June 18, 2011

Google Tests a New Interface

Another day, another Google experiment. This time, Google tests a new search button inspired by Bing and removes the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button from the homepage, probably because it's no longer useful. Google Instant makes the search button unnecessary most of the time, so Google could remove it altogether. It's interesting that the new design emphasizes the search button instead of making it less prominent.


Google's experiment highlights the header of the search results pages and uses gray/red icons and labels in the vertical navigation menu. Another change is that the "cached" and "similar" links are placed in the Instant Preview box, so they're more difficult to find.



All the icons and images for this experiment are available in a sprite.

{ Thanks, Juuso, François and Websonic. }

36 comments:

  1. Loooks awesome.

    Please make Gmail Interface look better. Needs a change :)

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  2. I approve. What does the pencil icon do?

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  3. Good question. It's probably added by the Scribe extension.

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  4. The "cached" and "similar" links will be available to those who seek them, moving them would reduce clutter.

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  5. That pencil icon is from my Google Scribe extension.

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  6. I think it's awesome. But why the selected icon colored red?

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  7. I like it. I think it's a good sign that Google has recently been putting more effort into UI / UX.
    BTW - "new search button inspired by Bing" - how do you know it was inspired by Bing?

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  8. Bing is Google's main competitor when it comes to search. Whether Google likes to admit it or not, many of the design changes from the past 2 or 3 years were inspired by Bing. Some examples: the new image search interface with infinite scrolling, "more sizes" for image search, homepage backgrounds, interactive doodles, video previews. There are many UI features first introduced by Bing and later added by Google. Just install Bing's iPad app and you'll notice that Microsoft's search team creates great interfaces.

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  9. I agree that it is possible that it was inspired by Bing, but we can only guess, we don't know it for sure.

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  10. nice one, love it, I don't think it looks like Bing, it's a google interface as always, simole

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  11. Now everybody knows that i follow Google geek and Chrome dev relations.

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  12. Where is the link to translation tools?

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  13. type in "gay" and watch the rainbow ..

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  14. Very nice, long live the simple Google! :D

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  15. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fct_Hum2BfM

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  16. New video: http://youtu.be/vtELiwNmTSc

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  17. Cool design. Google has finally done away with useless junks.

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  18. I like the lucky button, it's quicker to enter a keyword and go directly to a site than to find it in my 2000 favs and/or type it into the address bar.

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  19. Here are some new images of it, from Google UK (not Finland! And thus, in English language):

    http://i.imgur.com/fZUe8.png
    http://i.imgur.com/LlPDT.png
    http://i.imgur.com/Dyy3f.png
    http://i.imgur.com/lT5bH.png

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  20. well its not something about inspiring, google is a king by its self...

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  21. google i am saying just dont give it a try,your originality is everything...

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  22. Very nice, long live the simple Google

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  23. not at all the beautiful blue buttons safety stands

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  24. New homepage!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYb-xBgZBNw

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  25. It looks very nice but prefer the colorful icons on the left side

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  26. Dear Google,

    Allow for users to toggle between Google Instant enabled and disabled on the main page.

    Disabled = No Google Instant, Classic view with 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button.

    Enabled = whatever you want to experiment.

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  27. Please change this '99 blue color of links in results to something more modern.

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  28. To be honest, the search result content now looks like the ad content on the original Google pages, even while the header and navigation look polished. The older interface looked more honest and clean... This one looks like its copied from some website.

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  29. That sucks. I like minimalism & clear interface, and don't need the left side panel. I want to see the number of matches (not being an English native speaker, it is useful to search in google which expression is used more often). The big blue button is unnecessary and is awful.

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  30. I do not like the blue button, but the search screen was beautiful

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  31. please enable the "i'm feeling lucky" button
    ...plz plz.....!!!!!!! :-(

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  32. i prefer the cached and similar links were made easy to find... but currently i see the cached in the same line of the web address but i cant find the similar links.. ( this similar links is very useful tough... :-(

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  33. Put it back. Lost the simplicity and cleanliness.
    Left Nav pulldown rediculous.
    Added pointless clicks to go anywhere.
    Return the simple text across the top.

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