Google @ Factor
FACTOR | COPYWRITING, Content Strategy, UX DESIGN
I’m Feeling Lucky
Before becoming a verb, “Google” was just a silly name for a search engine trying to compete in the GIF-heavy HTML-based Internet of the late 1990s. They’ve branched out a bit since then.
Factor handles brand identity, CRM, and digital creative for a swath of Google properties. That means engaging websites, comprehensive design systems, and the kind of emails people actually want to open, read, and click through.
Here’s a bit of what I’ve been up to since joining the team in 2023.
(Tube Challenge animation by BobbiJo McCauley)
CRM: Google Shopping, Google Pay, Waymo, Google Fi, Nest
Google really has an astonishing array of products. Self-driving cars! Contactless payments! Try on clothing from home! The future is here – and it still communicates by email.
Emails are uniquely challenging because they’re so easy to delete. If you don’t grab attention in a split second, and then follow up with something useful, you’ve missed your chance and are bound for the trash bin (or the spam filter). Factor has figured out the secret blend of words, animations, and content that drive effective email campaigns that consistently exceed client click-through expectations.
How Search Works
Using Google Search is like driving a car: most people are happy it works without needing to understand the engine. It’s when you look under the hood that things get complicated.
How Search Works is Google’s public-facing explanation of how they do what they do. With increased public scrutiny of the mechanics and motivation behind Search, our clients needed a more user-friendly experience. We were asked to reframe How Search Works as a transparent, trustworthy, straightforward story while keeping new content to a minimum.
Our team performed a massive content audit, reorganized the site map, restructured a dozen pages, and cleverly repurposed existing content to meet the client’s requests. In addition to copy editing and content strategy, I helped build out story arcs and wireframes in Figma.