Distinctive Art For New Search Engine / Corporate Site

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT US:

We're Swingly, a brand-new, soon-to-be launched semantic search engine focusing on finding answers to people's questions.

While we love Google/Bing/Yahoo! as much as the next guy/gal, there are times when those big search engines just let us all down. Want to know the international gross for "Top Gun"? Google can help you find the info, but you'll have to dig through a ton of pages to get the answer.

We think it should be a search engine's sworn duty to provide you with the information you're looking for. And we're doing something about it. Ask us a straight question, and we'll try give you a straight answer.

HERE IS WHAT WE NEED:

We're looking to add some distinctive art to our site which shows off our more than slightly whimsical side. These doodles/illustrations/images will occupy a prominent place on our corporate site -- and maybe used (a la Google doodles) on our search site as well.

We're looking for a couple of sticky characters/images which shows that you can take on the very serious task of looking for information out there on the Web -- without taking yourself too seriously or convincing everyone that you're the reincarnation of the Oracle of Delphi.

While we're not looking for a mascot, per se, we're more than slightly infatuated with inquisitive animals with personality. Our current landing page (http://www.swingly.com) features a particularly self-satisfied emu who may or may not have eaten Mo Willems's pigeon.

OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS:

Largely techies. Early adopters. The Wired/Fast Company/ReadWriteWeb/LifeHacker crowd. People who are always trying out new websites. People who are serious about search.

WE LIKE THESE EXAMPLES:

Non-cartoony, slightly cubist, colorful. Bit non-representational. Definitely with personality. Mo Willems is cute. Leo Gibran (http://www.leogibran.com.br/com_15.htm) is funky and non-linear. Sarah Lippett (crayonlegs.com) does whimsical people and animals. David Macaulay captures process amazingly well.

WE ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE THIS IN OUR PIECE:

Would love to have a figure with minimal background, as we want to use the image as a cut-out with our current web design.

Some moods to capture: the frustration of searching or the exhilaration of finding something.

Some actions to capture: asking / answering / knowing / searching...