The New Google Layout: Why Does Google Look Different?
May 8, 2010 by Tracy Edenloft · 111 Comments
As I was searching Google today, I noticed something new. Google has a new look. It has a new layout which gives search engine users the flexibility to refine the search engine results in Google. According to the press release of Google, the new Google look is a response to the increasing richness of the web and the increasing power of search.
The new Google layout features new search tools on the left which can provide more search engine results. With Google’s new look, you now have the option to look for search engine results with Google’s news, books, videos, etc. Furthermore, you can also refine your search engine results for the past 24 hours on in specific countries only. These are all available in the new Google look.
In addition to the new Google layout, the new Google look presents an updated look and feel in terms of Google’s color palette and logo. These changes maybe slight and unnoticeable but make Google’s overall look more modern.
To have a view on this new Google look, try searching in Google and you will definitely notice the new Google layout. Meanwhile, here is a youtube video about the new Google look:
I really do not like it at all. It is not pinpointing the search results I am looking for. It is returning results that are not specific to my search input. I will have to try another search engine. Bring my Google back!!!!!!!!!
I hate the new layout. As a heavy duty researcher I liked Google for its uncluttered look and simplicity. I do not want extra advertising, extra useless functions or options and a cluttered and distracting page.
If you want to give us options then give us the option to use the old (Classic) Google.
BTW, this has nothing to do with “resistance to change.” It has to do with functionality. Heck, if Google wanted to “change their look” then they could have made it simpler & cleaner still!
The interface is too “busy”, I find it alot harder to navigate.
Would love a revert to previous option.
i want their old layout back or at least the way to choose between two
The new layout is really annoying. I’ve been reading various forums and tons of peopel agree. Google need to create an option to hide that damn sidebar.
I hate the new look as well. The larger font bothers me, I know I can “shrink” it…should I really have to create my own css just to get it to look the way I like? Lame. Very lame.
what the heck! this new google SUCKS!!!
I WANT THE OLD GOOGlE BACK!!!
I just submitted this Firefox addon, which moves the left navigation over.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/161638/
It has not been reviewed and approved yet from Mozilla, but you guys can have a look and see if it meets you needs.
Let me know what you think.
Dave
First they fucked up youtube now they fucked up google. DAMN YOU GOOGLE!!!!!!!
The new look totally sucks! Heavily annoying.. Why cant it just stay simpler. I dont think it has a dearth of revenues. They were bloody already making $ 20 million per day. What the heck!!
I want old Google back..
i do not like the “bing” look at all.
They wont change it back to the classic look so don’t even bother asking! They’re doing a “Facebook” on us!
love this. the only people whom are against it are paid google haters. This is terrific and helpful.
Why in the world would they do this? Hate It.
Couldn’t agree more – the functionality and simplicity of google is what made it such a fantastic search engine. This has been taken away and the result is an extremely frustrating substitute. Surely a choice between the two layouts isn’t too much to ask?
Is there an option to revert to the old layout?
[quote]timothy says:
May 8, 2010 at 7:23 am
love this. the only people whom are against it are paid google haters. This is terrific and helpful. [/quote]
How is that helpful? The color?
Searches are smaller. You don’t even get to see the results alright. It’s total crap.
I’m switching to Bing.
I dont like the new one either… think they’ll switch it back?
What’s not to like – all they’ve done is modernised the look of the site. @Colleen – The search results will be exactly the same. They wouldn’t have changed their algorithm.
if it aint broke don’t fix it,bring back the classic page does new Coke ring a bell?
Stefan and Oli – this is not rejecting change, this for me is a rejection of poor DESIGN. The new features may well be useful but they are in the WRONG PLACE. Putting them on the left means that the eye does not easily pick out the most relevant results from the list – it just distracts, and gives you less space to review what has been retrieved.
If you know how to search well and have been doing it for years, you don’t even need those features – what you do need is a clear uncluttered list of results.
new google sucks. So does the new youtube. SUCKS……..
Sux.
I hate it too! They say it “offers us more” unless your really stupid, all those options now taking up the right side were always on the top of the screen nice and out of my way anyway. I hate Bing because of the layout and now google has followed suit. BOO! Google, you’ve let me down again… almost as much as when I believed my Droid does and it turns out it so doesn’t!
Colleen – thank you. At first I thought it was just me. You’re right – it looks like they changed more than the look of Google – my search results have been off topic all day.
How much outrage, or feedback do they need to give us the option to revert back?
Very poor user relations I must say.
I downloaded the add-on Dave posted above–works like a charm!!! Thanks, Dave
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I THINK THAT THE NEW VERSION IS SHIT.
Seriously the new layout sucks.
yuck. this may just be the straw…
I hate the new look,its frustratingly stupid.Is there anyway to convert back to the old,plain and easier on the eyes layout?
Seriously ?? why the hell would they change it ? Man this is bull. Hate it !!
The new page layout looks like some 12 y.o. kid designed it… I don’t like it! The results page is crowded and that puts extra pressure on the eyes, especially if you are an avid searcher.
Why have they replicated the same options you get on the top bar like images, videos, etc..
Seriously google need to change back or give users options choose between the new and old.. This sucks!
I hate it and the fact they didn’t give an option to remove it to revert back to the old uncluttered one means I am looking for a new search engine. Google was my favoured one because it was uncluttered but now it is no longer attractive for me to use.
I hate it. Much more cluttered, and it looks like one of those spam sights that you click on by mistake. I actually scrolled all the way to the bottom the first time thinking all the results were ads. For the first time in a very long time, I’m trying out other search engines.
Thats it… switching to bing…
the new layout SUCKS BIG TIME. it is bothersome and distracting
I really hate it.
Dire. The layout is unpleasant to the eye, very off-putting. A less than clever move by Google.
A lot of people hate the new cumbersome layout:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=2b617300e762035c&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=468a085df5512b33&hl=en
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=4269aafc4ea789e0&hl=en
it’s the beggining of the end of google. we are witness the historical moment.
HATE IT! Please please please, give us a “classic” button! The ONLY reason to use google over the other search engines is because it is less cluttered. Did google think there was a different reason it was the number one search engine??
Google, I use your stuff every day for years… even bought a google phone.
Please change the google search results back. NOBODY likes the toolbar on the right with no option to take it away…. very much an eye sore for your average google user, believe us!!!!!!!!
I LIKE THE NEW 3D LOOKING GRAPHICS THOUGH!
Thanks google!
I do NOT like the new look. Its very annoying the sidebar is useless. I like old one. I’m not going to use google until they bring the old one back. I’m going back to yahoo.
Maybe you find this interesting
http://drivelocity.com/on-the-web/new-google-favicon/
BTW what is the use of the left panel when every tool you need is right at the top left corner of the screen.
Internet Exploder 8
===================
If you use a Search Provider (IE8 etc) for searching from the top bar, you need to define a new one.
Select Tools / Internet Options, go to the General tab, find “Search”.
click the button in that boxe labelled “Settings”. This opens a dialog box.
Select Search Providers on the left and any of the items on the right.
At the bottom a link “Find More Search Providers” will appear. Click on that.
This opens a new window. Scroll to the bottom and click on “Create Your Own Search Provider”
Name it Google2, and use the following URL:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=all&q=TEST&meta=
Now select Google2 as your search provider and make it default.
Only downside here is that you lose Search Suggestions but I can live with that for now.
Firefox
=======
Simpler with Firefox.
1. Close Firefox.
2. Go into directory C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins
3. Open the file google.xml with notepad. (Right click, “Open With”)
4. Go down to the line that reads:
5. Highlight this line (go to beginning of line, hold SHIFT, press Arrow Down)
6. Copy and paste it twice (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+V). You should now have 2 copies of
the same line.
7. Alter the FIRST copy to read as follows:
in other words replace the “q” with “hl” and replace the “{SearchTerms}” with “all”.
Leave the second copy as it is.
6. Save the file and open Firefox again. Try a search.
Oh and they’ve changed the top so it doesn’t include the useful stuff (Mail etc) now!
I imagine they’ll be disabling this hack soon….
Don’t like it at all! Way too cluttered now. Looks like I will be changing my search engine…
If it ain’t broke…don’t break it.
Most people use google as their homepage and the reason is for a clear uncluttered look that is the reason everyone hates BING!! If i wanted to use bing i would leave the default settings on IE but google is king (or at least used to be). It is a crazy business decision not to provide some option to google fans to keep the uncluttered look that many of us love and use to find the results we need