Google Fiber

The web is now 100 times more amazing.

Service

Capabilities

A blue background with various illustrations: a satellite, graduation cap, stethoscope, test tube, airplane, and a globe with digital icons around it. These symbols suggest themes of education, science, technology, and global connectivity.

The challenge

Google Fiber brings ultra high-speed fiber optic internet directly to American homes – for free. For its initial deployment in Kansas City, Google Fiber needed a simple way to inspire prospective consumers. The Fiber Team turned to Hyperakt to help them explain the revolutionary impact that super high-speed internet can have on people’s lives.

A display panel with sections numbered 1 to 4. A person stands near section 1, labeled "What is Fiber?", with graphics of a world map. Sections 2 to 4 are labeled "Speed matters," "The web is amazing," and "Get Started" with various tech-related diagrams.

Three infographic panels. First: Explains how fiber optic internet works and its benefits. Second: Describes activities enabled by gigabit speeds, like UHD streaming and smart home systems. Third: Illustrates a connected world with faster internet impacting various sectors.

The approach

Hyperakt created an interactive wall in Google Fiber’s Kansas City showroom, the home base for the service pilot. Our installation combined static and motion graphics to illustrate the benefits lightning-fast internet has for education, healthcare, employment and entertainment. We extended Google Fiber’s visual language into a consistent set of visuals that fit within the broader Google brand ecosystem.

A modern, brightly lit tech display wall features sections on "What is Fiber?", "Speed matters.", "The web is amazing.", and "Get Started." Icons and graphics illustrate concepts, with various interactive elements and maps below. Ceiling lights illuminate the space.

A map shows various geographic locations marked with red pins indicating internet speeds. A red sign reads, "Top 10 average internet speeds in the world. We can do better." The pinned 8 the United States is visible near the bottom-left corner of the image.

A display board titled "How Fiber works" details the use of optical technology in Google Fiber services. It includes images, diagrams, and text descriptions. Attached to the board is a physical fiber optic cable ending in several exposed fibers.

A brief history of speed

We developed a simple narrative that made the concept of high-speed Internet tangible. We divided the infographic and motion graphic into four main sections, answering the what, where, why and how’s of the service. Visitors to the showroom and prospective consumers learn the answers to common questions: How fast are fiber optic cables? What you can do with a gigabit? And what can you do with high-speed internet? We tied the storyline together with a friendly tone that carried across writing, voiceover, sound production and illustration style.

An informative display about fiber internet shows a graphic of a mountain with fiber cables, a map with location markers, and diagrams illustrating technology and internet connectivity. Text explains fiber technology with colorful visuals on a white wall.

A simplified illustration shows a smartphone on the left and a laptop on the right, both against a red background. The devices are connected by a series of dots, indicating data transfer. The laptop's screen displays two photo icons.

Illustration of a laptop showing bar and line graphs, symbolizing data analysis. There are documents with a pen on the left and a gray mountain with a small portion illuminated by the sun on the right, suggesting achievement or progress.

A blue background with white icons depicting multiple small figures gradually merging into a single larger arrow pointing to the right, symbolizing consolidation or unification.

Illustration of a map of the United States with two green location markers connected by a dotted line. A stethoscope and a paper airplane are shown beside the map, suggesting a theme related to medical travel or healthcare logistics.

A yellow background image features a white laptop on the right side. A wavy white line with binary code (0s and 1s) extends from the laptop, turning into sparkles and fading out on the left side, symbolizing data transformation or communication.

Exploding with energy

We designed a set of custom icons to visually support the Google Fiber story. Simplified, friendly forms in the static infographic and animation burst with color, energy and fiber-fast speed.

Illustration of a clock surrounded by various digital media icons including a photo, a video camera, a film clapperboard, an envelope, and pictures. The background is a gradient light gray.

A blue silhouette of a person with various icons above the head, including a recycling symbol, a notepad, and overlapping shapes in green, blue, yellow, and red, suggesting concepts related to knowledge, creativity, or digital tools.

A red tablet displaying a geometric diagram is centered. Surrounding it are a gray cube, a ruler, a paper airplane, a test tube with a chemical reaction, a white dot, and an icon of a white building resembling a school with a flag on top.

Expanding into space

The static infographic and motion piece work together to create an immersive experience in the Fiber showroom. Four mounted LED panels allow the video to zoom across the wall. A variety of production details, including frosted plexiglass, fiber-optic cable samples and layered illustrations underpin the experience.

The interactive wall launched successfully in June 2013, enticing visitors to the space. Google Fiber has plans underway to roll out their service in 34 more cities across America.