Google Docs and Spreadsheets gets new look. Gmail next?

This morning Google updated their Docs and Spreadsheets service with a new start page, one that turns the old list view into a two-pane workspace. Users can now see a larger listing of their documents and spreadsheets, as well as organize them in folders. Yes, you read that right--Google is letting users create and manage their stuff in folders. Users can even drag and drop files.

I actually asked the Docs and Spreadsheets team about a feature like this last week, and they told me the combination of tags and search worked better. The new system continues to tag items--albeit per the folder in which they're located. Any pre-existing tags today have been turned into their own folders.

There have also been a few other changes under the hood. Besides the bluer, smoother exterior, Google Suggest is now built into the file search bar. This means that when you're looking for a certain file, you can just begin typing and the engine will start to bring up search results before you've even hit the search button.

There's still no support for Google Gears, which is the one thing I'm waiting for. For people who use Docs and Spreadsheets on a daily basis and for Google Apps subscribers--this is a big change. The question on my mind, however, is how long before we see this slick blue interface in Gmail?

Google's new look uses a two-pane interface, complete with folders--a first for Google.

(Credit: Google.com)

[hectorarturoazuz]

WHAT A DISASTER!!!!

With folders you cannot choose multiple folders, with tags you can choose multiple tags for a document. I have many folders, too much, and now the complete list to asign folders to my docs is incomplete, even with IE or Firefox.

Héctor,

http://noticiero.zoomblog.com
http://twitter.com/hectorarturo

[Josh.Lowensohn]

It's still there.

You can still add multiple tags to a document. Just select the file (using the check box) and then go up to "Add to folder" up on the blue menu bar. You can do this to as many of your folders or docs as you want.

[TheBikerWeb.com]

Well, at least it isn't gray...

Well finally! That darn Google-gray was just hurtful on the eyes. As a Mac
user, I'm used to at least a LITTLE aesthetic pleasure when I use the
computer.

For once, Google is actually playing catch-up, now that Web 2.0 styles have
become standard fare throughout the Internet (where aesthetics plays at least
a bit-part in the drama of design) .

Google-Gray never made sense to me. I know they back everything up with
data & numbers dealing with user behavior if X as opposed to Y is done on a
page. But sometimes the herd needs prodded---just a little.

[ioannusdeverani]

Mockup of the new Docs layout in Gmail

I was thinking that the new layout had a lot of potential in a future Gmail
release, so I made a mockup of what it could look like, here:
http://blog.verani.net/2007/06/new-google-docs-interface-is-preview-
of.html

Tell me what you think of it!

[pheelup]

one step forward, five steps back!

The look is definitely not Googlish. It looks more like Yahoo or Microsoft and I don't like it. It has lost the archive feature which I really liked. The folders are similar to tags/labels but do not truly act the same. I want the tags and Archive button back. It was a much better way to organize docs. Even though I like the drag n' drop, you can't easily put docs in multiple folders. Also, you can't check who edited the doc last, just by looking at the doc line. that's important for people who have a lot of docs to check. When you "save & close" a doc it just opens up another main doc page in another tab/window. Very annoying. This does not look and feel like a google product. I think someone from microsoft or yahoo has infiltrated the ranks to mess up their product that used to be much better!

[lecrab]

I hope not

Although for docs, I like the new interface, I would not appreciate it much on Gmail. I am very happy NOT to have to deal with folders and such. I hate the 'tree-like' structures so many apps and operating systems use....

Regards,
Servaas, www.web2weblog.com

[gullach]

" The question on my mind, however, is how long before we see this slick blue interface in Gmail?"

Yes, when will it?