Google Pixel - RealTone

Photos shape the way we see each other and ourselves. And historically, camera and imaging technology have inaccurately represented darker skin tones and centered lighter skin tones. Google set out to help combat this historic racial bias by making their new Pixel phone camera its most inclusive to date, focusing on ensuring that darker skin tones were accurately and beautifully represented. To inform the process of creating the technology, image-making experts who honor darker skin tones in their work were brought in to test and provide feedback throughout the process, including renowned cinematographers, directors, photographers and colorists. Internally, Real Tone was a true cross-company effort, with Pixel and Photos product engineers and designers at Google working in close partnership with Product Inclusion and Equity teams. Google Brand Studio helped document this extensive and powerful process, and tell the story of how inclusion-centered product creation happens from the inside.

Credits:

A cross-company collaboration at Google led by the Image Equity team, in collaboration with Google Pixel and Google Brand Studio.

Creative Leads for Google Brand Studio: April Hayes, Brandon Viney, Rebecca Sills