Google interface changes -- now it's Gmail's turn!

[Darren Dirt]

And the "default" is waaaaaayyyy too "spacious" (luckily you can change it between "Comfortable" and "Condensed")


But I don't like how the action buttons are just IMAGES now, I am a visual person but sometimes I prefer a 1-2 word label for my buttons, especially on a "busy" webpage!

https://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1357852#options

[Mr. Analog]

So far I have disliked the changes to:

-Google Search
-YouTube
-Twitter (not Google but still)
and the preview of
-GMail

It's like they want me making more clicks with fussy UI that gets in the way. On the plus side they did take some feedback that I and others offered the last time they changed Google Search (i.e. an "opt in" feature to see what things will look like BEFORE getting the changes dropped on you.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Or rather don't mess with the GUI make the SERVICE better!

[Tom]

So far I have disliked the changes to:

-Google Search
-YouTube
-Twitter (not Google but still)
and the preview of
-GMail

It's like they want me making more clicks with fussy UI that gets in the way. On the plus side they did take some feedback that I and others offered the last time they changed Google Search (i.e. an "opt in" feature to see what things will look like BEFORE getting the changes dropped on you.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Or rather don't mess with the GUI make the SERVICE better!

What do you think about the NEW new google front page? google.ca doesn't have it yet, but https://www.google.com has it. I think its a big improvement over the old new layout. Its a lot closer to looking like the old simple front page everyone wants back.

[Darren Dirt]

So far I have disliked the changes to:

...

It's like they want me making more clicks with fussy UI that gets in the way.

:cough:recentGoAwebsitechanges:cough:

[Mr. Analog]

So far I have disliked the changes to:

-Google Search
-YouTube
-Twitter (not Google but still)
and the preview of
-GMail

It's like they want me making more clicks with fussy UI that gets in the way. On the plus side they did take some feedback that I and others offered the last time they changed Google Search (i.e. an "opt in" feature to see what things will look like BEFORE getting the changes dropped on you.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Or rather don't mess with the GUI make the SERVICE better!

What do you think about the NEW new google front page? google.ca doesn't have it yet, but https://www.google.com has it. I think its a big improvement over the old new layout. Its a lot closer to looking like the old simple front page everyone wants back.

I hate it, again, extra clicks.

For example: If I want to switch to image search I have to mouse over a menu and then click a link, where before I could just click the damn link. It's a totally unnecessary step.

Google had it right when there were no menus or tabs, this seems like a huge leap backward, meanwhile their search engine is becoming less accurate every time I seem to use it (how many times have you hit a link farm in the top 10 results when looking up code?)

Every search engine I've enjoyed that eventually caved in (Lycos, Infoseek, AltaVista, etc) started out with a clean interface and a search engine that "worked", then the searches got worse and the interface started getting cluttered with "features", I hate to say it but if Google can't prioritize their engine over pointless GUI changes, well the clock is ticking...

*grump*

[Mr. Analog]

I also want to state that, in the case of Twitter at least, some of the GUI is an improvement but the transition is always jarring if it's something you use every day particularly if the new features really don't do much at all to change the overall experience.

[Tom]

When I load google, that new drop down menu is shown by default, so there are no extra clicks there.

[Mr. Analog]

We must be seeing different GUIs then. The one I see has no options for changing searches or going to maps until you mouse over the menu.

Maybe I've hit some kind of experimental test batch in my IP range...

[Tom]

We must be seeing different GUIs then. The one I see has no options for changing searches or going to maps until you mouse over the menu.

Maybe I've hit some kind of experimental test batch in my IP range...

That big drop down menu on the left is what you're talking about? The old dark grey bar is gone. The menu is shown for me when I first load google. Its closed once I make a search, but then the old links on the side for switching to images or maps is back as well, so I dunno.

[Mr. Analog]

Yeah, the menu is closed for me, like I say if I go the Google homepage (which is increasingly rare I will admit) I want to have the most common options right there in front of me immediately in order to switch modes (web/image/maps). I dunno maybe they've changed it on the version you see so that the menu is open all the time *shrug*

If they still retain a side menu AND the Google Bar they are mixing GUI metaphors which is bad enough in business apps let alone something that's used as a tool by millions.

They need to dial it back to just static XHTML. Maybe (MAYBE) still have the auto-complete in the search bar. I know it's not fancy but it works and that's what they need to focus on.

[Thorin]

Tom, that https://www.google.com/ does show a slightly different GUI.  What I noticed is that they're using a microphone icon as their "search" button.  At least, that's what it appears to do.  Unless they're planning to allow voice searches?

[Tom]

Maybe I'm seeing something completely different than either of you?

[Mr. Analog]

That's what I was seeing, but the menu was always collapsed, now I can't get it back I always see the "normal" interface.

[Lazybones]

Tom, that https://www.google.com/ does show a slightly different GUI.  What I noticed is that they're using a microphone icon as their "search" button.  At least, that's what it appears to do.  Unless they're planning to allow voice searches?

Voice input for search has been enabled for google chrome users for months now.

[Thorin]

No, I was seeing all those options in a black bar along the top of the page.  I'm also looking at it in Chrome.  And www.google.ca doesn't have the microphone icon.

[Mr. Analog]

I think your mic has to be detected, not sure

[Tom]

No, I was seeing all those options in a black bar along the top of the page.  I'm also looking at it in Chrome.  And www.google.ca doesn't have the microphone icon.

google.ca doesn't have the new new interface yet.

[Lazybones]

No, I was seeing all those options in a black bar along the top of the page.  I'm also looking at it in Chrome.  And www.google.ca doesn't have the microphone icon.

Google does seem to be rolling some features out inconsistently or "testing them" on people randomly.

However the Chrome + mic in search field feature first appeared back in June http://www.pcworld.com/article/230305/google_adds_voice_search_to_chrome_browser.html.

Like many things however they don't appear consistantly on different TLD pages or the iGoogle pages some times, just the standard www.google.com.

[Mr. Analog]

It's funny I only see the mic option and the menu randomly. At first I thought it was some kind of cache issue but it seems like they are slowly rolling it across nodes.