Interactive "Google Doodle" on topics with social messages

This study aims to examine the historical process of the world-renowned search engine Google's Google Doodle studies from past to present, and the distribution of designs in terms of subjects and techniques over the years. Situation analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used during the study. The whole process from the beginning of the studies on the website (https://www.google.com/doodles) to the present was taken in the research. Designs have been gathered under a total of 10 topics including: "Birthday", "Special Days", "Independence Day", "National Days and Holidays", "International Games", "Celebrations", "Anniversary", "Social Message Topics", "Google Doodle Games", "Seasons and Sky Events". Subjects with social messages were analyzed under five headings: "World Water Day", "Earth Day", "International Women's Day", "Tree Planting Day" and "Covid-19 Outbreak". In order to make a better analysis, Google Doodle design techniques were divided into three groups fixed, animated and interactive. Interactive design techniques, on the other hand, were divided into four groups slide, video, click/drag and game. All Google Doodle designs created between 1998 and 2021 were examined in terms of subject and design techniques, and then tables and graphics were created in line with the data obtained. In the tables and graphics, numerical data and ratios of the techniques used according to the design subject are given. When the topics on Google Doodle website are examined, it is apparent that designs with "Social Message" content have very little coverage compared to other design topics. Among the Google Doodle design topics, "Birthday" content designs are the most created ones, while "Seasons and Sky Events", "Google Doodle Games", "Social Message" have the least content. According to the years, the most doodles were designed in 2018, while the least doodles were between 1998 and 1999. In terms of Google Doodle design techniques, the fixed doodle technique was used most, while the least applied one was the interactive doodle design technique. While the interactive doodle design techniques were created with the click/drag and slide technique the least, the designs with the game and video features were the most created ones. On the subjects with a social message, special designs on the theme of "World Water Day" had the least coverage while doodles on "Covid-19 Epidemic" were mostly designed. The application study of this thesis was limited to the topic "21 September Alzheimer's Day". A total of six Google Doodle designs including two fixed, two animated, and two interactive related to Alzheimer's were created. Interactive doodle designs, and play and click features were utilized.