November 7, 2012

Google Simplifies the Search Interface

After a few months of testing, Google released a new search interface that removes the left sidebar and replaces it with a much simpler horizontal bar placed below the search box. A similar UI was launched last year for tablets and last month for smartphones, so Google tries to offer a consistent user experience.


While the old features are still available, the advanced search tools are no longer displayed by default. You need to click "search tools" and pick the right option. Google used to display some relevant search tools and the old interface made it easier to find recent results. Now you need 3 clicks to find results from the past 24 hours instead of only one click (sometimes two clicks). Another issue is that it's much easier to accidentally click the ads when you're using the search tools.




"With the new design, there's a bit more breathing room, and more focus on the answers you're looking for, whether from web results or from a feature like the Knowledge Graph. It's going out to Google.com users in the U.S. to start, and we want to get it to users in other languages and regions as soon as we can," informs Google.

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30 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 3:50 AM

    From what I see you can no longer search for images matching a specific size.

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    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 3:52 AM

      And of course this is the third major Google property after Google+ and YouTube to mess up the user experience for users on a widescreen display. Everything Google is getting left aligned. http://imgur.com/z5yr2

      Delete
    2. BobbyWDecember 7, 2012 at 8:34 PM

      There are 2 ways to get around this.....use a GreaseMonkey Script http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/153266 called Googlifix

      or use

      imagesize:36x36 star

      just paste that into your Google image search box & it will find all 36x36 images referencing 'star'.

      Use your own sizes & or image names..as you see fit.

      Cheers

      Delete
  2. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 3:54 AM

    Hi Alex

    This means that parts of the blavk top navigation bar is redundant. Do you think Google will remove it?

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    Replies
    1. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 3:59 AM

      That bar also appears on other Google properties. So, I am not sure removing is a solution. :)

      Delete
    2. Alex ChituNovember 7, 2012 at 4:11 AM

      The new interface shows the same services in the now-horizontal bar, but makes this issue more obvious. Probably search-related services will be removed from the black bar. Some of them are popular destinations (Google News, Google Maps), so they'll still be included.

      Delete
  3. MikeNovember 7, 2012 at 3:58 AM

    " we want to get it to users in other languages and regions as soon as we can"

    Firstly Google needs to stop giving users the WRONG languages and regions.

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  4. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 5:24 AM

    The image search by exact size is still there, only that the layout is messed up...

    https://www.google.com/search?q=ROSE%20Online&orq=ROSE+Online+imagesize:640x480&tbs=isz:ex,iszw:640,iszh:480&tbo=d&biw=1560&bih=1014&sei=eGCaUJKpPITvsgbNtICIDA&tbm=isch

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  5. shle896November 7, 2012 at 5:43 AM

    I'm having a hard time in image search. I can't find the search tool to filter photo results by size.

    MORE CLICKS is never a good thing.

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  6. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 6:11 AM

    remove the top black bar pls.... im sick of it!

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    1. AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 6:35 AM

      That's just easy. Use any extension. If you use Chrome you can find many here - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/remove%20black%20bar
      If you use other browser just search 'remove black bar'. Simple.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousNovember 10, 2012 at 3:48 AM

      Tip for remove the top black bar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5XsJiO4hSI Google is testing remove it: http://www.google.com/?esrch=Agad::Public

      Delete
  7. AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 6:12 AM

    Google Search Interface
    is the software-version of the the largest search engine on the Web owned by Google, Inc. GoogSI gives you access to 25,270,000,000 indexed ...

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  8. AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 6:32 AM

    There's no need to worry about ads. Use adblock. BTW I didn't liked new interface. Now the way becomes more long.

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  9. UnknownNovember 7, 2012 at 8:35 AM

    At the moment it playing a game of pika boo with me, it sometimes appears, sometime not. Overall I like the design but Google need to decide what to do about the black bar, it so ugly.

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  10. Kevin from MidwoodNovember 7, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    Note how those drop-down menus cover up the search results. How awkward and strange that is.

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  11. funnypantsNovember 7, 2012 at 1:04 PM

    once again, instead of improving they make it worse. change for its own sake is stupid.

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  12. funnypantsNovember 7, 2012 at 1:05 PM

    once again, instead of improving they make it worse. change for its own sake is stupid.

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  13. rbaleksandarNovember 7, 2012 at 2:40 PM

    I just found out and at first it was a bad surprise but than it took me like 2 minutes to figure things out. To the right of this new menu you have SEARCH TOOLS. This item provides dynamic settings according to the section (Web, Images etc.) you are currently viewing. In fact with this new interface Google offers plenty of filters (look at the Video-filters for example - it even offers a list of what seems to be top web sites that offer the video content you are looking for) for your searching and also spares some space on the screen in order to enable the user to view more search-results. Because let's face it - the huge menu on the left wasn't exactly a space-saver.

    I also think that probably the upper menu (the one that we are used to) will probably disappear completely and become part of the new one. It's obvious that Google is still poking around and waiting to see how the users feel. Still needs improvement and this will come due time. After all things evolve. Lately there were some more or less major changes also in Gmail - the new Compose-feature that allows you to write a new mail directly in the main view of your inbox is really really neat and it spears a lot of time (especially on a slow connection and not wanting to switch to the old school mode ;)).

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  14. rubber catNovember 7, 2012 at 4:05 PM

    I don't care for it. I liked it when every search vertical was on the left, so you could quickly jump to images, maps, news, discussions, blogs, even patents. Now it's just the 4-5 ones that Google assumes relates to your query (only slightly better than Bing, which usually only has 3) with everything else buried under obnoxious drop-down menus. It feels a little crowded at the top now, since the search menu links are now only ~50 pixels away from the somewhat redundant black menu bar. Plus it leaves a bunch of useless white space. Consistency can be good but it's giving a worse experience to people not using phones/tablets.

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  15. BlueQuollNovember 7, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    I take issue with the claim that there's "more focus on the answers you're looking for". There's actually more focus on answers Google wants to give me, and less focus on the tools I need to find what I'm really looking for. It's a pity Google's "one-size-fits-all" approach keeps changing; it's obvious Google has no idea what users want, and keeps changing the interface in the forlorn hope that one day it might get things right. Unfortunately, along the way, products are becoming ever more tedious to use, as essential functionality get buried deeper in hidden menus. The best analogy I can provide: I don't want to have to keep reaching into desk drawers for my most used tools, I want them there on the desk top!

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  16. Ayan07November 7, 2012 at 11:37 PM

    There's no option to search images by exact size. What the hell Google?

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  17. SaumonNovember 8, 2012 at 1:41 AM

    Seems from here that the 'exact size search' option for images is still available on FF but not anymore on Chrome ( or in a really messy way )
    Nicely done Google :D

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  18. AnonymousNovember 10, 2012 at 3:51 AM

    How to get back the old Google interface?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=danQJAWJE3I

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  19. SeoerNovember 14, 2012 at 2:26 AM

    It sounds cool, but I don't like the image section that has been stripped out from the filters like "icon only" or similar to narrow down image proposition to a certain type of images only.

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  20. dontlikeyouruiNovember 22, 2012 at 4:38 AM

    PLEASE MOVE BACK

    The new interface sucks.

    Nobody at Google understands that our screen are larger than high ?
    interface should go on the side not on the top !

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  21. LKNovember 23, 2012 at 1:25 PM

    Exactly: why does it take three clicks to use search options which previously needed one? Sure, putting more white pixels on my screen is a venerable goal, but many searches now take five times longer. Awful.

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  22. 83bj60December 3, 2012 at 10:46 PM

    It is the most aggravating and useless 'improvement' I have been forced to use.

    We already have to use extremely narrow letterbox screens whose space is already halfway taken by browser menus, to be IMPOSED several more lines of search menu on top of that!!!

    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We don't all use inverted letterbox screens (aka smartphones) to browse online!!!

    Google, Microsoft and the other Big Bullies have to learn that user will not stand to be forced into compliance and that computers are there to serve users, not the other way around.

    Where the class action suit so I can join in?!

    ReplyDelete

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