Even the big boys make interface design mistakes: Google’s new background option alienates users Part – 1
A few weeks ago, Google decided to make a daring change to its interface design, one that was meant to make the site more aesthetically pleasing to its millions of users. Google rolled out a set of backgrounds by well-known contemporary artists as a promotion of a new feature which was to allow users to choose and upload personal photos as a backdrop for the infamously plain, white search engine screen. At the drawing table, this must have seemed like a fabulous idea to Google designers, a way to refresh their interface design and permit users to have more control of its settings. However, like the plethora of ideas that are great in theory (but not in practice), Google’s new feature backfired. On the day the new backgrounds were introduced, the number 2 trending search on Google’s trending pages was “Remove Google Background.” Search engine searches speak volumes about what users want and are looking for. Clearly, Google users were not looking for works of art to replace the white screen. Within two days Google was back to its old design and users were happy to have the unadorned consistency back.
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