GOOGLE FIBER

Delivering The Fastest Internet in the World

Tasked by Google Fiber, I had an opportunity to illustrate the necessity and versatility of the world's fastest Internet for users worldwide. Opting to spotlight its profound impact on daily experiences, I set out to showcase the device's transformative capabilities.

Case Study

Role

Visual & UX Designer (Agency)

Focus

Homepage experience and hero interaction

Process

Competitive and heuristic analysis
Collaborative ideation with designers and engineers
Wireframes to high-fidelity UI
QA and usability testing to identify friction
Iteration based on feedback

Discovery & Research

To inform the direction of the homepage experience, I began with a lightweight discovery phase focused on understanding both user expectations and market standards. The goal was not to reinvent interaction patterns, but to identify where clarity, emotion, and immediacy could be improved.

Competitive analysis of consumer broadband and tech-forward product sites
Heuristic evaluation of existing Google Fiber experiences
Internal discussions with designers and engineers to align on constraints and opportunities
Cross-team collaborative brainstorming sessions with PMs, developers, marketers, the CTO, and CEO
QA and moderated user testing on hero prototypes to validate comprehension and interaction

Design Strategy

The design strategy centered on immediate comprehension. Rather than relying on copy-heavy explanations, the homepage hero was designed to communicate value visually within the first second of interaction. The narrative progression from passive TV viewing to active mobile control allowed users to intuitively understand the product's modern, mobile-first philosophy.

Visual storytelling before text
Clear hierarchy and focus
Minimal cognitive load
Strong first-impression anchoring

Interaction & UI Design

I translated early concepts into wireframes and then high-fidelity UI, collaborating closely with engineers to ensure feasibility and performance considerations were respected. The hero interaction was treated as a functional UX element, guiding users toward exploration rather than distracting from it.

Motion and transition timing
Visual hierarchy within the hero
Responsiveness across devices
Accessibility and readability

Collaboration & Iteration

This work was completed in a highly collaborative environment. Concepts were reviewed and refined through team critiques, technical feedback, and QA testing. Feedback loops between design and engineering allowed the experience to evolve quickly without sacrificing polish.

Reducing friction
Improving clarity
Ensuring the experience scaled across screen sizes
Aligning with Google's broader design language
Iterative implementation through tight design-engineering loops to validate changes in staging before release

Reflection & Learnings

This project reinforced a core UX principle that has shaped my work since: the hero section is not branding - it is the user's cognitive entry point. When done well, it sets context, builds trust, and guides behavior before a single paragraph is read. This mindset continues to inform how I approach modern web experiences - balancing emotional impact with usability and performance.

Problem

Despite the strength of the Google brand, many users were unclear that Google even offered an internet service, let alone how it differed from traditional providers. Existing mental models associated Google with software and search, not with home connectivity. The challenge was not speed alone - it was communicating relevance, clarity, and emotional impact immediately, without relying on technical jargon or heavy copy.

Users struggled to understand what Google Fiber was within seconds of landing on the site
The value of the fastest internet in the world felt abstract rather than experiential
Friction from legacy hardware (physical controllers, long load times, buffering) was accepted as normal rather than solvable

Solution

The homepage hero was designed as a visual narrative that instantly reframed what high-speed internet enables in everyday life. By leading with emotion and human impact before any technical explanation, the experience allowed users to immediately grasp why Google Fiber mattered, even if they did not know Google was in the internet business prior to arriving on the site.

Showed how faster internet reduces friction by eliminating waiting, buffering, and outdated physical controls
Positioned the smartphone as a modern, intuitive controller, replacing archaic analog devices
Highlighted the real benefit of speed: more time, less frustration, and deeper moments with family and loved ones

Outcome

This project reinforced the importance of the hero section as the cognitive entry point, setting clarity, tone, and direction within the first second of interaction.