PDGA Anniversary Google Doodle

An interactive Google Doodle concept celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Professional Disc Golf Association, using a clickable disc golfer to introduce motion and personality into the Google wordmark.

Context

This project was created for a web motion graphics course focused on interactive animation in Adobe Animate. I chose disc golf because it is one of my personal hobbies, and the PDGA’s 50th anniversary offered a timely opportunity to imagine how Google could introduce the sport to a broader audience.

Challenge

The challenge was to create a doodle that felt simple, recognizable, and interactive within a very short animation. The design needed to reference Google’s wordmark while still giving disc golf enough visual presence to make the concept clear.

Approach

I used the disc golfer as a substitute for one letterform and a disc golf basket as another, turning the logo itself into part of the interaction. Clicking the player triggers a short animation where he throws a disc into the basket, creating a small moment of play rather than a passive illustration.

Implementation

The final doodle was built as an Adobe Animate HTML file. I developed the concept through storyboard planning, created supporting assets in Illustrator, and scripted the click interaction so the animation responds directly to the user.

Conclusion

The final piece is intentionally simple, but that simplicity is also its strength. It communicates the concept quickly, adds a moment of personality, and treats interaction as a small reward. If expanded further, the piece could include more animation states or a longer sequence, but the current version works well as a focused interactive study.