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Will Doug Bowman Make Google Beautiful?
gigaom.com — Good news folks … Doug Bowman, uber designer has joined Google which means, a likely end to the mishmash, drab and boring user interfaces from Google. Yeah!
oddstar- 728 diggs
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- Dracos, on 10/12/2007, -8/+59Google looks fine.
Will Doug Bowman make Google validate (http://validator.w3.org/) ?- dude3609, on 10/12/2007, -15/+24yeah. i marked this as innacurate. As neat as it is that he is going to join google, personal comments are better left out of digg descriptions. Google has their interfaces how they are on purpose.. They can make their interface all glossy and neat if they want, but they preffer it to be plain, and to be honest, so do i. Just because he joined the team doesn't mean theyre going to all of a sudden switch the theme of their entire interface.
From a business stand point, oddstar, you have no idea, and your description is horrible. Its not the look of a website that drives people to it. I think its quite obvious(heres an example, http://myspace.com/). Thats why theyre not going to all of a sudden change the look of their website that theyve stuck with for so long. If google makes its website black, honest to god, im switching to yahoo. - bariswheel, on 10/12/2007, -9/+17you marked what as inaccurate, the title poses a question el stiffo, it's not a statement.
- Mejogid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9But the description says it is "likely", which it isn't. Sure, it's an interesting thought but that sort of thing should be left to the comments. And realistically, if google wasn't happy don't you think they'd have changed it by now? It's not that difficult to get a designer. And if the world wasn't happy with it, don't you think they'd use MSN or Yahoo?
Also, there should be no comma between means and a ;p. - rm999, on 10/12/2007, -17/+7I wouldn't mind the main google page looking a little better, as long as it does not become too flashy, harder to use, or longer to load. Everyone prefers something that looks good to something that does not.
For example, I would be fine with this:
http://www.andyrutledge.com/googleredux_example.html
It looks better, the links are placed in more intuitive places, and it doesn't look like it would take any longer to load. - allancorbett, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I disagree rm999, that site doesn't look very Google like.
http://www.google.co.uk/firefox is the only version of Google I've seen (apart from the original) that I like. - carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14the hell it doesn;t take longer to load. that overdone crap is just another example of overdone design. any time you add elements to the page it takes longer to load. www.google.com currently has a small banner, a search bar, and text. it loads fast even for 56k users.
to many a search engine is just that, a box to look for things. no need for it to "look 2.0", be black (i still don't get the people who complain about the all white background then get a macbook).
google is fast and searches well. it works. don't ***** with it for the love of god. - rm999, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2"that site doesn't look very Google like. "
I don't know what that means - I think google still has to define some sort of style. Currently it is very generic looking. Yes, it's plain and minimalist, which everyone likes, but that doens't mean it has to be generic (meaning black text on a clear white background). A small amount of color never killed anyone.
Besides, if you lightened the blue background on that link I posted, it would actually match gmail a lot better than google's front page does now. - Scruffydan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7good to know that I am not the only one who likes an interface that is basic and functional with out the added bulk of a modern OS
- berberrama, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4bariswheel - Questions go in this comments area, not in the news area. The news area is for news, not questions.
- flyinglikeakite, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I agree with you. I like google's simplicity.
- Zippo, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Screw the W3C's validation. I'm convinced the W3C is a consortium of evil, tight-ass nerds. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with the < b > tag? Instead of something simple, it was replaced with < strong >... Granted, I really like CSS.
- CraigJ, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I hope to Christ that they don't make try to google the next windows: fat, bloated and slow...
"the one sure way to fail is to try to please everyone..." - dude3609, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2bariswheel, you either didnt read what i said or your just real stupid. I said the description, which is not a question, for those who know english. And it was a horrible description, because it said "a likely end". No, its not likely, and to get people thinking that is not a good idea either.
- soupisgoodfood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Google is ugly, and much of their HTML stinks. There is not reason a good designer, and that is what Bowman is, can't make Google eye-pleasing while still keeping it simple, easy to use, and light on code.
- dude3609, on 10/12/2007, -15/+24yeah. i marked this as innacurate. As neat as it is that he is going to join google, personal comments are better left out of digg descriptions. Google has their interfaces how they are on purpose.. They can make their interface all glossy and neat if they want, but they preffer it to be plain, and to be honest, so do i. Just because he joined the team doesn't mean theyre going to all of a sudden switch the theme of their entire interface.
- Dradis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+48"mishmash, drab and boring"
I love the UI for Gmail and Calendar. Some say "Boring" others say "Minimalist". Personally I like my UI's uncomplicated, uncluttered, and to-the-point; I think Google more often than not accomplishes this.- mike_p, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Agreed. Less is more.
Come to think of it, since when the UI ever been an issue?
- mike_p, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Agreed. Less is more.
- uberwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -3/+34Call me crazy, but I actually prefer the minimalist, utilitarian, simple approach that Google has employed with their design across their product line.
It is functional and unobtrusive.
Also, that aspect has come to be something that people associate with Google.- Buttercup, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8My hypothesis on whats going to happen is when you're logged into google, you will be able to choose different themes that google is displayed in.
for the standard google user, nothing will change. but for those who want more, its right there.
just my 2 cents - DoctorShim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6If I see any degree of glossyness with Google's look, I shall scream. ;)
Their current design really emphasises the text on the page you're looking at, and I like that! - jaspinDroid, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1google = rice paddock
- Giever, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@uberwaffle: I don't think anyone is going to call you crazy since pretty much everyone so far has agreed that Google's current simplistic interface is the way they like it. But, boy, what a crazy opinion that is! Why wouldn't you want blue shiny buttons and sparkly backgrounds and... animated gifs?
- Buttercup, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8My hypothesis on whats going to happen is when you're logged into google, you will be able to choose different themes that google is displayed in.
- n0va, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5me like minimalist :D
but a design boost's a-okay with me, unless it looks horrible - estvir, on 10/12/2007, -8/+10there's a fine line between minimalism and being too simple (visit any 'graphic forum site' and you'll realise this).. google's almost over that line.
- esteban, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Google is a mold breaker, they said poo poo to lots of graphics and whizz-bang back when every other website was adding more flash and animated gifs. I think their focus on UI and usability has won them much respect Google works. However, if it can be improved upon, bring it on change is always good.
I pay little attention to what any 'graphic forum site' says those dude often try and lay down rules to obey, they love cult and clique. - estvir, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3you misread what i said, i never said anything about what peopel are saying on 'graphic forum sites' i simply said that the fine line can be easily seen, you'll see a ton of people posting these 'simple' sites when they're just that, simple and ugly.
you can still be very minimalism and still look good, ever seen those 're-aligns' of google peopel have done ? they're incredibly simple and only add a few touches like some colour and maybe a gradient and the tiny bit of 'spice' does ALOT and it is still minimalistic. - esteban, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Personally I really don't care less for nudging things around for the sake of making the site look a little more spicy. If it works, if it is useful, quick and easy then I think you have all the elements you need for the perfect website. Form follows function in my world, usually if you have the function right then you are almost guaranteed to have the look and feel right.
Colour is used only where needed to indicate function, graphics only where needed, lightweight, fast cross-browser HTML always, layout that has everything where you expect it to be, what else do you need?
The internet is not a magazine on a shelf screaming "just graduated graphic designer strutting his over indulged ego to fight for your attention" the internet is like a fighter plane, you need to be fast, on the cutting edge of technology and better than all the rest with no frills. Generally fighter planes look stunning by default. Hell, even some bog standard charter airliners look beautiful in there own way, and they are only designed to be cheap and reliable to fly, rarely do the embellish on the essentials.
- esteban, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Google is a mold breaker, they said poo poo to lots of graphics and whizz-bang back when every other website was adding more flash and animated gifs. I think their focus on UI and usability has won them much respect Google works. However, if it can be improved upon, bring it on change is always good.
- vspazv, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18Simple is beautiful.
- armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good design and simple aren't mutually exclusive. Bowman is a very talented dude--if he's working on page design, you're pretty much guaranteed that he won't be trading simple for "pretty".
Don't confuse design with graphics.
- armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good design and simple aren't mutually exclusive. Bowman is a very talented dude--if he's working on page design, you're pretty much guaranteed that he won't be trading simple for "pretty".
- Cybermagellan01, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2It's nice that he's getting to go over however that doesn't mean he'll transform all of Google into an "UberSecksy" domain. I would like to see him however have some impact on some future products, and maybe revisit all the ones in beta and take a second good look at them
- g5604, on 10/12/2007, -17/+2Google is ulgy, it works but why does it have to be so damn ugly?
- gypsyjoe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Whereas you cannot even spell a four letter word correctly.
- mistajon, on 10/12/2007, -14/+11doug who?
- Matt-lars, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9Bowman
- andre3000, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7Google (the search engine) will always be ugly minimalist because of bandwidth. I'm pretty sure they hired him for other softwares like Picasa, Hello or GTalk
- uberwaffle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0If anything needs a redesign, it is most definitely Hello. Hell, even an update would be nice.
- ilyag, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Picasa has one of the most beautiful user interfaces I've ever seen. It recently came out on Linux, which makes it the absolute best-looking piece of software many Linux geeks have ever seen. Hello is a variation on Picasa's design, and I find it to be extremely functional for what it is, usable, and yes, beautiful as well.
- Ath3us, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Google is minimalist. Google works. Who wants a UI that gets in the way of what you're using the page for - searching the net!
- jamesuk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Hopefully. I love Google's minimalism but the fact is you can have a minimalist interface that doesn't look circa 1999. Gmail is actually a bit nice looking, the logo is nice for a start. If they have a consistent clean look throughout Google with a little extra style it'd be great.
- boredzo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Dugg for the possibility of making Blogger fit in with the rest of Google. Just don't touch the home page.
- aplusplus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I'm sure Google will continue to be a minimalistic (ever seen this word used so many times in a thread?) design. However, Google Video and a few other ventures will need an upgrade. I just hope that I suddenly don't start seeing 36 gradient backgrounds on a google search.
- carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3that would be nice if they put a designer on google video, the rest is fine (still waiting for folders in gmail though : )
- tybris, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3" a likely end to the mishmash, drab and boring user interfaces from Google. "
huh? Could someone give me a link to that? - jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5What? Google actually hired this guy? I know people who are a hundred times more skilled and talented than him. And all the websites that appear to be credited to him are slow loaders. WTH Google...? You're starting to turn into a circus
- Detro, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Same as all the above posts - google is close to perfection with minimalistic design.
No digg. - esteban, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3They will probably put him back on Blogger to make some new templates, I doubt they will let him touch the main front to Google. As someone has already mentioned Google now has loads of products, some core, some niche, some you did not even know belonged to Google. Most of the core search products are unified in their UI and design, I would be most surprised if this guy was allowed to move a pixel on these kind of products.
- b_timmins, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0He's already done all of the new templates on Blogger!
- Ramble, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6Honestly, his designs are rubbish. They are boring and look like blogs, which make me want to leave the site.
- raid517, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Erm... those 'drab' simplistic interfaces are why I use Google. We all like Google for it's sheer simplicity - and the fact that it isn't cramming ads (well not that you are always aware of) down your throat every five minutes, nor does it have any crappy 15 year old flash type animations, flashy java presentations, or pop ups designed to give even non epileptics an epileptic fit. (If anyone remembers the bad old days of search engines that is exactly the way it used to be).
Just the information and nothing else - that is why Google is so widely loved. - supersan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8yeah, google's HTML is like a women's bikini... its the woman inside that matters ;)
- carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14where as msn's page more closely resembles steve balmer in a bikini
- zcreem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I remember one of the main reasons I switched to Google from Alta vista and Yahoo was the clean fast page.
Sure Google added some ads later but still unobtrusive.
If it's not broken don't touch!
I looked (only looked) at the new Yahoo, it looks like some teeny chat site, Blah! - Takshaka, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4With Safari and Firefox both having google search boxes right there in the toolbars, I really don't care what the front page looks like - haven't seen it in years.
If they mess about too much with the listings, then I'll get upset. Put me down as another vote for minimalism in UI. - MrSunshine, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3This "designer's" portfolio is damn boring.
- moisie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If anything I would hope he helps with a tidy up to some of the bad mark-up and just helps to make all the various subsections of google a little more similar. At the moment there are so many projects that all look different.
- NGliam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I actually like Googles design and layouts, they're awesome and easy to use so why would they change them? It's not like you joined Gmail because you thought it was going to pretty, did you?
- pigphucker, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1whenever a "designer" pretties up some UI it always looks like some sterile glossy photoshop filter. the best UI's are desgined by true artists... but while looking spectacular are seldom considerate of function.
the minimalist look google has is perfect, leave it the ***** alone- armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There isn't a single "sterile glossy photoshop filter" look in Doug's portfolio. He's very much concerned with functionality, as you would know if you weren't stereotyping.
- male73, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This is going to be tricky, jazzed up = slow loading vs. simple interface = saved precious time. But let's give the guy a break eh? Let's come out with a verdict a posteriori.
- ReallyChili, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I really hope Google leaves their UI alone. I've enjoyed it for almost a decade and always appreciated its simplicity. It is much cleaner and streamlined than, say, Yahoo.
- believekevin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I suddenly feel so threatened and protective over Google's interface. Truthfully, I've never used Picassa and I'm sure there are projects in the pipeline that could use someone with a visual design perspective.
- zitterbewegung, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1*****! Google is going to look like digg and be slow as digg also!
- aroedl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"I’m charged with helping the company establish a common visual language across all their collaborative and communication products. This includes products I’ve already had some hand in like Blogger and Calendar. But it will also include other highly used products like Gmail, Writely, Page Creator, and other projects in the pipeline."
http://www.stopdesign.com/log/2006/05/27/going-to-google.html- rolandrs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3umm you changed that.
It actually says "but ***may*** include gmail, writley..." - aroedl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@rolandrs: I don't have any intention to change a quote! Read the linked text. You are simply wrong. It really says: "But it will also include other highly used products like Gmail, Writely, Page Creator, and other projects in the pipeline."
Where is the "may" you are talking about???
- rolandrs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3umm you changed that.
- cavicster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was excited to hear this. I have read Doug's blog for quite some time and I trust that he will improve Google's aesthetics without making it bloated. He is an excellent designer, so there is no reason to panic. As aroedl quoted, Doug has already done work for Google specifically with Blogger and Google Calendar.
@aroedl
Thanks for linking to the real post. - WrecksTXP, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2The boring look of Google is exactly why its so popular.
- CreativeGuy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1He was probably hired to fix the clusterf#ck we know as Blogger, Calendar and Gmail - not Google's site itself.
- BradMW, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I hope you realize that Bowman designed the current Blogger.
- digitarius, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4This guy's only been working with Google for the past Six Months... I'm sure huge changes are right around the corner!
- nominoc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Idiots, it's not how long it takes for your speedy internet to load a page. For every kilobyte spent more on you, will cost Google a tremendous amount of bandwidth. ( $$$+++ ) And websites don't always have to be pretty. If Google can win people's heart by effective and ergonomic design and web apps, then they will; I could careless if it was aesthetically pleasing or not.
- lazyron, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3sheesh ppl. google just hired a designer. granted this post strikes me as a bit design-fanboi-esque, but whatever. nothing drastic will happen to google's search page. nothing crazy will happen to their desktop apps.
though i did digg the article because i worked with doug back at hotwired. long live the digerati! :) - reticular, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0personally i quite like josh davis' take on a google redesign:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/images/FF_124_google_1.jpg
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/google.html?pg=12 - kamtsa, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Google UI is very functional. I hope it will stay this way.
- saggygrandma, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1This guys website portfolio is crap, what makes him so good?
- armbar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1His skills with grammar.
- bluemech, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Leave Google alone, it's perfect the way it is. Especially the frontpage, the less on the front page the better. Yahoo suffers from clutter while Google has a nic, clean design. Just leave it alone!
- trampish, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Google isn't drab, it is minimalistic and gives you what you want and need without any *****.
- nexionly, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I like google the way it is.
simple is better. always better. - stuartr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I like the Google UI, but there's still room to improve it.
They could tell their designer (Doug Bowman) - help us improve the usability, without increasing the total kb of code + images - and without changing the overall minimalist design and color scheme. - IbnDigg, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Google design: why fix something that aint broke?
- NoSalt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0I like Google's interface ... it's simple and effective.
- diggnationdevon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Google has great technology, just a bad GUI. I mean my God, look at Google Video!!!! What a joke!!!! Now look at iTunes...
- soupisgoodfood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It seems that many people here don't know anything about graphic deisign, and seem to think that simple == always good. That's simply not true. There is no reason why a good designer can't make something look better AND improve the usability, without adding any clutter. And if don't think that's possible, then you're probably not a very good designer, in which case you opinion doesn't hold much weight, M'kay?
I'm telling you, IF Bowman is going to be working on the front page of Google, it will be an improvment, and you will be delightfully suprised by it. I'll eat my hat if not. - ccec, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Google has presented some broad design sensibilities but outside that they still need lots of guidance. There are unnecessary inconsistencies in google's design ranging from variance in their color scheme (different shades of blue) and many more differing issues with spacing, size, positioning, etc. This may all seem minor but if these issues were fixed and held up against their current designs, you will notice the difference.
Check out Google Reader, then compare it's size and proportion to GMail. Compare both of those to the hideous Video.Google.com and then compare that to the user interface of Notebook, etc.
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