Image via Google Design
Even though 2020 felt stagnant, there were several blessings that came out of it. This was the year everyone realized there was little need to cling on to the traditional workplace culture. It was also when people and companies sought to solve more fundamental problems for humanity.
The Google Design team has been reflecting on the challenging year and has discovered how productive 2020 really turned out to be, even though much of the company’s work had been done remotely. It has since come up with its Best of Design 2020 list to honor its design efforts, accelerated to meet a growing demand, as well as the people behind them.
With everyone suddenly being cooped up at home, Google showed its appreciation for the people who helped bring the world closer to everyone. Aside from being able to take classes online, people could now visit travel landmarks at home, such as the numerous museums brought online with the Google Arts & Culture app.
Image via Google Design
Google Design also gave thanks to the productivity tools that made life at home much easier, giving a self-acknowledged “biased” shoutout to Google Workspace and the fluid integration of Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Meet, Sheets, and more.
It looked back at the “small gestures” that directed “big change,” such as the efforts to nurture healthier digital habits and wellbeing. It also gave a nod to the technological endeavors that helped improve relationships, including ideas as seemingly tiny as battery-sharing between friends.
Hector Ouilhet, head of Human Centered Innovation & Strategy, for instance, noted the need for more warmth in human computing: “If designed right, ambient computing can subtly enhance people’s relationships with other people and the natural world around them, just as ambient lighting makes a living room feel warmer and ambient music makes a conversation flow smoother.”
Finally, with the world transiting to a digital lifestyle, Google showed its appreciation for “flexible tools that ready us for the future.” It gave special acknowledgment to Google Fonts, a platform of open-source typefaces that recently turned 10.
Image via Google Design
Certainly, these changes weren’t just exclusive to the Google team. As you have witnessed, companies everywhere have gone out of their way to make life more manageable and productive for remote living. Google’s overview presents some hope for more wonderful solutions to come.
To view Google’s full Best of Design 2020 list, please head here.
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