles to the faces of Google users."

Strategizing

Google does not go into detail on this. However, it is reasonable that the doodle needs to meet explicit requirements from other functions. The technical function would redefine the doodle in terms of programming time and storage location; the editorial function would redefine the doodle in terms of where and when it is published, the legal function would redefine the doodle in terms of intellectual property and community standards; and other functions would also be involved.

Implementing

Finally, the specifications from the various functions are brought together and transformed by "illustrators (we call them doodlers) and engineers" through tacit action into a doodle that a user experiences when opening the Google page. It is clear that the activists are quite important at this stage because they comprise a specialized team.

Would you like to share your idea for a doodle to bring "smiles to the faces of Google users?" You can share your ideas with Google by email: proposals@google.com