Sometimes, less really is a lot more.
Google has cleaned up the interface of Gmail, its Web-based e-mail, removing clutter and redesigning the layout of messages to make everything easier to read. If you’re a Gmail user, you’ll be automatically switched to the new design soon, but it’s big enough of an improvement that, unlike most Web site redesigns, I encourage you to take a deep breath and make the switch now.
Gmail’s new, more spartan layout.
The biggest improvement in Gmail is readability. The new look is more spartan, less cluttered, with more white space and fewer lines and colors to distract from the text onscreen. It also places Facebook-style user profile images next to each message, so you can see who sent them without reading through lists of names. And if you read through a message thread with multiple senders, there’s less interface clutter around the messages themselves to distract your eyes. It’s — well, Facebooky, but in a good way.
A blog post by Google details other improvements. You can adjust the spacing between lines of text to be more or less than the default. If you’re using a mobile phone or other small screen, Gmail will automatically use a more dense layout that you can adjust. On a big computer display, it will stretch out for readability. You can also move around the left-hand navigation items, for example to create more room for the chat section. The optional skins for the layout (Google calls them Themes) use high-resolution background images, but why bother? The plain white default is much easier to read. There’s also a new advanced search tool.
One big difference from Facebook: Gmail’s new look, which is gradually being rolled out, won’t drive you crazy with big changes in the placement and behavior of controls. The differences are technically subtle, but visually effective. To get the new interface, scroll to the bottom of Gmail’s homepage and click “Switch to the new look” in the lower right corner. If you hate it or aren’t ready to figure out the changes, click the big gear icon just above your list of messages and choose the option “Revert to the old interface temporarily.” Eventually, though, Google will force everyone to upgrade.