Google Maps Anniversary Landing Page
Animated Website Imagery
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Google Maps, the Maps team set out to create a dynamic and interactive webpage that highlighted the product’s history and evolution. Central to this vision was a playful, scrolling diorama—a “slice of life” animation designed to reveal the layers of technology, design, and impact that make Google Maps such an integral part of everyday life.
The Vision: A Story in Motion
Inspired by innovative web experiences like Sony’s product-inside reveals, the team envisioned an engaging, scroll-triggered animation that would immerse users in the story of Google Maps. Each scroll would uncover new details, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of the product and its journey over the last decade.

My Role: Designing a Seamless Experience
As a motion designer, I was tasked with creating animations that not only captured the intricate details of the diorama concept but also integrated seamlessly into the webpage’s interactive framework. This required close collaboration with developers to ensure the animations enhanced the user experience without compromising performance.
Crafting the Animations
To bring the diorama to life:
- Developed a Visual Narrative: Working closely with the team, I designed animations that told the story of Google Maps through evolving scenes, each representing a key milestone or feature of the product, such as when Google Maps completed the ‘street view’ for the Grand Canyon.

- Rendered as Interactive Stills: To accommodate the developers’ needs for lightweight integration, I rendered the animations as a series of moving stills. This approach maintained the aesthetic and playful quality of the diorama while optimizing it for smooth scrolling on the web.
- Integrated Layers of Detail: The animations highlighted everything from map creation and navigation to real-world applications, showcasing the breadth of what Google Maps has achieved over the past 10 years.

Collaboration Across Teams
This project was a true multidisciplinary effort. I collaborated closely with developers, designers, and content strategists to ensure that the animations aligned with the technical and creative goals of the anniversary page. My role extended beyond animation; I worked as a translator between the artistic vision and the practical realities of web implementation.
Results: A Playful and Immersive Experience

The final animations became a cornerstone of the anniversary page, adding depth and playfulness to the user experience. By combining storytelling with technical precision, the diorama captured the spirit of innovation and exploration that defines Google Maps, making the 10th anniversary celebration as engaging as the product itself.


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