SEM News: Doodle 4 Google: Artsy-Craftsy March Madness

"Doodle 4 Google," a brutal, nationwide UGC competition Google launched today, pits kindergarteners against high school seniors in a Darwinian graphic arts contest to design a Google logo inspired by the question, "What If...?"

Attention all professional artists and graphic designers: your kids have a homework assignment for you!

The winning student's (or mom's/dad's) doodle will be shown on Google's homepage (May 22, 2008); U.S. champion "doodler" wins $10,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for his/her elementary school, middle school, or high school. (Can winner switch prizes?)

(Winner's strategy: attend Cooper Union art school in NYC. Tuition is listed at $31,500 per year. But don't tell your parents: Every student gets a full tuition scholarship and is not responsible for tuition-related costs! Pocket the Google cash).

The "Doodle 4 Google" competition, open to U.S. citizens only:

K-12 students -- (Junior high bullies trounce kindergarteners!) plus lesson plans to help guide students - (if your public school art class wasn't deleted by budget cuts!)

Google has suggested questions, too. (Our helpful questions? In parentheses.)

"What if...I could see into the future?" (Buy or sell Google shares?)

"What if....I could build any kind of invention I wanted?" (Facebook killer or Google killer?)

A panel of independent judges, Google employees and you, the public, will help select the final four. (Googley March Madness!)

Judged on artistic merit, creativity, representation of the theme ... and, in the grand Google tradition, the mystery quality score metric: "other criteria."

Google (mystery judges?) choose the prize winner and spill the beans at Google HQ on May 21, 2008. Teachers: register your class online by going to www.google.com/doodle4google. before March 28.

All entries must be postmarked (???) by April 12, 2008. Postmarked? (Doodle before doing your taxes! And don't mix up the envelopes.)

Click here for more info, details, videos and past doodles.

Image files of past Google doodles are available at:

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