Motion Design
Google Doodle Concept
YEAR
2024
Designer
ROLE
Project Overview
This Google Doodle was created to celebrate International Whale Shark Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about whale shark conservation. The design highlights the themes of playfulness, conservation, and marine life through animation and interaction.
The Doodle features a friendly whale shark that waves to the user and jumps out of the water when tapped — a whimsical behaviour that adds surprise and delight while symbolizing the idea of “making a splash” for conservation efforts. The animation captures the gentle nature of whale sharks and the beauty of ocean life, encouraging users to appreciate and protect endangered marine species
Through its engaging visuals and interactive storytelling, the project combines education and joy, inspiring users to connect emotionally with marine conservation in a simple yet memorable way.
Tools Used
The Challenge
The challenge was to design a Google Doodle that visually celebrates International Whale Shark Day while conveying themes of playfulness, conservation, and marine life. The goal was to create an interactive and educational experience that captures the gentle yet powerful nature of whale sharks, encouraging users to learn about and support ocean conservation in a fun and memorable way.
The Solution
I designed an interactive Google Doodle featuring a friendly whale shark that waves to the user and leaps out of the ocean when tapped. This animation combines playfulness with purpose, symbolizing both the joyful nature of the whale shark and the “splash” people can make by supporting conservation efforts. The flowing ocean lines, calm blue palette, and gentle motion reflect harmony within marine life, while the call-to-action text encourages awareness and empathy. Together, these elements create an engaging and meaningful digital celebration of International Whale Shark Day.
Initial Storyboard
This was my first idea for the Google Doodle animation, inspired by the excitement of discovering and learning about whale sharks. At this early stage, my goal was to explore a playful storyline that could introduce users to International Whale Shark Day in a memorable way.
As my first iteration, this storyboard helped me visualize the narrative structure and identify opportunities for interaction, while giving me a strong starting point to refine pacing, character animation, and overall polish in the next stages.
Iterations
After developing my first storyboard, I continued ideating to see how I could place even greater emphasis on the whale shark itself. I explored two alternative animation directions that maintained a strong educational focus while communicating the gentle beauty of whale sharks.
I developed two additional concepts. One concept involved a whale shark leaping out of the water to showcase its impressive size and graceful movement. The second idea used glowing whale shark spots and stars forming the Google logo. While the constellation concept was visually interesting, it shifted attention away from the whale shark, so I decided to move forward with the leaping whale shark idea.
Typography
I explored several typefaces to find one that matched the friendly and playful tone of my whale shark concept. I ultimately chose Baloo because its rounded, bubbly forms align with the gentle and approachable nature of whale sharks. The smooth curves help reinforce the aquatic theme and make the design feel lively and fun. The font is also highly legible, which is important for both educational messaging and accessibility. Compared to other options like Abadi or Chalkboard, Baloo offered the strongest balance of personality and readability, making it the best choice for engaging a wide audience while still supporting the ocean-inspired visual style.
Animation
I created two animations to make the experience interactive and fun. First, the whale shark waves at the user, prompting a tap. After tapping, a second animation plays where the whale shark jumps out of the water and splashes.
I animated these in Adobe Photoshop using a frame-by-frame timeline, adjusting each element like the shark, fin, and splashes to create smooth movement. This added excitement and personality while supporting the educational purpose of the doodle.
Final Design
Scan the QR code to view the Google Doodle on your phone!