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Google Cleans Up Gmail App With An All-White Redesign (engadget.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the new-and-improved dept.

While Gmail on the web was significantly redesigned last year, the app for Android and iOS stayed relatively unchanged, with the exception of an update last year that removed the bold colors in favor of an almost entirely white look. Engadget reports that a redesigned Gmail for mobile is starting to roll out today and it will be available to all Android and iOS users in the coming weeks. Engadget reports: Functionally, the new Gmail mobile app isn't wildly different than what came before. There's a button in the lower-right corner to compose a new email, just like before -- it's just white with a multi-colored "plus" sign, the same glyph that shows up in Gmail and Drive on the web. The iconic top red bar is now white, and the whole top area is a search bar; the old app required tapping a smaller target to get into search. Finally, there's a shortcut right to the account switcher on the main page. Previously, switching accounts required opening the sidebar, but now that option is front and center.

A few features that came to the web version of Gmail make their way to mobile today. Probably most recognizable is that attachment previews will show up below the messages, making it easier to both find messages with attachments and get a sense of the content. For those that prefer to see more messages, Google also has "comfortable" and "compact" density options that remove attachment previews and avatars, respectively. The large red phishing warnings that Gmail on the web shows also now show up in the app. Visually, it looks just like you'd expect if you've tried any of Google's recent mobile apps -- it's basically all white, with the new Google font throughout.

67 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. White? by LordKronos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wow, perfect. So not only does it look more bland**, but now that phones are beginning to move to oleds we get MORE white in the UI? Good thinking!!!

    **not sure why everyone seems to think it's good to not having lines denoting the borders of anything, whether it be separators between emails or the edges of a button.

    1. Re:White? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2

      The app is actually written in Brainfuck++.

    2. Re:White? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "IT'S OKAY TO BE WHITE"

          -- Google, 2019

    3. Re:White? by tooyoung · · Score: 2

      I read the summary and came in to make similar criticism to pretty much all of the comments I've seen so far. I mean, white on white on white? It seems ridiculous.

      But then I looked at the before and after screenshots and I have to say... the after seems much more straight forward. Having dealt with a number of email apps, the after looks simply like a list of emails. The before looks... weird. The red portions are super exaggerated. It's not bad by any means, but the red seems like overkill to draw attention to the search and the new email areas. The new design actually makes it much more clear that it is a search area.

      I'm no fan of redesign for redesign sake, and I'm definitely sensitive to changes in any website/app that I rely on. Still, this one seems like an improvement despite how it's positioned in the summary.

    4. Re:White? by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    5. Re:White? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Are you sure you are not confusing the old and the new. The old design has the red bar at the top, and the clear list of emails. The new one adds some random labels to the list at the top, more crap I need to scroll past.

      The old design had clear delimiting lines between mails and it was really obvious where the buttons and other UI elements were. Just the right amount of contrast.

      The other big problem with email is lack of dark mode support. HTML mail is almost always a white background.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:White? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      It fits with their new motto:

      "Do the white thing."

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    7. Re:White? by Spazmania · · Score: 1

      Every gmail UI redesign Google has ever done has decreased the contrast of the elements on the screen. Every time I hear its updating again, I fully expect a "pure" interface that's simply white on white.

      --
      Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
  2. Modern UX design by ArhcAngel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The current crop of UX designers seem to be following the philosophy of listen to what your audience wants and make sure to avoid that at all cost. We've gone from vivid intricate icons to stick figures in shades of grey!

    --
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    1. Re:Modern UX design by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      When all color and darkness has been removed it will be elegant and perfect.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    2. Re:Modern UX design by I75BJC · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree! Gmail was "perfect" for my email habits and likes but Gmail insists on changing things on a regular basis. It gets worse (shittier) with each "new" "improvement". In past years, I could keep the old version that I liked but I guess too many people, like me, thought the old version was good enough not to want to change. Then Gmail started forcing me to change whether I wanted to or not. Thankfully, on my iOS devices, I can skip the changes by staying with iOS' own Mail application. Gmail had a wonderful product years ago but they keep trying to improve it by making it worse. Yuck!

    3. Re:Modern UX design by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's no good. I can still vaguely see some shapes of some controls, and there's an unsightly pile of black text to the left. The UX designers need to keep polishing until everything is a pure, beautiful, white form, unblemished by unsightly distractions.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    4. Re:Modern UX design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      this horrible trend isn't limited to web or smartphone 'apps' either.

      game ui (even in shooters and looters) is going through the same clusterfuck redesigns, too.

    5. Re:Modern UX design by antdude · · Score: 1

      It's not just Gmail too. Look at YouTube as well. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    6. Re: Modern UX design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      They forced me to upgrade from Gmail to inbox on my phone now I'm getting messages saying I'm going to be forced back to Gmail. Google's biggest problem is they're always changing. No consistency. This isn't about not embracing good change, it's just they seem to have no fuckng idea what they're doing. Google +, hangouts and all the other chat apps they've released and switched and flicked between since Google talk. I was a regular hangouts user and the whole debabcleeant I stopped using their platform. Partly because I just found it easier to use something more stable and partly because everyone else I use left in droves. I currently have 3 people I could actually talk to and get a response in hangouts and we all prefer telegram. Of course there are privacy reasons we all left Google for encrypted chats, sick of having our data farmed and used against us to try a different steal our money without even knowing, but the lack of stability certainly had more of an effect.

    7. Re:Modern UX design by mentil · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Still... un... clean!...
      *continues frantically scrubbing the UI as it bleeds*

      --
      Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    8. Re:Modern UX design by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      We've gone from vivid intricate icons to stick figures in shades of grey!

      Didn't you RTFS? It's going to be stick figures in shades of white. On a white background.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    9. Re: Modern UX design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Get help

    10. Re:Modern UX design by butzwonker · · Score: 1

      If design would only be the only problem. Why all this browser-based crap? I haven't encountered any "web app" yet that was better or even on a par with some corresponding desktop app. Most even fail to have basic keyboard shortcuts.

      For a while everything was looking fine. We had powerful high-end desktop apps with unlimited undo, customizable shortcuts and menus, and local storage of your valuable information. Then this web madness started and everything reverted to pre 1990 standards. Why?

    11. Re:Modern UX design by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      First of all, it's spelled Skeuomorphic, not Skuemorhphic.
      Secondly, Skeuomorphic design is the opposite of the current trend.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    12. Re:Modern UX design by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      If the forces are pushed on everyone without any choice, of course everyone will keep using it. That's not a good metric because they don't have a fucking choice.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    13. Re:Modern UX design by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Because people are too stupid to do their own backups, because cloud storage means you can access your files from anywhere, because web apps (should) work on almost every device you own that has a modern web browser and because it's easier to share and work on the same files with other people.

      For some things, though, I think the same way as you. Every time I start Sketchup, it's trying to push me to use "Sketchup Free" (a browser-based thing) instead of my desktop app. Fuck that!

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    14. Re:Modern UX design by apoc.famine · · Score: 1

      I can't. By the time everything on the page loads so I can interact with the content I've given up and have gone somewhere else. I swear youtube loads like websites used to on dial-up.

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    15. Re:Modern UX design by butzwonker · · Score: 1

      I forgot to mention that for a while it also looked as if every application would also be P2P enabled to exchange information on a decentralized network. It worked! And now we're now back to square one with centralized client/server architecture like in the 90s.

      So include that into my rant. There are strong, dark forces against personal computing...

    16. Re:Modern UX design by mjwx · · Score: 1

      The current crop of UX designers seem to be following the philosophy of listen to what your audience wants and make sure to avoid that at all cost. We've gone from vivid intricate icons to stick figures in shades of grey!

      The problem is that they are "UX designers", not HMI engineers.

      UX is a bollocks field made up by Apple to explain why their interfaces were contrary to HMI and HCI wisdom.

      Until companies get designers out and engineers in, we'll continue to have horrible interfaces foisted on us... And to be honest, Google are the least worst offenders here.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    17. Re:Modern UX design by SiliconJesus · · Score: 1

      How much of this is the vast technical resources Alphabet / Google have accumulated over the years needing something to do. Everyone wants to make their mark and instead of incremental improvements, they rely on massive change to stake out a claim. Youtube's problem is largely chasing dollars and wanting to rebrand themselves as TV instead fo what made Youtube great.

      --
      Clinton made me a Republican. Bush made me a Libertarian. Trump is making me question reality.
    18. Re:Modern UX design by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      A found a box of my old clothes. Other than size issues (shuddup), they came back in style. The new UX/UI's resemble the original Mac. In a few years, the Windows 95 look may be back too. And then the flashing Geocities look with rotating logos... Gag me with a groovy spoon.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    19. Re: Modern UX design by kiki320 · · Score: 1

      Youtube's problem is largely chasing dollars and wanting to rebrand themselves as TV instead fo what made Youtube great. https://xender.pro/ https://discord.software/ https://omegle.onl/

  3. Thank God for IMAP by Kunedog · · Score: 4, Insightful

    n/t

    1. Re:Thank God for IMAP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, gmail doesn't really do true IMAP. It presents a IMAP facade that has a number of issues if you start to use IMAP with folders. For one, it does mail de-duplication. Which means you only ever get one copy of your email. If you use IMAP filters that rely on multiple copies that won't work. I am subscribed to some mailing lists with cross-posting and that always screws things up because mail threads are missing mails in one IMAP folder or the other. Your own messages to mailing lists don't show up either, because you already have a copy in your Sent Mail.

      I will take a true IMAP server any day over Gmail.

  4. words by Falos · · Score: 1

    It's a bunch of shit no one needed. I say that without looking, yet without doubt apology or shame.

    Well, "no one needed" is not 100% accurate. Can't forget designers who have to look busy at least once a quarter lest people start asking what they cost.

  5. Is it a Flash when it doesn't? by Pitawg · · Score: 2

    This is the affirmative response to "Your face is too dim in the front facing camera when the screen is dark."

    The lighter the screen/alternative-lighting, the better the image of you and the room you are in.

    This is not a surprise. Just because you were not using the front camera does not mean it has to go to waste.

    1. Re:Is it a Flash when it doesn't? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      This is the affirmative response to "Your face is too dim in the front facing camera when the screen is dark."

      In gmail? Why, so they can monitor your expression while they read your email?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:Is it a Flash when it doesn't? by Pitawg · · Score: 1

      What better way to determine the reception to their allowed ad mail? Giving feedback can enhance any ad-based revenue stream on both sides.

      Additional revenue from a location determining AI being fed images while viewing email could not hurt either.

    3. Re:Is it a Flash when it doesn't? by Pitawg · · Score: 1

      If I had an AI that could determine, or at least guess well, at the reaction to any number of messages from friends, family, co-workers, or even complete strangers, being given thousands of examples every minute as an example pool, would it help to have a little extra lighting on the user?

  6. GOD DAMN YES by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    THAT"S WHAT I NEED! Instead of using color and shapes to help me distinguish various functions and areas on the screen, just make it all white on white with white trim. ITS SO SIMPLE A CHILD COULD DO IT!

    1. Re:GOD DAMN YES by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Virtual +1 funny, I hope a well-known stand-up comedian uses that in his show, maybe Google, Microsoft and Apple will suddenly wake up and go back to sane user interfaces.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  7. Traditional UX design: Change things by aberglas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Whatever it was, make it different.

    This is not only a method that ensures work for UI designers. It genuinely works. Most people will recognize "new" vs "old", and want "new". "New" just looks better than "old". Always.

    Eventually UIs will have white text on pale grey backgrounds before the next crop of designers develops green text on a black background and we will all know that this new green screen design is the pinnacle of novel user experience development.

    1. Re:Traditional UX design: Change things by halivar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      No, designers are already all-in on green text. Users track green "calls to action" faster than any other color, and feel better about the action being the right one. You ever notice how those fake download sites all have big, green, "Download Now" buttons? It's psychology. (disclaimer: I have run too many of these damn UI/UX user trials)

    2. Re:Traditional UX design: Change things by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      I don't know why modern UX designers are so afraid of colours, lines and borders.

      A good UX concept for buttons and messages is to use the same colours as traffic lights and road signs:
      GREEN = let's go (it's safe to use)
      YELLOW = warning/be careful (are you sure you want to use this / it's a warning, I need to read it)
      RED = stop (something has happened that made everything stop, you have to read it)
      WHITE on BLUE = information, you might find it useful to read it

      Can you imagine if traffic lights and road signs changed every few years, for change's sake?

      The conventions above had been true almost as long as computers have been able to display those colours, until those new morans came along about a decade ago.

      So, fuck you, modern UX designers. Just because it's been used for decades doesn't mean it's not good anymore. Interfaces are meant to be used by people, not printed on a poster to hang in a fucking museum of art.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:Traditional UX design: Change things by halivar · · Score: 1

      It's over-reactionary anti-skeuomorphism. Designers collectively woke up, realized wood grain and 3D-contoured buttons have no place in UI, and proceeded to lose their collective minds.

  8. Not everyone is happy. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hotblack Desiato’s and his band Disaster Area would prefer an all black on black interface ...

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:Not everyone is happy. by acroyear · · Score: 1

      glad i'm not the only one who thought about that reference

      --
      "But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
      -- Joe
    2. Re:Not everyone is happy. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      glad i'm not the only one who thought about that reference

      Same! The description of the control system (i.e. user interface) in the ship was marvellous. It wasn't supposed to be a guide though.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  9. with respect to Douglas Adams: by acroyear · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It’s the wild color scheme that freaks me out,’ said Zaphod, whose love affair with the app had lasted almost three minutes after the download. 'Every time you try and operate these weird white controls that are labeled in white on a white background, a little white light lights up in white to let you know you’ve done it.’"

    --
    "But remember, most lynch mobs aren't this nice." (H.Simpson)
    -- Joe
  10. WTF Google?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Apparently you have too many UI designers on hand. Let them go, please and f*up someone else's design. It used to be UI designers had to be actually *good* at their job. Nowadays they are just everywhere. At my company they are now beefing up every stupid email and powerpoint presentation for no apparent value. Sure all is looking a bit nicer, a bit more polished.

    In reality however *nobody was asking for it*.

  11. Cringe by cowdung · · Score: 2

    I always cringe at Google redesigns.. I thought Gmail was just fine when it came out. Then they started messing with the UI. It wasn't an improvement.. now things are harder to see, they don't stand out as much. Now they're at it again. I worry.

    Same goes for Chrome. They seem to come out with something really good in the beginning but then they want to "improve" it and they just mess it up.

  12. I can't be the only one :( by Fly+Swatter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can't be the only one that finds a dark background and white text easier on the eyes. It is just more comfortable. Modern UIs are like staring at a bright light bulb all day. I guess they are fine outdoors and under bright lights, but in normal inside lighting conditions, especially in a home all white is just annoying. Paper products are like this because paper is inherently light, and reflected light works well there. Computers are shining lights into your eyes, it is a completely different medium - I wish manufacturers would realize this - they killed off paper now stop trying to imitate it.

    1. Re:I can't be the only one :( by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Back in the 80s when GUIs were new we used to have grey backgrounds. That provided enough, but not too much contrast with black text, and allowed white text for highlights, and most colours worked fine too. With black or white backgrounds there are always some colours that don't work (e.g. black/blue, white/yellow).

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:I can't be the only one :( by jez9999 · · Score: 2

      I'm probably in a minority here, but I disagree with this. For some reason white text on a black background makes my eyes strain after a while. I prefer dark text on light.

      --
      == Jez ==
      Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
    3. Re:I can't be the only one :( by swillden · · Score: 1

      I'm probably in a minority here, but I disagree with this. For some reason white text on a black background makes my eyes strain after a while. I prefer dark text on light.

      You're actually in the non-vocal majority.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    4. Re:I can't be the only one :( by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      That's because there's too much contrast between the two. Try darker text on a black background. After you found the proper contrast, try different colours. Dark green on black is quite easy on the eyes.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  13. Yay! All white! Zero contrast is what we need! by Chas · · Score: 1

    Because why the hell should we be able to have clear and concise visual navigation aids?

    Pfft! What is this? 2018?

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  14. THAT'S RACIST!!!! by The123king · · Score: 1

    *insert sarcmark here*

    --
    If you gave me a choice between a printer and a giraffe with explosive diarrhoea, i'll get my ladder and my raincoat
  15. Crunched it, now stretched it by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2
    Back in the day when smart phones were new, so many web sites scrunched their regular web page designed for 15 inch displays into those 3.5 inch screens. Now, they are designing their sites for 6 inch phones and are stretching the same thing on 24 inch displays.

    Nothing to show what are clickable and what are not. There is no shortage of screen real estate, still the site comes with minimal info on huge fonts.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Crunched it, now stretched it by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Also, you need to rotate your desktop display 90 degrees to view the page in portrait mode.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  16. Re: Your skin is your uniform. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    Just shut up and go buy yourself a new pair of sneakers.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  17. YOU CAN'T SPELL!!! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    *insert proper way of writing sarcasm here*

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:YOU CAN'T SPELL!!! by The123king · · Score: 1

      https://www.thedailybeast.com/...

      --
      If you gave me a choice between a printer and a giraffe with explosive diarrhoea, i'll get my ladder and my raincoat
    2. Re:YOU CAN'T SPELL!!! by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Damn you, The123king! I don't come here to learn stuff!

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  18. Re:The War on Usability by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    This would make a good mockumentary.

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  19. SMTP by DogsBollocks · · Score: 1

    Why use the app? Personally i just use Gmail with SMTP from any email client, forget the App.

  20. It's to save on bandwidth by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    White UIs are the easiest to view/read when you're building everything with simple CSS. Companies like building everything with simple CSS because you can do an entire UI in text, no images. For a big company that's a lot of bandwidth.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  21. Jokes on them by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    I'm red/green color blind.

    Seriously UI designers, stop color coding crap so much, especially in games. I had to give up my dream of 1CCing Raiden IV because I kept switching to the wrong powerup.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  22. It's like, how much more black could it be by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    and the answer is none. None more black.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  23. "All-White Redesign"? by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

    Are they trying to make google more popular with Trump supporters?

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  24. No changes here! by sootman · · Score: 1

    "basic HTML" mode FTW.

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.