I’m a big fan of keeping things simple, but that doesn’t mean things have to be bland. Google search results are pretty bland. Sure, sometimes you get returned things like YouTube thumbnails or pictures, but many results are still just a monotonous stream of blue links. Google tried to break this stream up a bit with its Search Options, an expandable feature, that gives you a left-side toolbar. But even that is just a bland series of links. Google is finally thinking about changing that.
Today, Google has begun testing a new look for Search Options. This offers more visual approach to this sidebar, including colors and graphics (oh my). As you can see in the screenshot, “Everything” (regular Google results), “News,” and “Blogs” are a few of the newly visual tabs. There is also a “More” area that shows other things like “Maps.”
Yes, these look quite a bit more like Yahoo search results.
But the most significant thing about this new look may be that it’s showing up as the default view for those seeing this test. Yes, it’s no longer as just an expandable option. Could this be the future of Google Search?
[thanks Kevin]
The logo has changed too. It’s smoother. I hate it.
the logo is the same as on the normal page
Yeah It’s rougher. I hate it.
I too hate the logo, other things are fine.
Don’t be a hater.
Is there a fancy cookie link we can click to get in on this test?
So much for simplicity, eh?
I’m indifferent. Cool features, but I’d hate to see Google go too far in the Yahoo-messiness direction.
I just searched for techcrunch on yahoo to compare the two, and even with these changes Google still looks very clean, Yahoo is so cramped and all over the place. And bing, well, bing is just gradient porn, too much eye candy and too much highlight etc
I think they are now starting copying Bing. Good news for competition eh?
Ironic that google is no longer the innovator in sharing information with the masses…
Yeah, I dislike it as well. Why go the Yahoo or Bing way when the latter(s) is trying to follow you?
A simple Google logo and a search box is all that I need.
Love it, about damn time, looks much cleaner and easier on the eye, now how about doing the same for the rest of google apps?
The picture about “Joseph” is actually a Dutch musical by Endemol productions, the tv-show for choosing the lead role was quite good actually.
looks more organized like bing.
oh look, they copied bings filters. nice to see google still isnt original.
Bitter much, Windows?
Well, Bing copied Ask, so the finger pointing goes back further
techcrunch will make a story when microsoft “copies” the apple store by using tables to display their computers, but when google copies bings filters, google is being innovative.
watch the last gilmore gang, episode, arrington says “apple makes perfect products.”
If anyone is becoming nostalgic, AAfter Search is committed to ’simple living, high thinking’…
“Could this be the future of Google Search?”
Well, yeah. I mean, I wrote an entire article yesterday where they said as much:
http://searchengineland.com/google-streamlines-search-options-30143
“We’re basically looking at a new look and feel for Google,” Mayer said of the change. “It’s an overall cleaning up of the search results page.”
Does not fit. I’m not a big fan.
Can Google fire Marissa Mayer already? How much longer is she going to hold back their design?
This seems to be a photoshopped image as far as I can tell
1. There is no sign out / web history link on the top right. Obviously the user is signed in to see the SearchWiki links
2. Searching techcrunch shoots up 2,180,000 results for me. This figure in the image is 3 times that
3. Hyperlinks are not underlined. Neither below techcrunch nor in the left column. Unless its a HUGE deviation from all style sheets google has used in the past, it looks pretty un-google
I may be wrong but as far as I can tell, its fake
I missed the first comment as well… The Google logo doesn’t have bevel. Its smooth. Another indication to fake.
Funny thing about Google. As a company, it has just recently become profitable, given that the IPO was worth $12 Billion to existing shareholders.
It has yet to become profitable for anyone other than insiders with the $27 Billion valuation it had on the day of the IPO.
http://bit.ly/17Wrup
If this is an example of the success of the Web 2.0 economy, I think we’re doomed.