For a few weeks now, Google Maps has been in the process of rolling out a new design and more artificial intelligence that will also be ported to Android Auto. Although the latter (especially the immersive view) seems the most useful and impressive to me, I think Google made a mistake in choosing colors and I’m not alone in this.

What does Google say?

If you open Google Maps on your mobile phone right now, you probably new interface now available. You will notice this because although they are actually the same, their colors have changed and the quickest proof of this is that roads, highways and main streets that were previously yellow, according to the previous color palette, are now grey.

Mountain View’s commitment to this new interface has changed the color palette shades of teal, mint green and gray. In his own words, the idea is this:reflects the real world more accurately‘.

Previously Google Maps and current Google Maps. Shopping area: La Morea shopping center (Pamplona)

According to Google, these new colors are We understand better what we see on the mapbetter separation between residential areas and displaying more detailed highway lanes and more realistic buildings.

New Google Maps looks worse

My first impression when faced with sudden and change was this: The presented image is much plainer as opposed to grey., although teal and mint green stand out prominently. The feeling is that Google favors minimalism and modernity, but taints functionality along the way.

But beyond understanding sobriety as merely aesthetic, affects readability: The once white roads have now turned gray, the blue of the water has become paler, and the forest areas have become a darker green. In fact, natural areas and water are now even more confused. The route indicator has also been changed in favor of a much brighter blue that contrasts with the softer environment.

Google Maps mobile interface: now vs then

Conclusion? There are people who complain about this details are less appreciatedespecially if you’re viewing it from a distance without zooming in. A picture is worth a thousand words: Just take a look at the tweet for these lines

What is normal when there is a change in something you usually use is that there are always some critical opinions, but In this case, the complaints are worthy of attention.: On Reddit and on X/Twitter There are many people who express their disagreement with Google Maps’ color choices; In a survey conducted on Android Authority, 45% of people said ‘No’ to the change, while 29% thought it was good.

They say it’s smart to fix it, and while it’s always a good idea to use it to improve the interface, it’s also note the feedback to continue polishingespecially as competition has taken a giant leap forward: I’m talking about Google Maps. Or even its enemies are at home: Waze’s interface looks much better, thanks to a more casual design.

But it’s not just a large number of users voicing our disagreement with the new color palette: An authoritative voice like Elizabeth Lareki, who previously worked in Google Maps’ design and was one of the people who contributed to its initial design, voiced her disappointment. on x/twitter. ‘Not only does she not like him, she finds him.’colder, less certain and less humane‘.

Likewise, Lareki thinks they are missing a huge opportunity to simplify and scale. “Clean up” noise from overlapping layers. So, in a standard image, we can find about 11 elements bombarding the image: search box, display board for ‘Latest developments in the area’, bottom bar, restaurants, hotels, etc. Buttons for.

Feedback from former Google Maps designer Elizabeth Lareki

In the designer’s opinion, only what is truly useful should be subtle, and what hinders the vision should be fully justified. It even proposes a new interface that preserves the essence of the proposed one, but introduces significant changes: Experience of users of the application.

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