Streamlining a hybrid experience for Google I/O 2023
What I did
Project
Role: Writer, Google I/O 2023
Company: Google for Developers
Problem
By 2023, Google I/O was a hybrid event. With one year under our belt as a two-sided website with both in-person and online-only experiences, this year we wanted to simplify and streamline the site.
Solution
Coming soon!
Home page in phases (marketing and UX)
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Date reveal puzzle
Every year, the Google I/O puzzle that reveals the event date only when it’s solved is the most beloved parts of the I/O experience.
Objectives
Overview
Creative strategy
Press
Appeal to developer mindsets of solve and explore
Target the right level of difficulty
Tap into the developer love of community collaboration
Ensure I/O branding continuity with E&E throughout full digital experience
In 2023, players worked asynchronously. Using algorithmic thinking and matrix multiplication, they solved a series of seven puzzles, including two different puzzle types and a range of difficulty level.
As individuals progress, the collective global community progress comes together to create a visual representation of the puzzle outputs, ultimately leading to the reveal of I/O date once a desired threshold of solves has been reached.
Because we wanted the puzzle to feel like a game, our copy varied slightly here from the rest of the website and channels. We took a nod from nostalgic video games and older tech references and came up with “Hello, again, world” as the greeting message.
Google I/O 2023 takes place May 10, 9to5Google
Google teases I/O 2023 with literal input/output puzzle, 9to5Google
Google I/O 2023 takes place on May 10th in front of a 'limited' in-person audience, Engadget
Google Is Holding the 2023 I/O Conference Date Hostage Until We All Do Its Stupid Puzzle, Gizmodo
Google I/O returns to Mountain View May 10, TechCrunch
Google I/O 2023 will be on May 10th, The Verge
UX content
Because I was in the early planning meetings, I understood who I was writing to and what would motivate them, making it easier and faster to get content approved by cross-functional teams who were supporting the event and project.
Registration
For the first time in a long time, the registration popup needed a revamp with updated messaging. It needed to be friendly, welcoming, and explain that the event is free and open to everyone.
Incentivization
After signing up for a Google Developer profile, which was a secondary ask after registering for the event, users were encouraged to share on social in order to receive a badge.
The UX and social copy played a large role in achieving the behavior we wanted to users to do.
