A one of thebest web browsersacross operating systems, Google Chrome has a responsibility of giving its users the latest features, while the UI stays in sync with Google’s brand image and values. The company announced a transformative new UI design philosophy calledMaterial You, with Android 12 a few years ago. The design guidelines, immediately identifiable by dynamic theming support, were quickly implemented across core Google apps and third–party apps on Android. Eventually, the design permeated auxiliary Google-owned services likeWorkspace utilitiesand their web apps. It’s now the Chrome Web Store’s turn for a makeover, right on time for the browser’s birthday celebrations.
Google is celebrating its silver jubilee this year, and Chrome is 15 years old already. Active Chrome and ChromeOS users would know how personalizable the browsing experience can be. The Chrome Web Store is at the center of all this, giving users access to cool new extensions which boost productivity, and keep you safe and sane on the internet. Google recently allowed a few users to preview the ground-upMaterial Design 3redesign of the Web Store, and has now announced it isrolling out widely.
An extension listed on the Chrome Web Store(left); The same extension on the redesigned Web Store(right)
Right off the bat, the new Chrome Web Store shares a lot of visual similarities with the Google Play Store web UI, which hasalready received the Material Design treatment. On an extension or theme’s listing page, you’ll see rectangularInstallbuttons with rounded corners swapped out for pill-shaped ones, and image carousels now showing off two images at a time, instead of just one. Typefaces have changed, and section headings are now in bold. Google has also changed how it displays user ratings, the extension’s categorization, and additional information about the developer.
Old Chrome Web Store home page(left); Redesigned page(right)
The Store homepage makes liberal use of illustrated banners, and the UI seems optimized for viewing in landscape orientation — both big changes from the old Chrome Web Store design. Google has also redesigned the account switcher which used to display your full email address.
Besides these significant visual changes, Google has updated the Chrome Web Store functionally as well. For instance, the search button is now omnipresent, no matter where you are in the store. Earlier, it was only available on the home page. For developers of themes and extensions, Google has now unveiled a self-nomination form if you want your creation to be featured in the Editor’s Picks section of the Chrome Web Store.
The Chrome Web Store looks more up-to-date with these design changes, but we are still seeing an option to preview the UI redesign. That’s probably because Google is rolling out the new UI in a phased manner. So, it could take a few days to show up on your devices. Meanwhile, Chrome itself is getting aMaterial You refresh on desktop, which we’ve been tracking for months. Together, the changes look like the perfect combination to give you a refreshing new browsing experience.
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