Google on Friday unveiled a “major visual redesign” of the mobile Google Search experience that the search giant said will be available in the coming days. The theme of this update? Simplicity.
“We wanted to take a step back to simplify things a bit so people can find what they’re looking for faster and easier,” said Aileen Cheng, a Google designer who led the renovation. Cheng called the new design a “fresh air.”
One of the first things Cheng wanted to do was simplify Google Search and get people the information they were looking for. This means presenting your search results as clearly and quickly as possible. One way Google did this was by using larger, bolder text and also using Google’s own font, which is already used in Android and Gmail. The results and sections are also larger.
“Providing consistency in when and how we use fonts in Search was also important, which also helps people analyze information more efficiently,” Cheng explained.
The new Google search results also stretch from edge to edge, while Google has gotten rid of shadows. This makes it easier for you to see the result you are looking for, which provides visual space and breathing. Google also uses color to highlight what is important. By displaying results on a clean background, Google can use color to guide users to information.
Finally, the company said users will notice that Google Search is now ‘bubbler and bouncer’. That means rounded icons and images, which Cheng says are already a big part of Google’s DNA. Just look at the search bar or the magnifying glass.
“Reviewing the visual design for something like Search is very complicated,” Cheng said. ‘This is especially true given how much Google Search has evolved. We organize not only the web information but also all the world information. We started organizing web pages, but now there is so much diversity in the types of content and information that we need to help make sense. ”