

Google Homepage Redesign - grinich
http://go.infinise.com/

======
apsurd
Uh no.

Not everyone on the planet is die hard web two point oh bleeding edge
geeeeeeeniusssses like us.

There is no context. I don't know what I am supposed to do. Why is there no
submit button? I'm supposed to magically realize that enter = submit? Not
everyone knows what google is. It is quite absurdly annoying to assume our
"above average" knowledge of the internet is a common trait.

Please someone add a link list of all the funny, outrageous, sad, and outright
weird stories about how real people _actually_ use the internet.

Google is a service that people in the "real world" use. Please keep that in
mind.

~~~
Skeuomorph
Yes.

In the real world, 8% surveyed (by Google) in Times Square knew what a browser
was.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ&feature=playe...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4MwTvtyrUQ&feature=player_embedded)

Now try explaining difference between URL bar and Search bar in Safari,
Firefox, etc... Give up yet?

I wonder if that survey relates to why Google decided the OS should be the
browser, so people might actually use Chrome. ;-)

Best mantra for web design isn't "Web 2.0", it's "Don't Make Me Think."

~~~
JimmyL
>> Now try explaining difference between URL bar and Search bar in Safari,
Firefox, etc.

Exactly.

My mom, who is in her early sixties and is considered to be very proficient in
how to use the Internet among her peer group, can't seem to get that there's a
difference between the Google search box and the address bar - she just
searches for "cnn.com", clicks on the first result, and gets there. And when
you think about it, this is a fine process for her - she doesn't
understand/care about the way the internet actually works, but she has a
routine (punching it all into google) that always gets her near where she's
trying to be.

She also can't get her head around that hitting Enter submits a form - she'll
type it in, and then click on the search button. 100% of the time.

~~~
andrewparker
I've heard that roughly 30% of Google search are searches for domains, just
like this cnn.com example.

~~~
mikeryan
heck I do that sometimes when I just get lazy and hit the wrong bar or I'm not
exactly sure of the domain.

------
enomar
Are you sure this is just a Google homepage redesign? Click the little _i_
icon in the bottom right corner.

Click the Google icon to turn it into a Wikipedia, YouTube or Twitter search
engine. Try the ^2 and ^3 keyboard shortcuts too.

~~~
ErrantX
well there's a usability failrue right there - I didnt notice it at first :)

~~~
RyanMcGreal
Classic mystery meat navigation.

------
mrlebowski
I do not go to google.com and then search all that often nowadays. Most of the
search takes place right from the search box (Firefox) or directly from
Chrome..

~~~
timcederman
I use the address bar in Firefox thanks to its handy-dandy I'm-feeling-lucky
submission (and neatly tuned confidence -- it will take you to Google.com if
unsure). Try typing "paul graham's homepage" in your address bar and see where
it takes you.

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taitems
Some usability flaws:

\- There are no back buttons when cycling through domains (or any indication
on what number of domain you're on - perhaps an iPhone style page counter
would do?)

\- For Google, there are much more than 3 options. A "..." item would probably
be most logical.

\- I would have absolutely no idea whether to click the contextual button to
cycle through domains, perhaps it should just be faded rather than invisible.

\- No submit button. I havn't used one in years, but it doesn't mean my mum
hasn't either.

~~~
Rainerbird
I agree Taitems.

I also think that the images should be pre-loaded to avoid a short blank spot
on the page when you first start flicking through the search options.

------
Chandru
Ctrl + 1, 2, etc are shortcuts to switch tabs in Firefox and hence jumps tabs
after hitting the shortcuts. Adding e.preventDefault() in "KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS"
should help.

~~~
mhansen
They also switch tabs in chrome. Did they only test this in IE?

~~~
shrikant
Safari, I think..

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cousin_it
Well... this is actually an okay redesign. A rare creature. Most designers do
far worse, e.g. <http://www.andyrutledge.com/google-redux.php> . Also, it
reminded me of Duck Duck Go <http://duckduckgo.com/> created by HN user
epi0Bauqu.

------
tptacek
Any time you post a redesign of a major Google page, isn't the burden of proof
really hard? I'm under the impression that there's an avalanche of data
backing up every pixel on those pages. If Google starts setting search results
in Comic Sans, you're still going to have to start by assuming that Comic Sans
is making them a shit-ton of money.

~~~
Gibbon
Google's extensive testing does not preclude the possibility that their design
sucks. The original "simplicity" of their service was entirely accidental; if
I'm not mistaken Sergei either didn't know enough html or didn't care enough
to bother making it any more complicated.

Religiously testing will only lead to a local maximum and ignores the
possibility that the design may have not been great to begin with.

Google's homepage is not even remotely close to the standard a highly
competent minimalist designer would offer. Little attention to detail,
remedial typographical choices, a 90's looking poorly executed Logo, random UI
elements with no clear purpose. It's very much like an engineers
interpretation of what a minimalist designer would do.. which is exactly what
it is.

All of their products are on the utilitarian end of minimalist design and
could stand to be improved significantly from an aesthetic perspective without
actually changing the interface noticeably.

~~~
tptacek
Or, Google has spent the 0.00038% of its gross profits that it would take
create an optimally aesthetic version of its home page, A/B tested it against
www.google.com, and found the aesthetic version less effective.

------
alanl
The design looks great, but I had to think to use it, so that’s where it
fails. Although it does raise the idea that Google homepage could do with
redesign. On that who uses the I'm feeling lucky button? Google probably have
some stats saying its really popular, but I reckon its just from people
clicking on it by accident.

~~~
ErrantX
> Although it does raise the idea that Google homepage could do with redesign

Bear in mind Google religiously maintains it's home page for speed and
usability and brand awareness. It's an icon.

Changing it would be an awful move for them.

------
nopassrecover
Bearing in mind consideration likes search button, you don't know you can
cycle domains until hover, can't go back, can't see how many domains there are
etc...

I'm quite impressed with this surprisingly, it looks nice and clean. Maybe a
little less border on the textbox but otherwise very nice.

------
philippantoni
As some already pointed out, this isn't really a "google homepage redesign,"
but just a clean, simple startpage for a variety of search engines. I know
you've got to figure it out at first, but once you do it works I think.

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Osmose
I don't see this as an actual suggestion for Google as much as a really cool
version; especially since the source is offered. (I'm tweaking it and making
it my homepage, now. :D)

Great job!

------
Specstacular
Nifty but indeed relying a lot of user awareness

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fara
Info button, at the right bottom of the page! I found it looking at the source
before noticing it was on the screen. usability--

------
fname
eh...

You don't have to use the keyboard shortcuts, you can hover over the logo and
will see an arrow appear... You can cycle through search engines that way as
well.

~~~
roundsquare
Is it just me, or is that arrow barely visible?

The colors are sorta nice, but I shouldn't have to be told there is an arrow
to realize it.

~~~
fname
I agree... It took me a while to notice it too before I clicked it and the
logo changed.

------
gaustin
Simply too much space between the logo and the search box.

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bradgessler
That looks awesome.

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onreact-com
As I almost never actually look at their homepage using Google from toolbars
or browsers directly this is of marginal interest.

