New-look Google gets the blues
1 of 3 
By Barry Collins
Posted on 27 Nov 2009 at 12:20
Google is experimenting with a bold new design on its search homepage.
Significant changes to the Google homepage are rarer than hen's teeth, but the new look is about as radical as they come.
The Spartan design remains, but the subtle grey buttons beneath the search bar have been replaced with garish blue alternatives, presumably to draw greater attention to the "I'm Feeling Lucky" option.
The blue look is retained on the search results page, which now sports a new sidebar, allowing you to search different parts of the Google empire, including Images, News and Video.
There's also options to break down search results by time, restricting results to those published in the past hour, day etc.
The sidebar features themselves aren't new - but they've been previously concealed under the Show Options button that appears discretely above the top search result.
Gizmodo has published instructions on how to access the new design. Note that this only works on Google.com, not Google.co.uk.
From around the web
Can't get it working.
Does it matter that I'm always auto redirected to google.co.uk whenever I try to access google.com?
By a_byrne22 on 27 Nov 2009 
Last paragraph
"Note that this only works on Google.com, not Google.co.uk."
Yes, it matters
By greemble on 27 Nov 2009
Radical???!!
Changing colours.
Options that have been at the top for years(?), now at the side aswell.
Not very inspiring stuff.
What proportion go to the home page these days anyway, when browsers have a search box built-in (usually/defaulted onto Google)?
By davidsoap on 28 Nov 2009
I'd much prefer Google to focus on adding all the clever little bits that are hardly noticeable but are immediately indispensable (like being able to drag a route around the map, the recently added filters on search results, etc) than on having a flashy design that slows it down.
@davidsoap - I'm sure a lot of people use the search box to initially access a search engine, but many will surely then go on to modify the search and would do that on the search engine site itself?
By halsteadk on 28 Nov 2009
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