For those of you who are actually attempting to be productive at work Tuesday, we have one bit of advice: stay away from the newest Google Doodle.
On Tuesday, Google unveiled a special interactive doodle to celebrate the Olympic games. The doodle consists of an animated Olympic hurdler that jumps over hurdles with the help of a human sitting at a computer. The user can play a brief game with the doodle and test their Olympic abilities as they compete for record times.
Google Doodles are a fun way to acknowledge accomplishments, birthdays, and events. The concept originated in 1998 when founders Larry and Sergey slightly altered the logo to recognize their attendance at the Burning Man festival in Nevada.
The doodle was revived in 2000 when the founders asked intern, Dennis Hwang to create a doodle for Bastille Day. The Doodle was so successful that Larry and Sergey appointed him as Google’s head doodler.
Google has a highly trained team of illustrators that are responsible for producing and brainstorming the doodles. The team has created over 1,000 doodles over the years.
The earlier doodles were mainly focused around the more commonly known holidays and anniversaries whereas current doodles encompass lesser known events and people with an emphasis on those who represent innovation.
There is also a Google Doodle store, where customers can purchase t-shirts, mugs, and postcards with their favorite doodles printed on.
Also, Google archives all their past doodles and stores them in an organized database for the enjoyment of the public.
