Card design: the third major design style from Google

Friends who often use Google products should experience this experience, represented by Google Now. All Google products tend to be concise, the not-New Concept of "card" has become the most important element of Google.

I don't know whether Google is intentional or unintentional. The card design reflects the typical modern style. There is only the most critical text or picture in the white square box, and there is no trace of redundancy. This design seems to imply that we may be able to present more information in a simple way in the future.

The first time I saw a card, I was still using the knowledge map. This time I saw a card at Google Now, I felt very friendly and unfamiliar. Taking the weather and navigation as an example, google passively provided information before, based on a large amount of personal data, and based on algorithms to predict the next operation of the user, so as to give the answer before the user searches, not brilliant. It's just that everything needs to be done at the right end. When we look forward to Google Glass's use of more advanced augmented reality technologies, Google uses cards to confuse everyone. It's really a panacea! What's more, Google + now displays three-column cards on each page, but Google is still not enough to hide comments and redundant content, but here you may want to ask, what do you think about it? Well, don't worry. Google is always able to invent a whimsical solution: you can click on a small card and a big card will pop up, the complete information is on the big card.

So simple and cute cards have also been played by Google.

Is it too early to boast Google cards?

Matias Duarte, head of user experience for Android, said frankly: "No one said that cards were invented. We just moved this ubiquitous design to the mobile Internet field, just like physical cards, from the beginning, they are all designed to solve the same design problem."

I said: "a large number of information continuity push problems have existed since the first day of the emergence of the mobile Internet. Of course, touch screen devices have become popular in recent years ." Therefore, it is hard to understand why Google engineers chose cards when faced with the design challenges posed by Google Now, which can be used independently and flexibly, in addition, a group can be formed to transmit a large amount of information or information with continuity requirements, and the expression can show an overall consistent effect.

But what designers don't think is that cards in turn affect their design solutions. Duarte said to me: "cards have natural limitations, which make the design of other parts much easier. Think about it. If two or three pictures are on a card, it will look messy, so we can only put one picture or information, so that we don't have to consider the layout problem in the case of multiple pictures."

Card design swept Google like a virus

When a Google Card is washed, information is displayed in disorder. In a sense, information display is even redefined. First, redundant information, especially advertisements, is directly excluded; second, it eliminates hyperlinks, allowing users to focus on information rather than information retrieval. It is also worth mentioning that Google cards can provide a non-Differential Experience on screens of various sizes, even on Glass.

What is unknown is that Google spends far more energy on user experience than on data integration. Although there are 41 types of cards, several times later, this card was denied within Google. Each card type was approved by several teams before it was finally released, I am sure no card is added to the 41 categories through administrative commands.

Google + has also joined the use of cards. Google +'s chief designer Fred Gilbert told me that Google + has used more than 30 types of cards and he specifically told me some subtle differences, but I only recognize a few of them.

Although I personally do not recommend that you get stuck with the details, it is undeniable that these details make sure that different content is in harmony on a single screen, the concept of placing a card's "column" is also worthy of praise. It is easy to adapt to screens of different sizes and ensures user experience consistency. For example, Google + can display three-column cards at the same time on a laptop; A column of cards can be displayed on a mobile phone at a time, which does not affect the card usage.

Google cards are actually quasi-materialized.

Throughout the interview process, there was a word that always echoed in my mind: Presence. Duarte said to me, "You may think that the so-called card is just a few pixels on the screen. However, maybe you have noticed that our designer gave the card a 'body '. Although there is no particularly complex effect, it still makes people feel that it is true ." Great Designers virtualize the design of the plane to make people think that it is a real card, so as to touch, flip, and organize it.

At this Google conference, the Google Maps team, which debuted for the first time, also showed their significant changes. Their map cards integrated more information, not only including restaurant location and navigation, there are also comments from common users and evaluation companies Zagat, which effectively solved the dilemma that Google Maps had to add a list outside the map to display additional information over the years. Jonah Jones, the team's user experience designer, told me: "We don't want to cover the whole map, so the upper left corner of the Panel can be expanded or collapsed. But there is still a small problem. It is always unable to make people feel that it can be operated. For example, when the Panel is open, people usually feel that it cannot be folded ." This problem may come from the quasi-materialized design of the card, criticizing it and praising it.

Jones and his team found that they could actually learn real cards and heap the cards on Google Maps so that users can use them as they use real cards, the cards won't be overwhelming.

The cards are a bit like Google's dog skin plaster. You can paste them wherever you need them.

Today, the White Rectangle that originated from the note has become the best choice for Google to display information. Most Google products use it, so it is very likely to occupy the desktop of all devices. However, as a company that is not famous for product design and visual communication, the effect of cards should not be held in the same position as that of multi-platform strategies.

Google has been involved in our lives too deeply, and it is almost ubiquitous. The appearance of cards is more like a buffer. One side is a giant with full eyes, and the other side is a user without any knowledge, novelty has effectively moved people's eyes, and giants can easily arrange things.