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I stopped updating all my Google apps ~2 years ago because there were so many asinine, unintuitive UI changes with each new version. A lot of their changes didn

I stopped updating all my Google apps ~2 years ago because there were so many asinine, unintuitive UI changes with each new version. A lot of their changes didn't even conform to the standards recommended by Google (e.g. menu button locations). It's almost as if the UI team gets bored and decides to make changes just because they need to occupy themselves. And then instead of testing them with actual users, they just talk amongst themselves about how awesome their new set of obscure gestures and button locations are. I'm afraid to buy a new Nexus because of how bad the application interfaces will probably be.

ShonM 12y ago
At the very least, now it seems Google is making all their applications fairly standardized in their UI/UX. I think that's Material Design at work, but I'm far from a UI/UX person.
- tomp 12y ago
  Unfortunately, in about 3-5 years, there will be a new trend, the Immaterial design, that every company will just have to follow!
- sp332 12y ago
  Ars Technica just published an article complaining about Google not following their own design rules in Lollipop. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/11/the-nexus-10-lollipop-and-the-problem-with-big-android-tablets/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/11/the-nexus-10-lollipo...
- vesinisa 12y ago
  Are you serious? Every Operating System manufacturer these days "standardizes" their UI across their whole offering every few years (Microsoft, Google, Ubuntu and Apple are all on board). Just a moment ago, Holographic Design was the thing on Android. Let me guarantee you that Material Design will be, too, a thing of the past in a couple of years. What the designers don't seem to realise is that this is frustrating to the users.
zmb_ 12y ago
I just updated my Nexus 5 to KitKat. The update forced me to use GMail instead of the Email app, and almost 24h later GMail is still "Getting your messages". None of my email accounts work. Never mind changing the UI, they should start by not completely breaking the key functionality of their applications in their effort to force everyone to use their services.
- rogeryu 12y ago
  Use K9 Mail.
- pja 12y ago
  K9 Mail is the traditional answer to this problem. Google never put very much effort into the Android Mail App because they wanted to push you into using GMail. That said, Email still works fine in KitKat - why did you have to switch to the GMail App?
- pwnna 12y ago
  CyanogenMod! Not only do they include the AOSP email, they built improvements on it as well!
- crumpled 12y ago
  Have you tried turning it off and on again?
Clanan 12y ago
Perhaps it's a case of busywork - teams creating work to justify their existence.

ShonM 12y ago

At the very least, now it seems Google is making all their applications fairly standardized in their UI/UX. I think that's Material Design at work, but I'm far from a UI/UX person.

tomp 12y ago
Unfortunately, in about 3-5 years, there will be a new trend, the Immaterial design, that every company will just have to follow!
sp332 12y ago
Ars Technica just published an article complaining about Google not following their own design rules in Lollipop. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/11/the-nexus-10-lollipop-and-the-problem-with-big-android-tablets/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/11/the-nexus-10-lollipo...
vesinisa 12y ago
Are you serious? Every Operating System manufacturer these days "standardizes" their UI across their whole offering every few years (Microsoft, Google, Ubuntu and Apple are all on board). Just a moment ago, Holographic Design was the thing on Android. Let me guarantee you that Material Design will be, too, a thing of the past in a couple of years. What the designers don't seem to realise is that this is frustrating to the users.

zmb_ 12y ago

I just updated my Nexus 5 to KitKat. The update forced me to use GMail instead of the Email app, and almost 24h later GMail is still "Getting your messages". None of my email accounts work. Never mind changing the UI, they should start by not completely breaking the key functionality of their applications in their effort to force everyone to use their services.

rogeryu 12y ago
Use K9 Mail.
pja 12y ago
K9 Mail is the traditional answer to this problem. Google never put very much effort into the Android Mail App because they wanted to push you into using GMail. That said, Email still works fine in KitKat - why did you have to switch to the GMail App?
pwnna 12y ago
CyanogenMod! Not only do they include the AOSP email, they built improvements on it as well!
crumpled 12y ago
Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Clanan 12y ago

Perhaps it's a case of busywork - teams creating work to justify their existence.