Slashdot Asks: How Do You Like the New Gmail UI? (vortex.com)

Earlier today, Google pushed out the biggest revamp of Gmail in years. In addition to a new material design look, there are quick links to other Google services, such as Calendar, Tasks, and Keep, as well as a new "confidential mode" designed to protect users against certain attacks by having the email(s) automatically expire at a time of the sender's choosing. Long-time Slashdot reader Lauren Weinstein shares their initial impressions of Google's new Gmail UI: Google launched general access to their first significant Gmail user interface (UI) redesign in many years today. It's rolling out gradually -- when it hits your account you'll see a "Try the new Gmail" choice under the settings ("gear") icon on the upper right of the page (you can also revert to the "classic" interface for now, via the same menu). But you probably won't need to revert. Google clearly didn't want to screw up Gmail, and my initial impression is that they've succeeded by avoiding radical changes in the UI. I'll bet that some casual Gmail users might not even immediately notice the differences.

The new Gmail UI is what we could call a "minimally disruptive" redesign of the now "classic" version. The overall design is not altered in major respects. So far I haven't found any notable missing features, options, or settings. My impression is that the back end systems serving Gmail are largely unchanged. Additionally, there are a number of new features (some of which are familiar in design from Google's "Inbox" email interface) that are now surfaced for the new Gmail. Crucially, overall readability and usability (including contrast, font choices, UI selection elements, etc.) seem so close to classic Gmail (at least in my limited testing so far) as to make any differences essentially inconsequential. And it's still possible to select a dark theme from settings if you wish, which results in even higher contrast. Have you tried the new Gmail? If so, how do you like the new interface?

Comments

'HTML' mode.

[ElectraFlarefire]

'Basic HTML' mode still works for me.. So I'm happy with the UI.. :)

Why are the new UI designs allowed ? :-(

[Anonymous Coward]

We have monochrome designs where we previously had full colour designs (Android, etc) with all the associated loss of valuable information.

We have flat designs where we can't see what's clickable.

We have thinner fonts and lines which are harder to read unless you have perfect vision.

Why isn't there massive pushback from all these changes which reduce usability instead of enhancing it ?

Re:Why are the new UI designs allowed ? :-(

[Dutch Gun]

You forgot:

We now have light gray on white visual elements, because high contrast, easy to spot UI elements are so gauche.

We have mystery meat navigation elements (text doesn't show up until you mouse over), because even though designers 15 years ago figured out that was bad, a new generation apparently has to relearn the same lessons.

Sigh... Generally speaking, the new UI looks prettier and more professional / polished (the old UI was admittedly ugly), but it actually looks slightly less usable to me. It's a shame we can't get both.

Lauren Weinstein is on the Google payroll

[alfino]

I've no evidence for this, but the way he keeps defending big-G in the wake of all the privacy problems we've seen and continue to feel, he's been touting them as being stellar about privacy and that they would never, and bla.

Maybe it's true that unlike Facebook, Google doesn't sell your data. But the main reason for that is that they want to monetise you all by themselves. Also, nothing would stop them from doing so tomorrow.

Gmail innovations here or there, your best bet is to get rid of Google and Facebook, use plugins like uMatrix and Cookie AutoDelete and navigate the Web without splattering your fingerprints everywhere.

Re:similar

[Dutch Gun]

This sort of security measure isn't any more absolute than a lock on your front door. I think it mostly just protects against clueless users who accidentally forwards sensitive documents to the entire company instead of the intended recipients. And a real benefit is to provide evidence that anyone who breaches confidentiality has obviously done so deliberately. You can't really "accidentally" take a screenshot and then forward it to others.