International Women's Day 2020

Today’s annual International Women’s Day Doodle celebrates women coming together throughout the world—and generations—with a special animated video. The multilayered 3D paper mandala animation, illustrated by New York and London-based guest artists Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft from Makerie Studio and animated by Zurich-based guest animators Marion Willam & Daphne Abderhalden from DRASTIK GmbH, represents both the history of this powerful celebration and the significance it has for women across generations.

The mandala’s black-and-white central layer reflects women around the world during the late 1800s to the 1930s amidst labor movements. The second layer depicts women from the 1950s to the 1980s, a landmark era in the wake of pushes for gender equality and rapid changes to the status quo.

Finally, the outer layer symbolizes women from the 1990s to the present-day, in the context of progress made from over 100 years of women’s rights movements. It pays tribute to breaking barriers from former cultural and gender roles, as women continue to question, reclaim, and redefine ideas about the roles women take on in society.

As today’s women stand on the shoulders of those who have fought and made sacrifices in the generations past, they likewise carry the legacy of the movement forward. 

Here’s to the women across sectors, industries, nations, ages, and cultures, who persist tirelessly to take charge together—paving the way for future generations to come. 

Happy International Women’s Day 2020!

Celebrate women all month long with your loved ones. From now until the end of March, send video messages with a special Google Duo effect, featuring today's Doodle, on Android & iOS.
 

Share this GIF made from today's Doodle design by searching for ”#GoogleDoodle” in Gboard, GIF Keyboard by Tenor, or the GIF search in your favorite social apps.

From innovative artists and pioneering scientists, to campaigners for universal suffrage and social equality, explore the far-ranging impact women have had on all aspects of culture with inspiring stories on Google Arts & Culture.

Guest Artist Q&A

Today’s Doodle was created in collaboration with two female duos: New York and London-based guest artists Julie Wilkinson and Joyanne Horscroft from Makerie Studio and Zurich-based guest animators Marion Willam & Daphne Abderhalden from DRASTIK GmbH. Below, they share their thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? 

M (Makerie Studio): As a female duo, our link to this particular Doodle was clear—we loved having the chance to celebrate such an important day about what exactly has allowed us to have the lives and careers we do. 

D (DRASTIK GmbH): There was so much thought put into each of the 35 characters and how they were placed within the mandala. Starting from the center, it walks us through different time periods and depicts the issues women were facing in these times. Our biggest takeaway from the artwork is that we were reminded of how women fought and evolved through history so we can live the free life we live today. Without these women, the world would look much different.

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project?

M: So much excitement! We were thrilled to be approached for this—to work on such an awesome project that also holds so much meaning to us is a very rare opportunity. 

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

M: We drew a lot of inspiration from the history of International Women's Day and its humble roots, showing how the movement has grown exponentially over the years. We loved the idea of visually representing the number of women involved in each stage, from the Suffragettes to women today, and portraying how their freedoms gradually expanding as the movement has evolved.

D: Paper is one of the most labor-intensive materials to work with in 3D. Rebuilding the mandala in 3D probably takes longer than doing it with real paper as you need a lot of calculations to achieve a realistic movement and impression of the paper texture. This mandala consists of 35 characters and three background layers, which are mainly animated like a concertina fan. What really helped us build the mandala was our experience in folding techniques applied in 3D; we were able to build our own 3D extension to cope with the flood of vectors and folds in no less than 650 digital paper layers.

Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

M: Hope about the future, and an insight into how far we've already come.

D: The sky is the limit.

(Her)story in the making: Read guest artist Julie Wilkinson’s personal story and inspiration behind today's International Women’s Day Google Doodle.

Behind-the-scenes images of the creation of the Doodle
 

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY DOODLE TEAM

Art Direction | Angelica McKinley

Art & Assets | Makerie Studio

Animation | DRASTIK GmbH

Marketing | Perla Campos, Grace Chen

Business Affairs Lead & Partnerships | Madeline Belliveau

Program Management | Lindsay Elgin

Music | Max Steiner Agency

Doodle Team Lead | Jessica Yu

Special Thanks | Colin Duffy, Hélène Leroux, Brian Kaas, Erich Nagler