What is a Doodle4Google?
Doodle4Google is an international contest where students of various ages are invited to design logos for Google’s homepage, which they do through the means of a doodle.
There have been 15 national Doodle4Google contests, with Canada holding the record for producing three consecutive national winners. Contestants compete in one of four age categories: 5-7 years old, 8-10 years old, 11 to 14 years old, and 15 to 18 years old.
The Doodle4Google winner represents their country globally, where they will be competing against other contestants from around the world.
How long has it been going?
In 2000, during its early beginnings, The original logo was a simple black text that stated: “Google Search the Web” with the Google logo adjacent to it. The first Doodle4Google competition was launched in 2004, and it has since become an international contest.
What do you win?
The winner of the Doodle4Google competition will receive a $30,000 scholarship, even travel to meet Larry Page, CEO of Google, attend many conferences for college credit, and be invited on some television shows. They will also have their doodle displayed on Google’s homepage on May 23rd (Children’s Day) of that same year.
Who judges the Doodle4Google entries?
Each national competition is divided into three separate judging panels:
- Primary school students between 5-7 years old
- Primary and secondary school students between 8-10 years old
- 11 to 14-year-olds and lastly 15 to 18-year-olds
Once all entries have been received, they are narrowed down into a top ten by each panel. The judges then award points based on creativity, artistic merit, and how well the concept represents the theme of respectively age group that is judging them. For example, the themes for this year’s Doodle 4 Google competition are ‘My Canada’ and ‘Celebrating Canadian Achievement.’
For an entry to be valid, it must contain a reference to the contest theme as well as a link to Google’s home page or a logo of its own. All doodles must also incorporate the letters G-o-o-g-l-e.
Once the top ten submissions are chosen, the panels will then narrow down their choices to three finalists judged by a different panel of judges consisting of Canadian business leaders and previous Doodle 4 Google winners. The final winner for each age group is picked from these finalists based on two criteria: whether it best exemplifies the theme; and exceptional creativity, artistic merit, and technical skill.
Who won national Doodle4Google Canada?
Last year (2017), 14-year old student Sofia Sanchez beat out over 170 entries with her doodle, representing “Canadian achievement” titled Above & Beyond. Sofia’s doodle was created using Adobe Illustrator, and she won $30,000 and a scholarship to attend OCAD University.
The year before (2016), Doodle 4 Google Canada was won by 12-year old student Zaria VanTsai who’s doodle titled “My Canada” symbolizes many things that make Canada such a great country. These include the Northern Lights, baby animals, and mountains which signify purity and eternity.
Zaria received $25,000 in scholarship money, and her school will receive a brand new interactive smartboard.
In 2015 one of the most influential female Canadians, Margaret McCain represented all Canadian at Doodle4Google with her doodle entitled “What We Share.” Margaret captured everything positive about Canada, including its multiculturalism, vast landscape, and immense natural resources.
This doodle was one of Sofia Sanchez’s inspirations, and she won other country’s Doodle4Google competitions before winning national Doodle4Canada in 2017. Margaret received $25,000 in scholarship money, and her school will receive a tablet as well.
In 2014 Canadian hero Terry Fox represented Canada at Doodle 4 Google with his doodle called “Courage”. Despite having cancer, Terry Fox is widely known for setting the world record for the longest distance run.
Like Margaret McCain, Terry’s doodle also represents Canada as a whole because he symbolizes Canadians courage and determination to keep going no matter what.
What Makes Doodle4Google So Unique?
Doodle4Google is a unique competition because it’s the only art contest that all students from Kindergarten to 12th grade can participate in. It also allows public or private students to join the fun!
In addition, Doodle4Google gives out over $30 million in scholarship prizes every year. The top winner of Doodle4Google will receive a $30,000 cash prize and a free trip to New York City. Three finalists will also receive an extra $5,000 scholarship each. Even though there are so many awards given out every year, not all winners come from well-known art schools or prestigious universities. This means you don’t need to win; anyone with creativity can join in on the fun!
How Do I Tick Off My Parents?
The best part about Doodle4Google; you don’t need to ask your parents for permission. Throughout creating a doodle, you will be given prompts and ideas by Google staff members who are assigned to each school district. This means that you can create an entry without your parents knowing! No matter how old you are, Doodle4Google is the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to make an online portfolio and gain experience before entering the real world (or college).
There’s A Catch, Right?
Of course, there is; between now and January 14th, 2021, we must draw something spectacular that makes everyone proud. With this said, it isn’t going to be easy. We must create a doodle because the prompts will not be given out all at once. Doodle4Google is broken up into three categories: Kindergarten-2nd grade, 3rd-4th grade, and 5th-12th grade. This means that you must complete one category before moving on to the next level of competition.
“There’s no catch; just do your best!”
How Do I Participate?
If you live in the United States and are between the age of five and twenty-one, this would be an excellent opportunity to showcase your creativity! The first step is making sure that Doodle4Google is allowed by school administration; then, you can begin brainstorming ideas for your doodle. Once you have an idea, you can work on it with friends, family members, or alone. Doodle4Google is entirely student-driven and created without any Google staff oversight!
Here are A Couple of Things To Keep In Mind
Take your time; there’s no need to rush through the process of creating a doodle just because time is limited. It would help if you always did something that makes yourself proud and everyone else watching you compete.
If possible, try to work with other students in your area so that they may judge all of your final entries. This helps keep the competition fair balanced since a different set of judges in each district gives you another person to brainstorm ideas with!
Trying your best is all that matters in the end; besides, the more time you spend thinking about your doodle before drawing it, the better results you will have. There is no reward for being fast without quality, so take your time and put in the effort required to win this fantastic competition.
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I am the content writer for Allblogsidea, where I love what I do. Writing is my passion; it’s what drives me in life. It makes me happy when people share their stories with the world so they can be heard.