Creativity Corner Vive La Différence

Vive La Différence – Google Doodle

May 27, 2013

Hello. Happy bank holiday to my UK readers.

I’m back from berlin…  unfortunately i never got there. On friday, a plane’s engine caught fire and had to do an emergency landing at heathrow. Subsequently, they had to shut 1 runway for most of the day and decided to cancel ALL short-haul flights until late afternoon. I was caught up in those cancellations. Happy that everyone on that plane was safe BUT hope that BA feel ashamed that they failed to notify us passengers. Sending a text out can’t possibly be that difficult. Obviously for BA it is! I spent hours getting to heathrow and back only to be told to leave the airport!

I’m sorry to have missed the hive13 but am extra excited that they announced another one in october in copenhagen. Yay!

I’m delighted to feature another dose of vive la différence. Today we have the lovely Judith de Graaff, a dutch graphic designer living in france. She’s the author of joelix and has been blogging since 2006. Judith has just returned from berlin and unfortunately we didn’t get to hang out and play together. The good news is we’re playing together here today!

For new readers:

The concept: each month I will invite one blogger. They will create and showcase one image/vignette. There are 20 themes and 20 objects for my guest to choose from. They choose 1 theme and up to 3 objects. I will then create an image/vignette based on their choice. Everyone has free reign on how to create the image. It can be simple photography, a drawing, a collage, a hand-painted image, a styled table top… the choice is yours! The fun part is that you, my readers, will see 2 versions inspired by the same subject matter. There is no right or wrong. There’s just ‘different’.

Judith chose the theme: google doodle with the objects: toys and a colour. Here’s her take on this.

Exactly 15 years ago (today!), this sunflower yellow color entered my life. I met my boyfriend, now husband, who owned this huge and comfy Rolf Benz couch in a pretty sunflower yellow. In our homes in Holland and soon afterwards in France, we decorated our living room around this comfortable piece of furniture and started to gather different objects in the same yellow shade. And today this small collection is forming a Google Doodle, or actually a few different ones.

I remember the first Google Doodle I ever saw and I thought it was a great idea to show the work of wonderful creatives to a global audience. My favorite? There are so many great ones! But I really enjoyed the Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), and the HR Hertz’s 155th birthday doodles. The Google Doodles are a perfect example of a logo being all about “identity” and not about “identical”. Thanks Tina for having me today!

Vive la Différence - Google Doodle - Judith de Graaff

Vive la Différence - Google Doodle - Judith de Graaff
___________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s my version.

A few years ago I went to a talk to the Google offices in Victoria, London. It was all about the Google doodles, how they started and how it’s grown into its own department within Google. “Doodles are the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.”

The doodles originated in 1998 when Google founders Larry and Sergey played with the corporate logo to indicate their attendance at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. In 2000, a guy named Dennis, an intern at that time, was appointed Google’s chief doodler.

The creation of doodles is now the responsibility of a team of highly talented illustrators and engineers, also known as ‘doodlers’. There have been over 1000 doodles around the world. The doodle selection process celebrates events and anniversaries which identify with Google’s love for innovation.

The best part, we, the public could influence the decision of which doodle they create next. Submit your idea. Email proposals@google.com with your suggestions. Just don’t wait for a reply! Apparently they get hundreds of emails on a daily basis.

This is my little attempt to pay homage to the Google doodle – you often brighten up my day. Thank you!

Vive la Différence - Google Doodle - Tina Bernstein

I want to thank Judith for the the fantastic yellow inspiration, all the hard work AND for teaching me how to do animated gifs in photoshop. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so am very happy Judith chose this theme. Merci beaucoup. Bisous!

You Might Also Like

34 Comments

  • Reply Louise - 30s Magazine May 27, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    This is awesome. How do you create a .gif? I want to learn! And your opening sentence is hillarious! That you kept it in hahaha.

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks Louise. Hahahah. You understood, right? x

  • Reply Catherine @Farmhousehome May 27, 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Firstly, what a thing to happen, so sorry you never made it to The Hive. I know you were looking forward to it. Here’s to October being your time! The google doodles are such fun and put an instant smile on your face. Both of your creations and the animated gifs are fantastic, love them both. Thank you Judith and Tina. xx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:34 pm

      Yes, total crap! Actually BA just refunded my ticket, so there’s another reminder!!

      Pleasure. Glad you enjoyed xx

  • Reply Nicola May 27, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    This is completely fantastic! I am in awe of you both. And it’s really brightened up my already sunny day!

    Didn’t someone say last week that Google is a country? I think it just might be true xxx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:35 pm

      Haha. Love that most of you mentioned it brightened your day.
      Toys + Colour + Animation = FUN!!!

      Really, who siad Google is a country??? Intrigued! xx

  • Reply Chi@106 May 27, 2013 at 6:10 pm

    Love, love, LOVE these – well done, you two! Such a fun theme, brilliantly executed and accompanied by wonderful anecdotes.

    I think it’s so great that Vive La Difference keeps getting better and better each time. 😀

    Google is such an inspirational company – so innovative and the staff seem to be having a blast. Have you seen the giant slides they’ve installed in their offices? So cool and great stress relievers, no doubt! https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=google+office+slide&client=safari&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cpKjUYa-GI22hAf3pICIBw&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1024&bih=644

    P.S. I’d love to learn how to make an animated .gif, too – do tell! 😀 xo

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:38 pm

      Aww, thanks love. I was thinking that too. It’s now coming up to a VLD anniversary and I can’t believe it’s still going, and people are still excited about it.
      Thank you so much to all my past guest contributors for all your hard efforts:-))

      Yes, I follow Googles office designs throughout the world. Always so inspirational xx

      I’m sure Judith will do a tutorial on her blog after SO MANY requests:-) xx

  • Reply Holly May 27, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    FABULOUS! the colours, the toys, the doodles, the animation! I so have to learn how to do that.

    Your VLDs are always a pleasure TIna. Such a fantastic collaborative idea and each one SUPER unique.

    Thank you ladies for sharing your creative talents. These really did bring pleasure to my day 🙂

    Xx.

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      Thank you darling. AND IT ALL STARTED IN A CONVERSATION with you.

      Pleasure love. Happy to inspire xx

  • Reply Judith May 27, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    Merci beaucoup Louise, Catherine, Nicola, Chi, Holly and Tina of course, for your kind words! I think I should make a small tutorial one of these days, because animated gifs are so much fun to make. It takes a little bit more time than “just” a simple photo, but I love it 🙂

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:41 pm

      THANK YOU!!! I have very much loved the challenge and the execution of how to do an animated gif.
      I hope you do a tutorial. Would be a lot of fun xx

  • Reply Anya Jensen May 27, 2013 at 9:21 pm

    AHHHHH – 2 fantastic ladies and the google doodle – what’s not to love. I MISSED you Tina, big time, and had looked forward to a hug, but lucky me got to sit on the table with Judith instead, and fun was had all round (I hope:)
    I love the different takes on the goodle doodle, yellow is my happy colour (although a usually wear black) and I’m lovin the gif from you Tina.
    Copenhagen – OH well guess I’ll be seeing you both – shall I organize the dinner then:))))
    Axx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:48 pm

      I know I know… all this excitement and the NADA!!!

      How fun you sat next to Judith instead. The photo on Instagram Holly send out from Dudu really cheered me up. Was sitting at home
      licking my wounds….

      Glad you liked the gif’s
      Copenhagen….. yes!!!! xx

  • Reply Igor May 27, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    This is just beyond happy and cool. I love seeing two favorite creative ladies working on one theme. So inspiring!! Oh and Judith, I need some Photoshop lessons too, merci!! 🙂

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:48 pm

      Knew you would like:-)

  • Reply geraldine May 28, 2013 at 12:48 am

    I was so looking forward to this VLD animated gif post. It has surpassed my expectations – beautiful, colourful and both so skilfully done. Interesting to see what toys you both own too. Tina, you and I have been through a nightmare last Friday, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again for the next one. Judith, I was so looking forward to meeting you, maybe at the next one. I did learn gif at the Blogshop course but haven’t yet ventured to do one of my own.
    Wishing the both of you a wonderful week ahead. xx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:49 pm

      Oh, you must use the gif knowledge you learned…. it’s not hard, once you get your head around!
      Thanks xx

  • Reply caroline @trend-daily May 28, 2013 at 10:28 pm

    FUN! Well done Judith and Tina. Judith-look forward to your tutorial-any chance of doing it without photoshop?! Tina-I went to Google offices last month for a little private tour_WOW-what a place to work. Here’s to Copenhagen…x

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      Aren’t Google offices great. They vary greatly. I look forward to the massive development they are building over at Kings Cross.
      Yes, you can use Picasio.. it’s a free gif maker xx

  • Reply leah of sang the bird May 29, 2013 at 5:56 am

    These are so fun. I had no idea what a google doodle was 🙂 We won’t even go there. I am impressed that you learnt how to do animated gifs! So impressed T. xx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:51 pm

      Hahaha. No, let’s just not go there…. thanks lovely xx

  • Reply Gerard @WalnutGrey May 29, 2013 at 10:25 am

    This is a wonderful VLD. Fresh, original and fun. Two creative interpretations indeed ladies.

    Thanks for the info on the google doodle – I must confess I know little about google beyond using it as a search engine.

    Gxx

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:54 pm

      I find that so interesting. When you use Google as a search engine, do you not see that quite often they have a Doodle? Do you mean to say you didn’t know it was a dedicated department?
      Knew you would enjoy this. Shame I didn’t have an Eames Bird:-) xx

  • Reply Peter Cooper@artysmith2 May 29, 2013 at 11:10 am

    This is my first introduction to Google Doodles. Absolutely love the combination of products and creativity. Want to see more!

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:56 pm

      Thank you Peter for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed this… VLD is a series so each month there is a different theme.
      Hope to see you here again:-)

  • Reply Deepa May 29, 2013 at 5:09 pm

    These are so much fun!
    So, I guess Tala and I will see you in Copenhagen? 🙂

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:57 pm

      Yes, she’ll be much bigger and cuddlier by then:-))) What a shambles re: Berlin, right??

  • Reply Elena + deco May 30, 2013 at 9:08 am

    original idea for a post, well done.

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 12:57 pm

      Thank you so much Elena. Glad you enjoyed this!

  • Reply Louisa Blackmore May 30, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    I love this VLD series, it totally brightened up my day and my little lunch hour here with alfie pug – he sends his best.

    It was bad luck for the hive, I might try and go in October too, never been to copenhagen.

    L x

    • Reply tina May 30, 2013 at 1:59 pm

      Aww, can just imagine you and Alfie pug having a little lunch break. Believe it or not, I’m just having a little salad with cucumber so please send my best back to my favourite Pug!!
      Yes, do come to Copenhagen xx

  • Reply Alison Sye June 1, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    I’m in awe. Wish I could do this kind of thing. I have trouble adding a link and I can only type with one finger!
    Very colourful, so much going on, could watch over and over.
    We love the google doodles in our house, and you usually come away having learned something.
    Sorry to hear you didn’t make it to Berlin.

  • Reply Doris June 3, 2013 at 11:08 pm

    Tina & Judith, I just wanted to say thank you for making me smile. Being from an IT background and a bit of a geek, one of my aspirations has always been to work for Google, they are such a dynamic and innovative company. The animated gifs embodied the google doodles perfectly. Thank You. xD

  • Leave a Reply to Nicola Cancel Reply