February 28, 2013

Google Tests a New Navigation Interface

Google tests a new navigation menu that's more compact and includes fewer services. You need to click an icon that's placed next to the "sign in" button and you can access popular services like Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive and Google Calendar. For some reason, the menu includes a redundant icon for Google Search even when you're using Google's search engine.

The interface seems to be inspired by Chrome's app launcher, uses less space, but it's not very obvious. It's like a new version of the hidden navigation menu that was launched back in 2011 and removed after a few weeks.




{ Thanks, Maurice. }

27 comments:

  1. whoa. more clicks to open stuff. i mean loads of people still have no idea where their contacts are in gmail today.

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    1. Sadly, I agree. I only found this out recently when my friends wanted to update their contacts on their Android phones and we had a conversation about it. I told them they can go through Gmail and use the Contacts feature, as the Android contacts are synced to the Gmail Contacts. They had no idea that there was a Contacts feature in Gmail and how to get to it. Even after I told them, I stated that the feature seemed almost invisible.

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    2. Really! Need a new interface or a "off-Gmail" App like Google+ Circles... but to unify all 2 tools in one

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  2. I hope this comes through.

    There are enough options for opening other Google sites (bookmarks bar, Omnibox autocomplete, desktop shortcuts, the Chrome menu, this new icon) that I would happily do without a fixed list of a few of them sitting at the top of each page.

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  3. I'm not sure why, but I get the feeling that this was designed for touch based devices...

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  4. Yes, please! I actually liked the old menu when they had it last and I abhor the black bar. The blackbar clashes too much and isn't consistent.

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  5. I liked a lot the hidden bar back in 2011... this one seems a little out of place on the right but may look good....

    After all, i like it because i know where things are but like someone said, more clicks to go to stuff probably keep the regular user from finding and using some services...

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  6. How can I activate it?

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  7. If added, I would really like to be able to customize what icons are displayed first. AdWords, Analytics, Webmaster Tools, etc... I understand they aren't aimed at the average Google user but I don't understand why Google chooses to "hide" them deep in product menus.

    All in all it won't change how I use Google's services, considering most are bookmarked or in my history so I just need to type a letter or 2 into the Omnibox.

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  8. Espero que essa nova interface melhore na hora de um tablet ou celular..

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  9. It doesn't look good. It's way too ahead of its time. This will make accessing google apps a "two-step" process, as opposed to the original "one-step" process. If we assume that google's core vision is to simplify the user-experience, then this enhancement is currently not justifiable. They should stick to innovating through incremental changes.

    - sanchitkhera7

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  10. Would like to see the search option for different Google services just like in Chrome OS app launcher (http://googlesystem.blogspot.in/2012/11/the-chrome-app-launcher.html)

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  11. This is going to look awesome on the Nexus 10 and Nexus 7.

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  12. Finally, comeback of the new Google Menu!

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  13. In my black belt is good and above all faster to use than the drop-down menu. The only thing missing personalization options that can be the example I set in the corresponding order.

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  14. People want simple interface, i don't think this will be good for the average user. Maybe can be nice for who wants to express more, but for the main user i think it gonna be more difficult to use. Please don't do it.

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  15. Gostei! Parabéns pelo projeto Equipe da Google!!!

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  16. I liked the new layout! I don't know why the peoples does not. Anyway, sadly, I also agree that Gmail has very things hidden. It's need to be more simple, as everything in Google World is!
    Congratulations, anyway.

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  17. Would be sweet if you can arrange the apps by dragging them - like on ChromeOS!

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  18. How to try it? It looks so AWESOME! ;) :D

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  19. I now have NO black bar OR this new little lovely button! Is it because I had to factory reset my Droid because it would just keep looping? I lost some contacts and my bar....what the...?

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  20. I so wish they would add the button back! I was wondering where it went. Someone should make a Chrome extension to make it appear again

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  21. This is what I think they should do:

    http://www.jwashburn.com/2012/04/if-youre-google-nut-please-re-share.html

    It doesn't have anything hidden. But it also doesn't show the ugly black bar. Best of both worlds!

    What do you guys think?

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    1. I think one word in this case is worth more than thousands of icons. So, no.

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