DIGG IT! Web usability is very important. When a designer/developer moves key functionality around on an established webpage, users are forced to think and often they get confused. Now one might think that moving the toolbar above the search field to the upper right of Google.com is a minor change but I think it is a big mistake for Google. People do not like change, it is frustration forced into a daily routine. We are all creatures of habit and my habit is reading the news at Google news every morning and evening. When I went to click the "News" link this morning it was gone and even though it was only 4 inches away it threw me off. When that link moved this morning, I was forced to learn a new interface and think. Not that thinking is bad per say but I would rather not be forced into it.
The sad part is that I do not think the change adds much value to Google. They should have duplicated the UI elements or animated them to the new location to educate users. Feature discoverability is becoming ever more crucial in web development as often to move forward we are forced to break the habits of our users. Even though we add new wiz bang stuff the change can anger many users and might not outweigh the benefits of the change. You can brand it search unification but at the end of the day users will complain in mass that you moved my NEWS button. $50 bucks to charity that in 2 months the toolbar is back about the search bar based on user complaints.
It is a clear case of needing Google Classic!
Here are all the older versions of Google's home page if you ever want to go back.
Cheers,
Ted :)
