Google – how about hiring some UI designers?

Google does not know how to create a good UI. Huh. Now I’ve said it. And I’m probably going to be bashed for saying this out loud.

The thing is that Google is trying too hard to keep their applications UI’s looking like Google.com. Of course, when you’ve gained a huge user-base not only because of superior search algorithms, but also because of the simplistic design of page delivering those results, you’re probably tempted to use the same design drivers – simplicity and text-based interfaces -  also for other applications.

Somehow we’ve not noticed the bad usability and user interface designs of Googles recent applications (gmail, desktop, talk and pages), maybe because we’re so excited about all that AJAX-stuff going behind the scenes, or maybe because we were just too happy for someone to throw 2.6 gigs (and counting…) of free space for mail at us…

But hey, Google desktop and talk are PC applications, and not a freakin’ search page. So make them look and feel like one, will ya? And you know – even in web applications – icons are quite useful

1 Comment

• 
  JabbyPanda March 9, 2006 at 11:29

  What had happened to former comment? I got erased…
  I asked you did you encounter examples of great UI design recently on the Web?
  Bashing Google is easy, but to create a good UI for a complex application is hard .
  I also provided you with a link to UI designer web-blog who currently works at Yahoo! – Luke Wrublewski. http://www.lukew.com/
  He is good man.

  Reply