Based on materials from design.google.com
The Pixel, the first in a new line of Google products released this fall, reflects what we see as our mission: to make sure every element of the user experience sounds in tune with the others. This approach is relevant not only for the new dimensions in which Google operates, but also for the basic, basic design principles: simplicity, intelligence, customization and reliability. Showcasing the best Google has to offer, we're targeting a target audience that needs a premium device on Android, but with minimal system intervention. So the team decided to focus on two main areas of the Pixel user experience — wallpaper and sound.
To ensure consistency with other products and areas within the company, we worked in collaboration with the Material Design team and Creative Lab, as well as other teams in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. We've developed concepts that leverage a range of new Google technologies and have conducted our rigorous engineering and performance tests to focus specifically on intelligence, performance, quality and discretion.
Live Earth wallpapers created using Google Earth shooting technology:
Wallpaper
In order for wallpapers to successfully fulfill their function, they must simultaneously clearly reflect the ideology of the brand and exist as a passive background for the user interface, but most importantly, leave room for the user's self-expression. We have created a set of wallpapers that go beyond the requirements required for success. The result of our work reflects the conditions in which the user is, the context in which he is, and transforms everything around him into dynamic content, introducing a 'smart' component into what often lives just as a static background.
Models created for Half Dome in Yosemite Park in California, Arches Park in Utah, Whitehaven Beach in Queensland
Pixel takes the design direction that early Nexus devices adopted, namely abstract color compositions and satellite photos, and enhances the interaction of these images with each other and with the user. To achieve this effect, we partnered with the Google Earth team to create models of recognizable objects around the world using Google's 3D geometry technology. By using 3D images instead of flat ones, we wanted to show the depth and scale of natural and man-made landmarks without wasting battery power or increasing data consumption. For example, Your World provides a stunning satellite view of your location and uses real-time data from the world around you. Horizon, another wallpaper in this series, plays up the cycle of charging and discharging the battery – as the charge depletes, you are shown the arrival of a magnificent sunset, followed by the rising of the moon. This creates a living experience that is aesthetically pleasing, highly personalized, and carries with it some of the magic of Google. This achieves maximum connection with the context in which the user is located, and at the same time, simple beauty, while the information is used at a deeper level.
Aurora Timelapse uses location, time and weather data
Aurora Timelapse, the wallpaper that comes with every Pixel out of the box, uses current location, time, and weather conditions to create a subtle yet rich color composition that changes based on where you are. The composition of these wallpapers required some careful work as we wanted to make sure the horizon was perfectly aligned with the back panel. We also needed to develop a rich palette of colors so that it simultaneously showcases the merits of our AMOLED screens and blends in with Google's app icons, which are mostly colored in primary colors. The end result is a set of live wallpapers that combine simplicity and 'smart' features without creating a sense of clutter and clutter.
Jamie Chang's New Elements Collection
For contrast, and in addition to geo-based wallpapers, we worked with artists and photographers whose style and range of subjects matched the Google brand thematically — topics such as exploration, science, discovery. Jamie Chung's Pixel-exclusive New Elements series is an immersion in raw, pristine fabric. He captured water, steam, iron ore and ferrous fluids, creating a stunning series of images that are both intelligent, graphic and entertaining. Contrasted with this is the Sky High series by Zach Seckler, dedicated to the amazing appearance of the coastal wildlife. Zach's aerial images of the South African swamps are more emotional and more narrative than satellite imagery.
Sky High Collection by Zach Seckler
Design
Currently, users are literally attacked by sound. And if you take a more minimalistic approach to arrangements, use clearer sound that resonates better in the device, the ability to break through everyday noise and reach the user is increased. Moreover, a device with a small speaker cannot reproduce the rich sound of a home stereo system. Complex arrangements, deep bass notes, or sounds that cannot be improved by resonance in the device can be a problem for a small speaker.
So when it came to designing audio for the Pixel, we've clearly defined what its role will be and how Google's simple, minimalist brand can express itself through sound – from the moment the Pixel powers up. When the dots gather in a G for Google, a piano G chord is played so the motifs echo. And this unobtrusive form of sound design can be traced in other moments as well, from touching the device and the subtle sound of the camera shutter to the clear accents of ringtones and notifications.
Ringtones
For example, the Zen ringtone initially minimally intrudes on perception, but gradually attracts more and more attention. In the beginning it was a simple notification sound, but we quickly noticed that it was possible to further develop this pleasant chime of bells into a repeating ringtone. Ringtones don't have to be serious, so we wanted to give people fun options like Rrrring so they can express themselves.
Alarm clocks
Alarm clocks should grab the user's attention or simply wake him up. Of course, we wanted to do this with the utmost respect. And so the Pixel has a number of options that allow the sound to fade in or fade out before resuming. Also, the user can set the alarm clock to gradually increase the volume, this is possible for any sound.
Notifications
Here we needed to find a delicate balance of how to grab the user's attention, but not be too aggressive. The user hears these sounds all day, most likely often and one after the other, in a wide variety of conditions. The notification should indicate to the user that something requires their attention, but do so with all due respect to the process of interacting with the device. Sounds should be short, energetic, but not intrusive or overwhelming. A minimalist approach allows both to attract attention and quickly 'let it go', such as, for example, the sounds of Chime or Trill. As with the ringtone, it needs to be given the opportunity to bring in a playful touch or humor, like Flick does, and to show that we don't take ourselves too seriously. Just like an element-based approach to visuals, the Pixel sound palette draws inspiration from both the digital and real world, such as the Flow alarm, the Strum notification sound, and the Summer Nights ringtone.
The Pixel marks a new milestone in the history of Google phones. Traditional user experience was just one facet of working towards delivering a successful product line. It was critical for us to express our brand in new dimensions. And this initiative was the culmination of the work of many designers in different roles within our organization. We are moving in this direction further and hope that Pixel will continue the tradition, offering users the simplicity and quality they expect, while at the same time embodying our brand values - down to the very last pixel.