In what may be one of the most creative Google (News - Alert) Doodle’s ever – Google today pays tribute to the late Saul Bass – a graphic designer whose innovative work graced major Hollywood films for decades.

The 81-second Google Doodle honors Bass – on what would have been his 93rd birthday – and has already gotten a lot of attention in India, the United Kingdom and Europe. Similar attention was expected in North America as Google users wake up and log into the site’s home page – where they unexpectedly discover a new work of art.

This morning, The Washington Post called the new Doodle “a cool and precise aesthetic pleasure.”

In recalling his life, art historians say Bass was perhaps best known for creating title sequences for close to 50 major movies. He won an Academy Award, and elements of his style are still seen in today’s television and movie productions.

His work was featured in two of Alfred Hitchcock's classic films, “Vertigo” and “Psycho,” as well as in Martin Scorsese's “Goodfellas” and “Casino.” He also designed company logos for United Airlines, AT&T (News - Alert) and Geffen Records.

The Google Doodle was praised by many in the graphics design field.

In a Tweet from Design Week, the magazine called the Saul Bass Google Doodle “one of Google's finest Doodles.”

“The Saul Bass Google Doodle is very representative of Saul Bass’ work, and he would have likely appreciated being honored like this today,” added a blog post from 3D Car Shows. “By clicking on the Saul Bass Google Doodle a movie started playing showing some of the methods invented for film titles by Saul Bass. The Graphic styles in the doodle … (are) very similar to his finest work – which breathed fresh air into the usual boringness of film titles and introductions.”

In addition, in its review of the Doodle, The Washington Post says how it “visually references nearly a dozen classic Bass sequences and film posters.”

“The Doodle pays homage to the uneasy and ever-shifting lines of ‘Psycho’s sequence; to the heroin addict’s forearm from Preminger’s ‘The Man With the Golden Arm’; to the fiercely liberating ‘Spartacus’ poster art for Kubrick; to the kinetic streetscape of ‘West Side Story’; to the watchful eye and psychological spiral of ‘Vertigo.’ We get the racing and disorienting lines of ‘North by Northwest’ (a third Hitchcock nod, if you’re counting); the segmented body from ‘Anatomy of a Murder’; and the literal globe-hopping running clock from ‘Around the World in 80 Days,’” The Post added.

The Bass Google Doodle is accompanied by Dave Brubeck's “Unsquare Dance.”

Overall, the Google Doodle – which changes regularly – is designed to be “fun, surprising and sometimes spontaneous,” Google explained in an online statement. They often celebrate holidays or anniversaries. Also, like today, they honor famous artists, pioneers and scientists.

Some Google Doodles come from ideas generated by Google users. To submit an idea to the Google team which designs the Doodles, send an e-mail to [email protected].