Google"s been tinkering with its homepage style as of late; it hasn"t been testing any big changes, as many people know and love the simplistic white Google look as it is, but one which the company has unveiled today has a new "fade-in" style homepage for users.
You"ll notice the new homepage if you visit Google.com right now. When the site loads, you"ll simply be greeted with the logo and the two search buttons. Upon moving the mouse, everything else will fade-in, hence the description. While this is all well and good, you may find yourself asking, "What"s the point?" Google has explained the changes on its blog, stating, "For the vast majority of people who come to the Google homepage, they are coming in order to search, and this clean, minimalist approach gives them just what they are looking for first and foremost. For those users who are interested in using a different application like Gmail, Google Image Search or our advertising programs, the additional links on the homepage only reveal themselves when the user moves the mouse. Since most users who are interested in clicking over to a different application generally do move the mouse when they arrive, the "fade in" is an elegant solution that provides options to those who want them, but removes distractions for the user intent on searching."
The design which Google chose, whilst being simple, came from 10 different ones. As the company tested them over the recent weeks, they ended up with the one you"ll see today, which had the most positive & neutral reaction from the users. It will be interesting to see how the vast majority of users will find their slightly altered experience, and whether or not they"ll like it. What do you think, Neowin?