Did you know that the Android logo was created by designer from St. Petersburg? Here we did not know

Irina Blok — a native of Saint-Petersburg and Creator of the Android logo. Cute green robot its authorship is now strongly associated with Google's operating system, which is used in many smartphones. Irina came to Silicon valley, not knowing the English language, and was the author of the brands that Americans face every day. Here you will find one more success story of our people in the United States.

Drawing Irina adored since childhood. The fact that the girl has artistic ability, it turned out still in kindergarten. Mama Irina loved the myths of Ancient Greece and often read their daughter. The myth about the ship Argo is so impressed with a small Ira that she was in the garden, taking clay from other children, made a big ship. It was the beginning of her artistic career.

In 1995, Irina Block was eighteen years old. She was studied at the Leningrad higher art-industrial school, when stretching for many years the question of moving to the USA decided for her family positively. Relatives of her grandmother and friends parents lived in San Jose, which is considered one of the centers of Silicon valley. Went back and Zoe's parents, engineers.

Irina Block in the red coat, 1995. Photo from the personal archive

And here she is in America. Irina behind a one-year art education, and a complete lack of knowledge in the English language and a great desire to continue their education. Taking your large-format canvases, brought from St. Petersburg, Irina took the bus and went to University of San Jose. It was close to home and had a design program — it's all that was important to Irina.

At the University of Irina came across Professor of architecture. The conversation went a ridiculous: teacher of English explained when you need to bring the documents for admission, Irina listened to and understood nothing. The only thing she could squeeze out of yourself "I am an art student". Despite the language barrier, the Professor took Irina to the Department, working with students. There she was given everything required for admission paper. Subsequently, Irina studied at the University for four years.

She says as he studied the art of the profession, could do without perfect English. By the way, Irina still, after 21 years, after moving, says that her English is not perfect.

Nanny, the storekeeper, the seller Irina undertook any work in that time, while studying at the University. When she was already in the last year, one of the professors said that the famous local designer Sam Schmidt requires a designer. Irina was gone for and took it. To combine work with study, it is planned that week, two days, studied, and two worked. A lot of design art she learned into practice. He worked in that company for a year.

After graduation got a job brand designer at Landor Associates, a consulting company known for creating brands. It Landor Associates created the original design of FedEx and HP. To get a world-class company Irina helped volunteering in the art club is one of the experts introduced her to people from Landor. For her in the distant 1998, it was the dream job.

Irina Blok, 1999. Photo from the personal archive

But here, it worked for a short time. In 2000, a University friend who worked in E‑Luxury, one of the first startups America, Irina was invited for an interview. The interview was successful, and the recommendation of a friend helped. So, Irina began to work as a designer in E‑Luxury, which is sold online luxury goods. However, the business did not go. Silicon valley in 2000, he covered the crisis of the dot-com E‑Luxury closed. All employees were on the street. Irina including.

Although the chances of finding a job in the crisis was small, Irina began to ring up a company directory, Yellow pages in search of the one that was doing the hiring. In most of them her calls reacted with surprise, but luck she still smiled. She dozvoliti in Yahoo, which at the time was looking for someone. Over the phone she was invited for an interview. So in 2001, she became a senior designer at Yahoo.

On his first day on the job, she was shocked by the fact that the office everything was purple and there was furniture in the style of Austin powers. Irina asked myself, what's she doing in this company, the interior of which is contrary to her sense of beauty. But in the end the work in Yahoo was one of the most beloved in her entire career.

Irina was part of the team that was building the brand Yahoo. The company at that time there were 500 people, and she was considered one of the biggest in the Valley. There Irina worked for five years, leaving the company as senior art Director.

Next in her career was another giant market of IT — Google. There a little earlier left chief Irina from Yahoo, and now called her to a new location.

Then, in 2006, Google was already one of the most attractive companies in the world. To get there, how to win the lottery. Irina won — took her to the position of senior designer. Google praised the work of Irina in Yahoo. In addition, she surprised everyone with their creativity, having a portfolio in the form of a search page of Google. In the end, Irina became part of the creative laboratory that developed new ways to promote products.

After the purchase, Google Android in 2005, there was one more task — to tell the world about the OS and the creation of a logo. Marketing message is supposed to be the same as the idea of Android, the open and humane.

Irina began to work. On the notion of the logo it took less than one day. The current Android logo she painted on the first try. Her team made a lot of sketches, but the sketch Irina perfectly meet the requirements of the technical specifications. It was a simple, scalable and recognizable.

Logo approved within a couple of weeks. The last word was said by the Creator of Android Andy Rubin — the sketch he liked at first sight.

Irina Blok on the cover of the magazine along with drawn it logo, 2015. Photo from the personal archive

The most important thing in the logo of Android is that it is open to all. Anyone can add new items, while not making it the main point. It was revolutionary because usually logos can not do anything.

Making hundreds of logo, Irina can't pick just one as a favorite. Explains it simply: as long as you do the logo, you one as soon as you drew it — it has nothing to do with you.

However, now the logo is only a small part of what makes Irina. During his career, it began to deal not only with design but also product development.

Google Irina left in 2009, after three years of work. Further work in Adobe, teaching at the art Academy in San Francisco, during which Irina taught students to think outside the box, the position of lead designer at Apple.

Irina Blok, 2016. Photo from the personal archive

The Android logo creation did not bring glory to Irina, and she did not consider the notion of something special in his career. Irina continues to work in the design world and not interested in management, it was interesting for her to be creative, rather than control. And her main dream is to continue to do what brings pleasure.