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Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

danielmiessler.com

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Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#201

Post by sigzero »

mdwelsh wrote: post #14

I used to work at Google, as an engineering director on the Chrome Mobile team. While I agree that the UX of many Google products needs fixing, it's not just a simple matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." The article misses a really important point that you can't just revamp the UX for a product used by billions of users without some pretty serious blowback. Startups like Notion…

Facebook does it and they mostly suck at it too. At that level, you just make the changes.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#202

Post by kentlyons »

mdwelsh wrote: post #14

I used to work at Google, as an engineering director on the Chrome Mobile team. While I agree that the UX of many Google products needs fixing, it's not just a simple matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." The article misses a really important point that you can't just revamp the UX for a product used by billions of users without some pretty serious blowback. Startups like Notion…

"Being boxed in" - I think this is the crux of the point. It is being defensive with respect to the current position. Good design might need to consider the legacy, but rarely should be constrained by it. However in many situations an org can't really make these decisions and it takes a senior executive to own the decision that might cause near term blow back, but also enable escaping the local optima to a better one.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#203

Post by sn_master »

One thing from the article I really wish they fix, is adding labels!

I get confused so much nowadays with the icons, and many apps no longer even have an option to expand and show the labels. And all the labels are mono-color too, no more colorful icons that help make them distinguishable.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#204

Post by redisman »

1970-01-01 wrote: post #199

Google.com however still looks and works almost exactly as it did 20 years ago. I don't know of any other site that has done that. I must give them credit for keeping the flame of simplicity lit and not giving into churning ads on the world's #1 Alexa ranked site.

Hah! Their simple landing page is like a lightbulb from an anglerfish when it comes to ads.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#205

Post by [deleted] »

astrange wrote: post #128
barkingcat wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think while yes, UI changes does take a lot of care, I think it is a matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." If one of the richest companies on the planet can't pay to hire good designers, and just pay to buyout a whole ecosystem (ie what they did with AMP), then no one can. Rather, I think your points aside, it's a matter of executive direction and attention. Google executives d…

Do they even know it’s bad? Google has approximately no way to report issues in anything. I assume they have telemetry for some things. Whenever I sign into Hangouts I have to report hundreds of porn spam chats I’ve been added to - they should be seeing that. Aren’t doing anything about it though.

[deleted]

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#206

Post by freewilly1040 »

mdwelsh wrote: post #14

I used to work at Google, as an engineering director on the Chrome Mobile team. While I agree that the UX of many Google products needs fixing, it's not just a simple matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." The article misses a really important point that you can't just revamp the UX for a product used by billions of users without some pretty serious blowback. Startups like Notion…

Why does e.g. Inbox have to be forced on everyone? Google has a world-scale user base, why is it critical that we all use the same interface?

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#207

Post by cbozeman »

harha wrote: post #8

I think it seems more like Google doesn’t care about UX because they don’t prioritize/reward work on a product once it doesn’t grow in user numbers. They do care in the early stages when there’s an opportunity for quick growth (and promotions for those involved)

This is the real answer right here. Any product that doesn't see rapid user growth already has one foot in the graveyard of Killed By Google.

That website is a showcase of amazing ideas that needed time and nurture to come to fruition, but were executed like a poor earning Mafioso having a bad week.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#208

Post by pradn »

mdwelsh wrote: post #14

I used to work at Google, as an engineering director on the Chrome Mobile team. While I agree that the UX of many Google products needs fixing, it's not just a simple matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." The article misses a really important point that you can't just revamp the UX for a product used by billions of users without some pretty serious blowback. Startups like Notion…

Google Maps stutters often on the latest iPhone Pro, which has the best mobile processor. It's not necessary to change the UI to make it work better. Is it an organizational difficulty in getting performance work prioritized? Or does it simply not matter since people don't have a better option available.

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#209

Post by cjblomqvist »

catwind7 wrote: post #182
mdwelsh wrote: post #14

I used to work at Google, as an engineering director on the Chrome Mobile team. While I agree that the UX of many Google products needs fixing, it's not just a simple matter of "Google, you are made out of money. Fix your fucking interfaces." The article misses a really important point that you can't just revamp the UX for a product used by billions of users without some pretty serious blowback. Startups like Notion…

This is a great answer - and this doesn't just affect products with hundreds of millions of users. It's a classic case of Innovators Dilemma ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innovator%27s_Dilemma ).

If you've read the research properly behind the Innovators Dilemma - I'd argue it's not such a case. CCs theory on disruption might be the most misused and overhyped stuff I've ever come to research. (did my MSc thesis on it, with support from a professor whose main research area was disruption...) - unless there are underlying new technological paradigm shifts underpinning those UX changes, but I doubt that.

This is a case of Google not seeing the cost/benefit equation being positive between changing the UX from it's current UXs to some other ones (within the same technological paradigm).

Sure, it might be a case of resource dependence and a lack of will to "start over". But that doesn't imply disruption as described by CC (at least not originally)

Re: Google is getting left behind due to horrible UI/UX

#210

Post by Spivak »

SamBam wrote: post #110
Spivak wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like how someone at work says "hey this isn't the normal level of professional criticism and feedback you get from coworkers -- the level of anger I receive makes me genuinely fear for my safety." and the response is to assume that it's an overreaction. If someone is saying this they're taking a huge risk because it if people don't take them seriously it's over for them. Like we've all been on the internet in tech…

Is that seriously what you assume internal criticism over designs at Google sounded like?

This right here is the issue. Something like this happening is so unthinkable because you, presumably a good levelheaded kind coworker, can't even fathom why anyone would do this and you've been lucky enough to not have experienced it first hand. And because of your priors the only logical conclusion is that the victim must be lying or overreacting or too sensitive. It's a frustrating situation because at it's core it's totally logical but to me and others like me who've experienced these kinds of threats first-hand it's not outlandish and an uphill battle to get people to believe that this stuff really happens.

Now to be fair I'm not totally free of bias because I can't fathom why anyone would lie about something so serious and have experienced first hand the struggle of getting higher-ups to take you seriously.

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