Gmail gets a Google+-like makeover

Google, rolls out tweaks over next few months, going for consistent look

Google is giving Gmail users a glimpse of design updates that will roll out over the next few months.

Those updates will make the email service look a whole lot like the company's just launched social network, Google+ .

In a blog post Thursday, Jason Cornwell, a user experience designer at Google , noted that the company will be making changes to Gmail in an effort to make it cleaner to look at and easier to use.

Gmail isn't alone in this summer re-do. According to Cornwell, Google Calendar will also get a new look that will be revealed in the next few days.

"This is part of a Google-wide effort to bring you an experience that's more focused, elastic, and effortless across all of our products," Cornwell wrote. "The changes are not going to happen all at once. We know that you love and care about Gmail as much as we do, and we'll be working on these upgrades gradually over the next few months to allow plenty of time to understand and incorporate your feedback into the evolving design."

Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said it makes sense that Google wants to create a consistent look between its services.

"A consistent look is essential for branding," he added. "People should know they're on a Google property. Even someone glancing at someone else's screen should know they're on a Google property ... it may be that Google+ was just the first view of the "new look."

As of Thursday, users can try out what Google calls two new themes, which basically are combinations of colors and graphics that give users' Gmail different looks. The new theme s -- Preview and Preview Dense -- pick up on the look of Google+ , making the Gmail pages more airy with a lot more white space. The emails look quite a bit like status updates on the page.

The new themes can be found under the Themes tab in Gmail Settings.

"These are not major changes. I think [Google] implied that the coming changes would be incremental, which is a good approach," said Gottheil said. "They want their look to be current. And a consistent look makes everything easier to use. To the extent that there's overlapping functionality (and there is), you want the same functions to look the same and, to the extent possible, be in the same place."

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her e-mail address is sgaudin@computerworld.com .

Read more about enterprise web 2.0/collaboration in Computerworld's Enterprise Web 2.0/Collaboration Topic Center.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.

Tags GoogleFacebookNetworkingsoftwareapplicationsWeb 2.0 and Web AppsEnterprise Web 2.0/CollaborationEnterprise Web 2.0

More about etworkFacebookGoogleTechnologyTopic

Show Comments
[]