Google News 2016: Search Giant Tests Black Links, Users Freak Out [VIDEO]
A number of Google's users have noticed something different on their search results on Monday. Instead of the familiar blue and purple links that everyone has grown to know and love since over the years, the links in the search pages of the tech giant were a dismal black and gray. Needless to say, quite a number of users were miffed.
The change in the search results page seems to signify that the tech giant is conducting an A/B Test, something that the firm has done in the past. Indeed, Google has developed quite a reputation for experimenting with different color schemes for its search pages.
Just a few years ago, Google attempted to find out which shades of blue were the most effective to use in their search results. The A/B Test, fondly nicknamed as "50 Shades of Blue" by netizens, ultimately paid off for Google, earning the firm an extra $200 million in revenue.
Google's extreme attention to detail has not been a secret. In fact, Doug Bowman, a top designer at Google who quit the company in 2009, stated that the firm's meticulousness is what ultimately drove him to tender his resignation.
"It's true that a team at Google couldn't decide between two blues, so they're testing 41 shades between each blue to see which performs better. I can't operate in an environment like that. I've grown tired of debating such minuscule design decisions. There are more exciting design problems in this world to tackle," Bowman said.
Of course, considering that Google's "50 Shades of Blue" eventually earned millions for the search giant, it seems like Bowman's speculations were a bit off point. Considering Google's eventual $200 million revenue, it turned out that color shades really do matter.
With regards to the black and gray color scheme that Google has recently been testing, the search giant assured its users that the rather simplistic, if not dismal-looking links are not final yet.
"We're always running many small-scale experiments with the design of the results page. We're not quite sure that black is the new blue," Google said in a statement.
Only time will tell if Google would opt to fully change the blue links on its search page black permanently. For now, at least, those who have voiced out their concerns could rest assure that nothing is final at this point.
The age of Google Search's blue and purple links are not yet over.
