There’s a big change happening to the Google web search functionality and some of the response so far hasn’t been good.

Beginning with the U.S., Google is officially rolling out a redesign and “spiffing up” the search results. They’ve moved options like “web,” “images,” and “maps,” from the left side to the top, just below the search bar.

 

There is a “search tools” button that allows users to sort by time, location and results. These options were previously available on the left side without having to click on a “search tools” button.

In this official blog post, Google says that the changes give more breathing room, and “more focus on the answers you’re looking for, whether from web results or from a feature like the Knowledge Graph.”

According to this Google product forum and another thread on Google Plus, people aren’t happy that they have to click more to search. Some even said they were moving to Bing, while user ‘NKhos,’ actually compared the changes to Microsoft’s search engine:

Google search is now pretty much Bing – thanks for the “improvement.”
Dear google:
1. Search tools require more clicks. More clicks. Thanks for that “sleekness.”
2. Breathing room? There’s still white space on the right side of the screen, so what good was that?
3. Search tools are actually in the middle of the new bar because along with the top black bar (search, images, maps, ect.) we need ANOTHER reminder of these google services in the search tools?!?
4. Search tools for images are now the same as Bing; no more specific sizes or images larger than… option.
5. You know what everyone could use? A website blocklist for google images to get parasites like 123rf and deposit photos permanently off of search results, NOT reducing search tool filters. If there’s one for regular search, then how is google images any different?
6. If people are complaining that your new UI beta is a glitch, it’s already horrible, sorry.
7. (BONUS) Whatever happened to “toggles” and “choices?”

And here’s one from user GTLTD:

My search just switched to this. I use Google many times per day, and I use date filtering on somewhere between a third and half of my searches. This is the primary reason I don’t use Bing. At first my issue with it was probably mainly just because it was gone and I didn’t know where it moved to. So I was confused. But then I tried to use it, having an open mind that perhaps the new design is better. It’s not…. In all the years I’ve been using Google to search, this is by far the most frustrating change I’ve ever seen.

So what do you think? Is the design cleaner and easier to use, or would you rather click less with the old format?

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.