EMILY CULPEPER
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
In February of 2020, I joined the design agency Liberation, based in Shoreditch, as a graphic designer.
Whilst here, I have had countless opportunities to learn many different key industry skills, and it goes without saying that when one of the key clients is Google, knowledge and precision of brand is essential. I spent many of my first months familiarising myself with the brand, how it kept uniform with very few but effective key details that needed to be kept consistent throughout all genres of collateral. But it was also interesting to see where the Google brand could flex and shape into whatever key campaign, message or purpose it was hoping to achieve. I was involved in many different campaigns, some larger such as Easter, Christmas and Disney+, some smaller such as Father's Day and Pippi Longstockings.
Whilst learning the Google brand, I came to familiarise myself with Google illustration, and striking the right tone with these illustrations, so that like the core brand, they were fluid throughout and remained indisputably "Googley". Consistent use of Google colours was essential for this, as well as ensuring full representation of all ages, genders and races. I also strived to add an element of quirkiness and playfulness, such as a dog wearing a helmet and goggle. Below are some of my favourite Google characters and the lifestyle illustrations I created. Some of these characters went into the Google in-store commit cards, others were used digitally as B2B solutions.
I was further tasked with adding these characters to commit cards, that would serve as visual explanations of the functionality of each product. The brief suggested having the characters feature in different rooms of the house, these being Living room, Kitchen, Bedroom and Front Door. It was essential to include the characters in casual yet relatable actions, such as cooking, sleeping or just watching TV. These would make it simpler for the customer to understand that the use of the products would directly influence these day-to-day activities, and aim to improve quality of life.
I also had the opportunity to work on a seasonal "thank you" card from the Chromebook team. This was an interesting illustrative task, as we had to strike the right balance between creating this idyllic, Scandinavian scene, whilst also providing a nod to the Google colours. Ensuring the two meshed together seamlessly was definitely the task, as seen above in each developing iteration. Perspective was also another challenge, especially with the house, and ensuring to keep it simple but recognisible. I believe the result manages to provide a healthy dose of serenity as well as brand recognition.
