Now you see it, now you don’t. Google, usability and minimalism
By now most of you probably noticed a major change on Googles home page. Basically, until you interact with the page it shows you only its basic elements, a search field and submit buttons. And only if you do something there it shows the rest: your account, access to gmail, docs and other links on top of the page.
I am still trying to make up my mind whether I like this approach. The minimalist in me (yes, I am one) is delighted. I love seeing only what I need at the very moment and not be distracted by anything else.
The usability guy in me has mixed feelings about it though. Of course it’s not that Google is trying to hide anything. If you only do as much as moving the cursor all missing elements pop back where they have always been. But what if Google decided that you need to take a more complex action to activate them? Something like performing an actual search, or maybe clicking a button somewhere on screen? Then your access to your essential elements would be severely limited.
By all means I am not saying that what Google is doing with this change is wrong. I honestly think it is a brilliant idea. They tell you straight away what objective they have for you. And in Googles case I doubt they would ever made any usability mistake with their homepage. They are too smart for that.
The problem are websites that will try to imitate this approach without considering the visitor. Imagine sites where you would see only headline and call to action upon landing, and be presented with other info only when you request it. Or only when you absorb the sales info first.
From usability point of view it could actually be a wonderful thing. Although at the same time I can think of hundreds of examples where this idea could be easily mutilated by the marketing people and websites could potentially become massive, virtual sales pitches without an aid of ads and other online sales tools we have to live with now.
Of course it is hard to say whether this would ever happen but the whole change on Googles home page and the way the world of web perceives what Google does got me thinking about all that.
Opinions anyone?
