Instead of switching to an entirely different interface when you go from the standard search results to Google Image Search, Google Video or Google Book Search, you'll see the same interface. There's a new left-hand column that replaces the expandable "search options" sidebar. It looks like a vertical navigation bar and it shows the most relevant specialized search engines and the most useful filters that help you refine your query.
Since November, Google has tested many versions of the interface and added features like location detection and "not entirely unlike" search suggestions. Lately, a lot of users started to see the new interface and that's a clear sign that Google will release the UI soon.
Google web search results (screenshot from April)
Google's homepage and a new logo (April)
Google's new footer (April)
Google's search results (November 2009)
Google web search results (screenshot from February)
Google News results (screenshot from February)
Google's search results (March)
{ Thanks, Richard, Dan, Kherlen, Mike, Travis, Victor, Pal, Rami, Luka and everyone else who sent a tip at gostipsATgmailDOTcom. }
@Alex: Have you heard from people about the new code that's entered in the address bar to make the new Google interface load?
ReplyDeleteI like April's interface. I remember last year when the new interface "leaked" and people were saying that it looked like Bing (it did look like Bing), and there was a hack to force Google to use the new interface but it's no longer working (at least it didn't work for me).
PS I wonder if the new Google redesign will mean also a new redesigned favicon. The current favicon is awful!
ReplyDeleteWell, I asked some people that have the new UI to send the PREF value of the Google cookie, but I couldn't see the interface when changing my cookies.
ReplyDelete@jasonvaritekfan It just worked for me a few days ago, but you have to delete your cookies and log out of google, do the hack, and then quit and open it up again. That should work.
ReplyDelete@Alex: I see. Cool. If you get the PREF value code to work, please update the post with the code (if different from last year's) :-)
ReplyDelete@Aesahaettr: I just tried the hack from last year, but it didn't work in Chrome beta. I forgot to delete Google's cookies the first time I tried it, but just tried it again by first deleting Google's cookies (I logged out the first both times I tried the hack), but got the current look. I don't remember if it worked last year in the same browser though.
What will this mean for "Web Images Videos Maps News Shopping Mail" across the top left? With these options being moved to a left column, it seems like a good opportunity for Google to promote some of its other services up top. Or perhaps in the top right, so the can clean up the top left for a big Google logo.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteNavigation links will stay where they are right now. The left sidebar will only link to the relevant specialized search engines for your query and you'll have to click on "more" to get other options (see the screenshots).
I had this new interface since the beginning of April and don't remember doing anything special to enable it. I'm just logged in to my Google account pretty much all the time and use the .com page, not the local one.
ReplyDelete@gxg: Same here.
ReplyDeleteI got this interface from out of nowhere, and I too am logged in pretty much all the time and I do a lot of Google searches. I'm sad because I really liked the new interface, and I recently had to delete my cookies to get the new YouTube interface, and accidentally deleted my Google cookies, so I lost my new Google interface in the process. :(
By the way, thanks for recognizing us tippers at the end of the post. :)
I just got the new Jazz interface! I didn't do any code hacking this time though. I just cleaned Chrome's browsing history, 'cause there's no way to specified how many browsing days Chrome should keep before deleting older content, but I also ran CCleaner, just for Chrome, after that.
ReplyDeleteI've had the new interface for quite a while now and I utterly, sincerely do not like it.
ReplyDeleteI really like the new interface. It's much cleaner and easier to navigate. I hope this approach is brought to the rest of Google services which currently have an all over the place feel to them.
ReplyDeleteAlso have the new interface.
ReplyDeleteI recently installed Chromium OS, and created a new Google account. Not sure which one did it for me.