Google’s Jules Verne Logo Powered By CSS3 & Accelerometers

Yesterday, we gave you a sneak peek at the Jules Verne Google logo. The logo is to celebrate Jules Verne’s 183rd birthday. Jules Verne is the author of the popular novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Google Doodler, Jennifer Hom explained her inspiration for creating the logo. But she also explained how the logo was designed to come to life. The technology behind the logo is powered by CSS3 and if you use new versions of Chrome or Firefox, it also takes advantage of accelerometers for the joystick controls. Jennifer explained:

Using CSS3 (and with help from our resident tech wizards Marcin Wichary and Kris Hom), the doodle enables anyone to navigate the Nautilus down (nearly) 20,000 leagues with the simple pull of a lever. And for those using devices with built-in accelerometers and the latest versions of Google Chrome or Firefox, it’s even simpler—just tilt your device in the direction you want to explore and the Nautilus will follow.

Here is a video of the Doodle:

As I said, Jennifer also described her inspiration for the design of this Google Doodle. Jennifer said on the Google Blog:

It wasn’t very difficult for something to spark my imagination when I was a child—whether it was a pile of leaves or a couch of stackable cushions, just about anything could jump-start my creativity. My first encounter with Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however, sent my imagination into hyper drive.

I first found the novel while browsing through a random aisle in my local library. The cover was dark, murky and a little worn—but it was the most spectacular thing I’d ever seen. A pair of old-fashioned divers drag their feet over the ocean floor, watching a school of fish drift by. They don’t seem to notice the twisting silhouette of a monster inching toward them.

The cover alone pulled me in, but I didn’t want to spoil all of the possible story lines by actually reading the book. Looking back, I realize that what fascinated me most was the unknown: a creative spark and the imaginative exploration that followed. Since then, I’ve become more familiar with his work and still believe that exploration is the essence of Verne’s novels. His stories pull the readers into a world filled with infinite potential—be it in the clouds, on land or under the sea.

Here is a picture of the logo:

Postscript: You can now view the full HD version of this logo at google.com/logos/verne_hd.html.