Usually I'm happy with Google's products, and I've often been impressed by their designs, but the latest Gmail change has me up in arms. They've changed the buttons at the top of the page from text-based to simple icons so they can use the same icon internationally, regardless of user language. And although I like to think of myself as a pretty brainy individual, these icons hurt my poor little brain. They're blocky, uniform, and give my mind no hint as to what they mean until I stare at each individually for a moment--every time I use my email. I can't seem to automatically recognize any of them. Is this because they're designed away from culture bias? I don't know. Maybe I have an impairment I didn't realize. But it drives my eyes crazy and it makes accessing my email a chore.
I've left a lot of feedback about this issue, and a little searching shows I'm not the only one. I'm not surprised that Google hasn't immediately given us the option to show text on the buttons but I am disappointed. If a lot of people complain because they don't like the look of a new system, there's not much you can expect: you can't please everyone. But if a company deliberately steps away from visual accessibility online and has that pointed out again and again, I would hope they'd take a step back.
Please? For the sake of my eyes and my brain. Don't drive me back to Hotmail!*
* Bluff called. I'll never go back to Hotmail.
Photo: Easy to read keyboard by Ingo Meyer on flickr
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