More anecdotally, I find that the best design and illustration I've seen from Google is usually on a very small thing: Google doodles, the CR-48 pilot program videos and illustrations, the Google TV quick tour. Some amazing work has gone into Chrome marketing.
But it's almost never on a product. Their products often feel like the design was managed by committees of engineers. That's not to knock any of Google's product designers, but it often feels like they're not allowed to make decisions on anything that really matters.
I'm going to continue my troll comments from last one that likens YC to American Idol to blaming Marissa Mayer for Google's current predicament.
In 2009 she was Vice President of Google Search Products & User Experience. It's 2011 and there's still no Maps selector in search. How long did it take to get blog search as a selector? Years. She's been VP of Location and Local Services since October 2010 - she lost that to 4sq.
Reading Willfred's article below from 2009 makes me think that he could've seen the cap that Mayer might've been placing on Google's UI. He writes: "But I won’t miss a design philosophy that lives or dies strictly by the sword of data" vs wikipedia article "She acts as a gatekeeper for their product release process, determining when or whether a particular Google product is ready to be released to users."
Beware of some power blondes - will write off everything they touch, and block out those that can do something useful.
Let her go. She's the old Google.
Google, like with Facebook, acquire to hire - make entrepreneurs replace the old guard.
Comments
"Google needs to give designers power" -- often asserted, to the point where it is now an expected comment in any thread about Google's failings.
I want to see someone spend their time finding evidence to support that assertion, rather than working on their way of typing as an authority.
This is an older but relevant post from a former Google designer: http://stopdesign.com/archive/2009/03/20/goodbye-google.html
More anecdotally, I find that the best design and illustration I've seen from Google is usually on a very small thing: Google doodles, the CR-48 pilot program videos and illustrations, the Google TV quick tour. Some amazing work has gone into Chrome marketing.
But it's almost never on a product. Their products often feel like the design was managed by committees of engineers. That's not to knock any of Google's product designers, but it often feels like they're not allowed to make decisions on anything that really matters.
I'm going to continue my troll comments from last one that likens YC to American Idol to blaming Marissa Mayer for Google's current predicament.
In 2009 she was Vice President of Google Search Products & User Experience. It's 2011 and there's still no Maps selector in search. How long did it take to get blog search as a selector? Years. She's been VP of Location and Local Services since October 2010 - she lost that to 4sq.
She has a background in AI and not UI or design. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marissa_Mayer
Video from 2009:
http://youtu.be/Ybbk-6-P3Dk (fail)
Reading Willfred's article below from 2009 makes me think that he could've seen the cap that Mayer might've been placing on Google's UI. He writes: "But I won’t miss a design philosophy that lives or dies strictly by the sword of data" vs wikipedia article "She acts as a gatekeeper for their product release process, determining when or whether a particular Google product is ready to be released to users."
Beware of some power blondes - will write off everything they touch, and block out those that can do something useful.
Let her go. She's the old Google.
Google, like with Facebook, acquire to hire - make entrepreneurs replace the old guard.
Good luck. Mayer used to date Larry Page.
Makes sense. Good career move. Cement your position even if the cement sinks the ship.
She's married now anyway, we'll see how deep the bond goes.
Google Ventures should do micro-seeding. Google should also remunerate against project traction and returns, and maybe disconnect pay from position.