I was doing a few searches on Google today when I noticed a stark change in the layout. I switched to another computer, and found that no change had occured, so perhaps my IP or computer was being chosen as a “beta” tester for the new layout. In any case, here is what I saw:
Click on the image for a larger view. The big difference is the placement of the search types into the left column. Also, gone is the fat bar at the top that used to say which kind of search you are conducting (whether it’s web, video, etc.)
Finally, the already slim page margins are shrunk even further–I believe that the logo and text are only a few pixels away from the edge of the page. Personally, I would want to see more margins, not less. But I do think the left-hand placement of the search menu is a step in the right direction.
So what does everyone think? Is Google really redesigning? Or is this just a fluke? Anyone else seen this?
March 4th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
I’ve seen it once, when I was doing a search - frogle i think!
Steve
March 4th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I haven’t come across the new design yet, but I agree with you about the margins — more, not less. And I like the search menu on the left, but it’ll be interesting to see how it all fits in with their sponsored links. Will they create a nice 3-column layout that works, or will it end up looked squished and cluttered?
March 5th, 2006 at 12:16 am
I saw it a couple times too, then forgot about it.
March 5th, 2006 at 1:58 am
I think the current design is more user friendly since most people I talk to seem to like to use several windows at once. Therefore, the narrower the better. But overall it doesn’t seem to make much difference. I would like a three column layout myself, but I’m the exception.
March 5th, 2006 at 4:28 am
I wish you’d done a search for a commercial term - I would have liked to see where the Adwords adverts were placed…
March 5th, 2006 at 4:47 am
Seems like nothing really new, just place the links in a new place and I can’t say it’s very innovative… but Google Blog has a link to here too.
http://google.blogspace.com/
March 5th, 2006 at 5:05 am
I must say that I like the current design much better. http://www.thewebdesignblog.com
March 5th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
I saw it too. One cool aspect that you’re missing is that the search types on the left are ranked and sorted in different orders based on the keywords used.
March 5th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
sadegh
March 5th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
i like the column on the left. it still feels a little too 1998 for my taste.
March 5th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Seems it’s likely a revenue driven decision rather than a innovative ones. With this new interface, the spaces for placing ads expanded. But you know google always hide its business decision behind a geeky illusion.
Holy moon for Google and inventors is backing.
March 5th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
I get the new layout consistently after installing the beta version of the new Google toolbar
March 6th, 2006 at 5:14 am
I don’t believe it. The stock falls so they drop Intel processors and change the web design. Looks like the begining of the end……. !!!!!!
March 6th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I saw this too. Why mess up a good thing?
March 6th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Old is gold.
March 6th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
It is kind of odd because I was reading some info from a Google SEO talking about ad “hotspots” on the page and it was in the left hand margin sector that statistically registered the greatest number of hits.
March 6th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
yahoo have just introduced their home pages redesigned !!
The left hand panel functionlaity is the same as googles , or rather googles would be the same as yahoos..after all yahoo launched first !!
March 6th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Yuck. Why wast so much horizontal space for something that took up so little vertical space.
“One cool aspect that you’re missing is that the search types on the left are ranked and sorted in different orders based on the keywords used”
Not cool at all. Keep things predictable please. Don’t eff with my muscle memory.
March 7th, 2006 at 12:06 am
I’ve been seeing this on my account for several months. I was under the impression this was standard for everyone.
Guess I was wrong.
March 7th, 2006 at 4:18 am
I’ve had it for a while and didn’t realize that it wasn’t rolled out everywhere.
Mine has little green bars that show the relevance of your search on the different search types.
March 7th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
dude dat suck.. im sure google will never come up with shit like dat.. u made this up didnt u?
March 8th, 2006 at 11:33 am
Hi,
i saw some times changed
March 8th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
I got this new interface several times…mostly when I was searching for IR related stuff. So did another friend of mine.
But I rather like the old design.
March 9th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Dear Google,
Please can I choose the layout I prefer
Thanks
JM
March 9th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Not a fan of new layout
March 10th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
i can’t say it’s an innovation by any means. do i innovate each time i rearrange my living room, regardless of “user” experience? i think google’s caught on to the idea that different equals progressive equals a more (still?) valuable stock.
March 10th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
i can’t say it’s an innovation by any means. do i innovate each time i rearrange my living room, regardless of “user” experience? i think google’s caught on to the idea that different equals progressive equals a more (still?) valuable stock.
March 10th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
neither is commenting twice innovative. sorry about that.
March 10th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
I saw it too before. My friend had it. I was amazed as to why. If you look at AOL search, it has something similar. I think if you install AOL Explorer, that happens.
I have not done any experiments. That is just what I found.
March 12th, 2006 at 12:35 am
no estoy de acuerdo en tal pues el espacio de trabajo sería menor y por ende menos información sin un mayor orden
March 12th, 2006 at 2:15 am
It looks more navigable as the actual style. I’m wondering where will they put the ads.
March 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pm
I like the normal layout much better…I hope they at least give us a choice.
Brandon Hopkins
March 13th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
I think Google is preparing for http://www.kosmix.com/
March 13th, 2006 at 5:09 pm
i think it sucks….the current design is good and simple..
March 14th, 2006 at 5:37 am
Yes, I saw this a couple of times and thought about what Google may be doing in the very near future.
I’m like you, I hate to see the margins shrink but in the long run, the change will be for the better I think!
I do expect more changes to develope early this year and am looking forward to them!
March 14th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
User selectable themes would seem to be in order for this change.
March 14th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
Little modifications but its great
March 15th, 2006 at 1:55 am
I have had that layout for the past month. It takes a little getting used to but is good.
March 16th, 2006 at 1:44 am
i love it!
March 16th, 2006 at 11:13 am
I think the current design is gud. It is not necessary to change the design.
March 17th, 2006 at 8:46 am
where is adwords?
March 17th, 2006 at 9:12 am
i think it would be much better if that column follows while you browse at the bottom or while reading the searches
March 18th, 2006 at 7:32 am
Well guess it al depends on when and where you log on. I log on hit refresh and got the new design, it is a bit easier to search, especialy when you are after the exact phrase or video. My IP provider is Cox. I think Big Brother has tapped into Google and gets a red flag when certain words pop up and I bet its not just for kiddy po-rn. just off this subject I’m trying to find out the mpg for the new Dodge mega cab with 2 wd automatic Hemi and Cummins. Thanks guys and watch your speling(wrong)
March 18th, 2006 at 8:16 am
Not fun, in this new format my web page MERINO PRESENTS, which is where I set up and run an event in San Diego, maybe soon my own place, in the mean time if you cant find it on Google just log on http://www.merinopresents.com, always a fun fast moving time to enjoy and relax or go all out and be JAM’n
March 19th, 2006 at 11:17 am
i think it is cool !
March 19th, 2006 at 11:19 am
i think that they should not change the webpage because it looks much better the way it is now
March 19th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
I don’t like the new design. I would like to see multiple menus available to be sized and placed where I want them. For instance I would like to see one column with a tiny Google header. 20 organic listings full width accross the screen, followed by two lines of Ad. Boxes. Then 5 news results from the BBC and 5 from CNN. Finally 2 lines of images. I’m sure no-one else would like my settings, but that’s the point isn’t it? Why can’t it be displayed the way I want it? In the colour scheme I define?
March 19th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Big f-in deal! Ohh–wow they moved the small chunk of text from one location to another!
This certainly does constitute a post of Google site-redesign!
Loser!
March 19th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
So if they didn’t do anything but changed colors is that a re-design too?!
March 20th, 2006 at 2:58 am
stranger
March 20th, 2006 at 12:42 pm
Design is much similar to the current one. How will it make any impacts…???
March 21st, 2006 at 10:25 pm
To test the new layout, you can edit your cookie
http://digg.com/technology/Scoop:_New_layout_for_Google_
Salvatore Aranzulla
March 22nd, 2006 at 6:25 am
How is design related to cookie??? Puzzled……….
March 24th, 2006 at 6:43 am
not funny, i’m waiting for a friend
March 24th, 2006 at 10:35 am
that thing sucked. What the hell was different. You need to get your eyes tested.
March 24th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
I like the old much better
March 25th, 2006 at 8:39 am
i think it is cool !
March 25th, 2006 at 9:33 am
hi
i have seen it once in the evening searching some thing…it appeared left side navigation…it was not so good…it needs some effective change but not so much…not vertical navigation…it should b only horizontal navigation that it could give more space to the user in explorer to read content…
-fazayal
March 26th, 2006 at 10:01 am
I prefer the original. I dont like this change
March 26th, 2006 at 11:02 am
ok
March 27th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Looks like a loss of useful space with nothing really added.
Like others, I wonder where the ads will go. Sometimes I keep my browser window rather narrow, which is one reason I don’t like this.
March 31st, 2006 at 9:16 am
Love it!
April 2nd, 2006 at 5:33 am
Average…
April 2nd, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Nice blog! Respect!
April 3rd, 2006 at 10:08 am
FYI, your RSS feed (http://google.blogspace.com/index.xml) doesn’t include any dates whatsoever, so it can’t be included in email notification services such as Blog Alert:
http://www.shootthebreeze.net/blogalert/index.php
April 4th, 2006 at 7:13 am
any of u people heard of this new revolutionary thing called gmail which is the cause of all that :O
April 6th, 2006 at 1:30 am
not bad
April 6th, 2006 at 8:07 am
this is part of Google Search History, once you sign up you have access to your searches… privacy concerns??
April 12th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Hmm, The same but down the side.
I think Google hides too much that it could make more of.
Instead of More>> it could use GOODIES (In Google typeface) to point people to other services.
I wonder how many actually click on More>> as it’s not clear whats inside?
April 19th, 2006 at 6:19 am
Please…is this what qualifies as a “redesign”. This is like moving colorforms around on the same sheet…”same sheet”!
April 20th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Wow I haven’t seen it yet. I will definitly look for it.
April 21st, 2006 at 4:27 pm
I think that the new design is rather dumb. I prefer the classic google look