Chris Lee, a former Google designer, told how and why the search giant at one time abandoned the design of the mobile Chrome browser, reminiscent of what Apple showed for the mobile version of Safari.
It’s primarily about moving the address bar and buttons for working with tabs from the top of the screen to the bottom. This made it easier to start typing an address and navigate between tabs, since you didn’t have to reach for the corresponding controls.
In the case of Google, this solution was called Chrome Home – many may remember it from a fairly short implementation in the browser a few years ago. It was Lee who created the concept for this design and actively promoted it to Google in 2016. According to Lee, the idea gained traction within the company. However, subsequent beta tests have shown mixed reactions.
It turned out that the more tech-savvy Android users accepted the innovation very well, but for most casual users, the change became too significant, leading to disorientation.
Chrome serves billions of users around the world with varying technical literacy. Over the course of many iterations, I have become increasingly convinced that launching Chrome Home will not satisfy all of our users. Just as I strongly proposed the initial concept, I advocated that we stop the launch, which required a lot of controversy.
Chrome Home is a lesson for me and the entire Chrome team about the intent required to innovate in a large-scale product. Some might argue that we should never have tried something like this; others may say we had to see it through. I am following the approach I used here: feel free to try, but be prepared to listen to users and ask yourself questions.
Leigh sums up his recollection by saying that Safari in iOS 15 is based on similar ideas, so there may be many comments on this step for Apple.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
