I know I'm late to comment on this but I think it's important that everyone understand Doug Bowman's recent decision to leave Google and join Twitter. Doug did a great job of explaining his rationale. It's all worth reading. I haven't seen anything from Google, so, if anyone's seen something from Marissa or anyone else in a position to speak to the issue, please let me know. What I read so far is very informative.
In his first piece, Doug, in a piece entitled, "Goodbye Google," explains his decision to leave the Internet's premiere creative engine. Mainly, he says, it's a case of the quants taking over and relegating anything, even elegant design, that can't be counted to the realm of "unproven." Trust not thine self; trust only the trackable actions of millions of selves, unable to express their actual lived experience as a consequence of the inadequacy of your collection tools.
So, Doug decides it's time to depart.
Where does he go? Twitter. Why?
Over the past year, I spoke with several organizations about coming on board to lead a design team. But Twitter felt the like most natural fit from the very start of my talks with the team. It’s still early in Twitter’s history. The company is small. Its user base is growing rapidly. And I see lots of potential to directly impact and to help shape the Twitter brand.
Google's brand is fixed. Stagnant, Bowman is saying. WYSIWYG. Twitter on the other hand, dynamic and growing. Nothing surprising there.
But it did give me a moment's pause to recognize that one of the most innovative big companies we've ever seen has settled into its genetic destiny: the pyramid.
Bowman is betting that the latent creative potential of this little, stupid messaging service is greater than that of the Internet's leviatan.
I think that's a big deal.
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