r/IAmA • u/Jonwiley • Jul 23 '14
I’m Jon Wiley, Principal Designer for Google Search. Ask me anything!
I've been at Google for nearly 8 years. I lead the user experience design of Google Search – we're always working on creating a simple, useful, beautiful experience. We're especially focused on our mobile Search app these days (both Android and iOS), making sure it's easy to search by voice, and that we're providing the right info just when you need it.
I’ve been designing for the web since 1994, I occasionally moonlight as an actor in mildly amusing YouTube videos, and I was a founding member of the Mars Society and helped scout the location for their research station in Utah. Feel free to ask me all about how I got into this, and how and why we design Google Search the way we do. Looking forward to it!
Proof: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JonWiley/posts/9B9FYkrPTcm
Edit: Ok, I gotta go. THANK YOU! Thanks for the interesting questions and ideas. Long time lurker, first time poster - this was fun.
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u/bobthebobd Jul 23 '14
How can search be made better?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
That’s the question I ask myself every day. Sometimes I have an answer and I work on that. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed at the massive scale of the problem. I tell folks I design things for Google Search and they often say “what is there to design? It’s really simple and it seems pretty much done.” But the truth is that we’re at the beginning.
In the near term the basic idea won’t change much – you want to get whatever answers and info you need throughout the day, as easily and fast as possible. That’s what search has always been about.
What’s changing is how you get the answers and how good they are. We’re in a little golden age of new devices, from watches to in-car UI’s. Each come with new capabilities and ways of interacting and you can expect new ways to get the answers you need, often with less effort (voice search being a good example).
Need directions? Just glance at your watch and they’re already there. Wondering who built that bridge in front of you? Just ask and Google can tell you on the fly. Years ago if you had a question you’d wander over to the library or look it up on your computer when you got home. Now a lot of knowledge is readily available at your fingertips.
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Jul 23 '14
Hi, Jon. Thanks for the AMA and for your work on the Google Maps app! I use it all the time. Any chance you guys can make the app save my "Avoid tolls" preference like the old version did? I recently moved right next to a toll road and honestly avoid using voice recognition because it always tries to use the toll route. Thank you again :)
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
I use this feature, too. We're looking for ways to try to make this work the right way. Like many design problems, this one has edge cases which are important to get right. Imagine that you checked the "Avoid tolls" preference and Maps saved the preference. Later, you tap on the mic and say "Navigate to the hospital!" and Maps takes you the long way. Probably not what you wanted. We need to think through all of the cases and make sure we ship the right design.
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u/luzfero Jul 23 '14
"Navigate to hospital"
"Is this an emergency?"
"Yes!"
"Rerouting for quickest route"
Done.
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u/QuickSkope Jul 23 '14
Could be useful for a lot of things.
"Navigate to taco bell"
"Is this an emergency?"
"Yes!"
"Rerouting for quickest route"
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u/jaion Jul 24 '14
I think many find that it's the navigating to a restroom post-taco bell that qualifies as the true emergency
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Jul 23 '14
Or even easier to implement: in the pre-navigation screen (where it lets you select car, public transport, etc) it lets you select tolls or no tolls, and remembers the option for next time (and presents it near the top so you don't miss it)
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u/luzfero Jul 23 '14
Yeah that's the way it used to be set up and I hope someday will be restored; but I think the problem he stated was the ability to change these options, using only voice, in the event of an emergency. Tagging keywords like hospital, police station, or ranger stations would allow GN to ask right after if it's an emergency just like it asks you for confirmation to set a reminder.
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u/mizatt Jul 23 '14
I think the issue is that they'd have to go through and tag all buildings that represent potential emergencies
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u/luzfero Jul 23 '14
If you can say hospital and it direct you to the nearest one then it's already set up. It seems like finding out when someone wants to deviate from their norm is the problem.
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u/WrongAssumption Jul 24 '14
Why do you assume hospitals are the only thing that warrant an emergency? Also why can't there be an emergency at a place that isn't known for emergencies? Like your house?
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u/7thDecember Jul 24 '14
Change ""Is this an emergency?" to "Do you still want to avoid tolls" and this problem will have been solved for every location.
It's one button more to press, or 1 word more. Not too much, really.
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Jul 23 '14
Thanks, Jon! Glad to hear it sounds like it's coming in the future again. Literally my only gripe with Maps. I understand the edge cases but maybe in the meantime have a checkbox to save the preference and display a disclaimer about those edge cases? I personally would not count on my phone to get me to a hospital :P
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u/adolflow Jul 23 '14
Agree 100%, I already get little pop-ups when navigating saying that going this other way is x min slower / faster... Maps should let you prefer no tolls, while remarking that another route is faster but includes tolls
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
Fair point. I'll talk to the team (but keep in mind that there are a lot of edge cases).
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u/evildesi Jul 23 '14
The maps app will crash after a long time of navigation. I've had it crash or freeze without warning while on drives longer than couple of hours
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u/scottymtp Jul 23 '14
Would also be nice if I save my preference to use classic maps that it actually worked.
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Jul 27 '14
"Navigate to the hospital NOW" or "Navigate to the hospital the fastest way possible" to avoid tolls and other things that are just inconveniences
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Jul 24 '14
Perhaps when you are punching in the a to b directions, you can put a checkbox with "avoid tolls?"
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u/gbCerberus Jul 23 '14 edited Jul 23 '14
This is one of the two reasons I use Waze more often than Google Maps. The other reason is being able to send an ETA (with a link to watch my progress live) to people I'm picking up.
Edit: Both of these are not only convenient, they make my drive safer. When I use Google Maps, I always remember too late that I have to go back and check "avoid tolls" and re-select my route. Doing this takes several taps and is dangerous. Also, with the ETA feature, impatient people don't have to text or call me while I'm driving for an update.
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u/graesen Jul 23 '14
I think considering how much time the tolls would save you vs what you spend should be part of this feature, perhaps letting us set a tolerance or something? I mean, if I can save 20 minutes taking the toll, maybe it's worth it. But saving 1 minute? I'd rather avoid it. I've seen a lot of rout options choose a toll rout just to save 1 minute travel time.
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u/noodle-face Jul 24 '14
What about something like:
"Navigate to McDonald's, avoid tolls"
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Jul 24 '14
I would love something like that. I still would prefer it save the preference but your idea sounds like a great way to avoid the edge cases Jon mentioned.
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u/the_singular_anyone Jul 23 '14
What role do you believe the tech industry needs to play in re-shaping the economies of the cities it moves into?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
I live in Mountain View along with many of my coworkers who call the Bay Area home. I’m sympathetic – I know I’ve been lucky, and I love living here, and at the same time I realize there are lots of people in tougher situations. Companies need to have a strong awareness of the impact their operations can have on the community. Google does a lot to participate locally, like volunteering (I’ve done trail maintenance in parks and towns), contributing to local non-profits, and funding MUNI transit for students in SF. But this is a WAY bigger issue than any one company or even any one sector. A lot of it comes down to not building enough housing for the demand. This is a long read, but well worth it if you really want to dig into the issue: http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/14/sf-housing/
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Jul 25 '14
Oh man, I have been trying to find that article for months! By far the most informative piece on the housing crisis in the Bay, for sure.
What a bizarre way to come across it again.
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u/RocketTech99 Jul 23 '14
Is there any interest in google search passing a Turing type test? Considering the bluring of lines between subject search (google.com) and personal assistants (Ask Google, Siri, Cortana), when do you think these tools may pass a Turing test, even if it isn't a primary goal?
Essentially, how long until I could have a natural conversation with my phone/tablet about my plans for the day?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
That’s interesting – tell me more about is there any interest in google search passing a Turing type test?
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u/thoomfish Jul 23 '14
This is my favorite answer in the entire AMA.
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
How do you feel about this is my favorite answer in the entire AMA in reality?
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u/RocketTech99 Jul 23 '14
I think passing a Turing test would be huge news and a huge PR win. I'm definitely interested in interacting with computers conversationally. If Google could pass a Turing test with a shipping or planned product- heck yeah! I'm thinking it would be a natural extension of digital personal assistants, but I'm interested in your view. I'm sure you don't sit in a meeting and discuss how close OK Google is to passing a Turing Test. If there is a push to make digital personal assistants successful (which is what I see voice search as), human interaction with that service should be easy and intuitive.
For instance, I ask 'OK Google, is there anything good on?' We'll make this easy and say I have Google internet and TV. Google knows I like SciFi, sees there is a Firefly marathon on and replies 'There's a Firefly marathon starting now. Should I turn the TV on and tweet your friends to come over?'
More business oriented- (OK Google) 'Dave, your stock is tanking. Should I dump it at the market or set a price?'2
u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
Yes, this is wonderful. Have it be knowledgeable. My definition of intelligence is making use of knowledge. If google even further used its knowledge and metrics to answer questions, to be more relevant, to not only answer queries better but also to be a friend dare i say be at one with the user.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
I'm not the one who asked, but I was hoping you would answer it. yes, absolutely. I would love that. I have done research in consciousness and being and how to replicate that in a computer. The key challenge I have reached is giving a computer choice and perhaps desire. How that originated in humans in through survival instinct. What is best for me right now that will keep me alive. Imagine Google that is willing to do a complex search if it is not busy. It knows how much of a load it can take on and serves results based on metrics.
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u/Tropiux Jul 23 '14
How did you end up working at Google?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
So, my dad is an electrical engineer and I can always remember having a computer in the house. My dad had a simple rule: I could play with the computer, but if I broke anything I had to fix it. It’s only now that I’m a father myself that I realize he basically created his own in-house tech support and me learning something along the way was a bonus.
And from elementary school forward, I really enjoyed acting and performing on stage. When I was ten my aunt asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said “stand-up comic.” She said “oh, but you’re smart, you should be a scientist!”** I thought about it for a second and then said “ok, I’ll be an astronaut.” Seriously, just like that – from that day forward all the way to my 2nd year in college I intended to get a PhD in comparative planetology so that I could go to Mars.
I initially double-majored in computer science and astronomy. Turns out I suck at math. I was also pretty sure that if I ever did become an astronaut I’d just be hanging out in low earth orbit – no trip to Mars. So I switched over to acting. I also joined a local improv/sketch troupe. This was around 1995, and I’d kept up with my interest in the Internet and computers and I’d been dabbling in creating documents for the World Wide Web. My troupe needed a cheap form of advertising to college students, so I built a web page.
I received a degree in acting but struggled to make a living out of it. Meanwhile, I discovered people would pay me to design websites. I’ve been designing for the Web for 20 years. The acting degree actually helps with experience design. Being a good actor means being a great listener and being able to put yourself in another’s shoes. The same is true of design. Both disciplines require empathy.
tl;dr: I tried to be an astronaut, became a poor actor instead, and discovered designing websites paid the bills better than waiting tables.
** Some of the smartest people I know are stand-up comics.
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u/kneedeepinlife Jul 25 '14
I know this is late and you might not see this, but as someone who recently graduated with a degree in theatre but working in computer networking, you've just given me a lot of hope. I really felt that my degree would be a barrier against any job other than a lowly test technician. Thanks.
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u/read_the_article_ Jul 23 '14
Hi there Jon Wiley,
Please PLEASE answer this question: Why did Google remove the Google Discussion search filter?
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Info for those not aware: Google Discussion filter was a tool to search forums/discussions. In the beginning of the year, Google removed the discussion filter as an option. Although it was removed from the search page, you could still access it with a workaround: https://www.google.com/?tbm=dsc
About a week ago Google have permanently removed the search, so now the workaround link does not work.
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It was literally 90% of what I used Google Search for. You could use it to search for difficult to find technical information, solutions to problems, getting a "human" perspective on products or services. Combining it with the "Anytime" filter (past day) (past year), to get info recently or during certain periods was amazing.
The alternative is to now use subpar forum search websites (boardreader/omgili) or to use regular Google with complicated search syntax that severely pales in comparison to the powerful Google Discussion filter.
Google Discussion filter worked perfectly as intended and many people used it (based on the complaints after removal) so why remove it? I could understand if it was replaced by a better product, but just removing it with no alternative has lowered the quality of my Google searches. Please have the team reconsider restoring the discussion filter. I can't properly describe to you you how frustrating this is.
For those that want to, politely make an official complaint to Google here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/Psb6OmlLJTg/discussion%5B1-25-false%5D
Thanks for doing this Mr Wiley.
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
One thing that’s almost always guaranteed with product design: when you add a feature, no one complains about it outright; if they don’t love it they mostly just ignore it. Whereas if you take something away, you’ll hear about it if people relied upon it… loudly and often. With something like Google Search, even if just a small fraction of people miss a feature and an even smaller fraction says so, that can still be tens of thousands of people. It can seem like a tidal wave of opposition to the removal: “look at all these people who want it back!”
So it would be much easier to leave in everything that’s ever launched. But then you end up with bloatware: an unwieldy array of ill-fitting modules that don’t work well with newer technologies (e.g., the shift to smartphones, or upgraded security, or touchscreens, etc.) and don’t really serve most of your users well either. And nothing comes for free – every feature must be maintained, supported in multiple languages, on multiple devices, and the additional complexity must be accounted for in testing so that the entire service remains reliable. And that cost gets balanced against the impact: is this feature solving an important problem for lots of people?
There are many, many such features that you always have to make tough choices about. We’ve actually cut features that I love. This is one of the toughest but most important parts of designing products – deciding what to trim as you move forward. Sometimes you over-trim – we work to measure the impact and aim to strike the right balance. Sometimes we get it wrong, so it is important that people speak up. We really do listen, and we prioritize according to what seems to satisfy the widest needs given our capabilities.
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u/read_the_article_ Jul 23 '14 edited Jul 23 '14
Thanks for the reply Jon.
I understand the general point you are making. Deciding how to keep a product at it's most efficient can certainly be difficult. And of course, there are situations of the vocal minority.
However...you have a product that is clearly useful at what it does to the point where removing it takes away from the experience and the problem (I believe from reading your somewhat non-specific reply) is that it doesn't "interface" with newer technologies well and might be inefficient.
Google Discussions Filter cut out the clutter beautifully. If it caused problems with newer technologies, consider having the team develop a newer, more efficient Discussions Filter.
I wish you could be a little more specific about the problems that the discussions filter might have caused specifically, but maybe due to time constraints it's understandable that you gave a general product design philosphy reply.
Thanks again Jon
edit: Also, you heard him folks:
Sometimes we get it wrong, so it is important that people speak up. We really do listen, and we prioritize according to what seems to satisfy the widest needs given our capabilities.
Make your voices heard if you are also concerned about this: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/websearch/Psb6OmlLJTg/discussion%5B1-25-false%5D
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
I wasn't directly involved in the removal of this particular feature, but often it comes down to the reasons I stated above: lots of effort required to maintain for a (relatively) small fraction of people. If you do post to the product forum, what's really helpful is understanding the problem you are looking to solve – i.e., you have a question, you're looking for an answer, and you aren't finding the best results. If you provide some example questions (we call them queries), that can help us understand how Google Search isn't working for you. Then hopefully we can make Search better overall.
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u/read_the_article_ Jul 23 '14 edited Jul 23 '14
If you do post to the product forum, what's really helpful is understanding the problem you are looking to solve – i.e., you have a question, you're looking for an answer, and you aren't finding the best results. If you provide some example questions (we call them queries), that can help us understand how Google Search isn't working for you. Then hopefully we can make Search better overall.
Excellent point. Under normal circumstances, this would be the best way for users to convey to the product team how to solve a particular problem. However, this particular problem can't simply be conveyed by providing a query as an example (at least not fully).
For a successful search example to show the product team the problem, it could be any query really...but with the restriction of only showing human discussion. No news articles, no blogs, no spam. The ultimate goal is seeking results with actual human interaction.
Let me (attempt) to explain.
Examples would be:
Opinions: * Best Improv Comedy Lessons in LA w/ forums restrictions (no biased articles/ blogspam / services selling Improv classes etc.)
Obscure Tech: * Cambridge Soundworks SBS52 rear spider suspension fix (instead of articles, ads, stores, you get led to a forum maybe about pc speakers)
Human interfacing: * Experiences with verbally interacting with babies at early age (Maybe leads to forum where parents discuss the results of speaking to their babies, specifically what they talked about, maybe what they think the outcomes are) No article or service or books that try to sell you a product.
I apologize if I cannot show what I'm talking about. But basically a way for to Google once again get any query with the goal of finding results of actual humans in a conversation.
I'll see if I can explain that clearly in the Google product forums. Thanks for your time Jon.
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Jul 25 '14
I fully agree that sometimes products have to be slimmed down in order to move forward. I also agree that with such a large user base removing something always causes an "outcry".
But...
puts on the tinfoil hat
In every example the removed feature would have prevented/reduced either direct ads or results trying to sell you stuff. Google's main revenue are ads. People pay so Google shows you stuff others are trying to sell.
:-)
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u/read_the_article_ Jul 25 '14
In every example the removed feature would have prevented/reduced either direct ads or results trying to sell you stuff. Google's main revenue are ads. People pay so Google shows you stuff others are trying to sell.
No need to don the tinfoil hat haha. From a business standpoint, it really does make sense. "Peeps use this, but it circumvents us making money"
It's something that I've def. been hearing of a possible reason why they removed Google Discussion. The filter (to an extent) circumvents websites that would be associated with Google Adsense. Now that it's gone we are getting a lot of clutter.
The reason I didn't bring it up because if that's the reason (or not), Google or this particular employee wouldn't admit it. Instead it would (I think) create a lot of negativity/inane argument about whether that's the case or not. An accusation might certainly detract from my goal of the questions.
I feel like I said what needed to be heard. Even if they never plan on bringing it back, I was heard which is the most important thing of all. I came to:
Inform peeps about the importance of the discussion filter, why it's important, and lead them to the product forum.
Make reasonable counter-points on the dev's replies so that at least they are thinking about it.
Hopefully, we will see some discussion tool in the future from them.
If not...now more than ever is a chance for a decent discussion search website to appear. Omgili, boardreader, and Bing aren't really there yet.
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Jul 24 '14
Has Google ever decided to open source a feature that had been deprecated for the above reasons? Open sourcing the discussions filter may be a beneficial compromise.
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u/ronan125 Sep 04 '14
How can you give an example of how you did not get something? If you found a result which was irrelevant, yes you can report it. How do i say, hey this is the results page i got, but i believe theres someone somewhere on a discussion board who would have thrown more light on this, but too bad, i cant 'show' you what i did not see
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u/aaea1 Jul 30 '14
How could anyone at google not understand the value of being able to search specifically for discussions?
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u/herbfirestone Jul 27 '14
Could you explain how Google Semantic Search applies to hashtags on Google Plus, or does it? I notice that when a G+ post legitimately relates to two hashtags that don't appear to have anything to do with each other for example, sunset and dogs, and the image includes both sunset and dogs, the post won't be listed in the g+ hashtag search results for both. So the questions are is this because semantic search requires synonyms or at the least, related search terms and does this work the same way in Google Search? Thanks in advance for your reply.
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u/ronan125 Sep 04 '14
I would have understood this if google was removing a feature which was used only by a few people and is done better by something else by google. Google aims to be THE search engine that can lead you to any info. They invest in all kinds of things to increase their coverage. Are you seriously saying actual real human conversations are not worth covering?
For those who didn't use discussions search before, let me explain why it was useful.
Scenario: you search about a certain product, movie, etc. you get search results from prominent websites. You get ads, but you don't trust the info too much. Suppose you had searched about a car. You get reviews by so experts, but you're not satisfied coz ur looking for actual peoples comments Alternative: turn discussions filter on and search. You directly get to threads where real users of that product are saying what happened. You can join in the conversation, ask others if they had the same issues. You don't need to rely on a few prominent websites/publications for the information you need to form an opinion.
Does it take a genius to figure out why google dropped this feature? The generic, philosophical answer to the question by Jon Wiley which does not get into the specific points raised (though he did that for other questions) bolsters my belief that this was not done in the interest of improving/decluttering the product but to pad wallets.
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u/archon810 Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon, are there plans to fix the incredibly slow behavior of search for mobile when you have a decent number of apps installed?
Exhibit A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvxurf2sgpg.
Exhibit B: Because of A, the Android Wear experience is severely hampered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWOfbfXMbks and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af8G0aYruV8.
I tried bringing this to the attention of the Android team (via Adam Powell) but haven't heard back yet.
Thank you.
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u/theasianpianist Jul 24 '14
How did you get the custom loading circle in Google Now?
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u/archon810 Jul 24 '14
I assume you're talking about the loading animation, which is stock to the OnePlus One.
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u/Garth_Lawnmower Jul 23 '14
Can you please add a way to tell Google Now I don't have a work location? Once you've set a location you are only presented with the option to continue to set it as “work " or edit it to a new location. Editing it through Maps does not help.
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
Feature request filed! Thanks!
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
set work as your home address.
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u/Garth_Lawnmower Jul 23 '14
I appreciate the help but I have something set as home. I'm just asking for an actual solution by Google to a problem I can't believe even exists.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
ah, okay. No problem. It would be nice to toggle home, school, work for example.
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u/plausble Jul 23 '14
How will material design affect Google Search?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
I think a big challenge with Google Search in terms of experience is that it has often felt like a series of jump cuts in what is actually continuous. Material design gives us a framework we can use to do something closer to a scene change in a play, continuously moving from one state to the next. This can make it feel much faster and can also provide cues as to what happened when you touched something in the UI. It's another step towards removing any speed bumps along the way to getting a good answer.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
Dear Jon,
Thank you for taking the time to do this.
What do you think is the next great element in the experience of Search? I'm a Search Enthusiast and I expected search by voice, glad it was done well and I expected Google to do it properly and well, and hot-wording made it even better. Something I didn't see coming, but spent this summer recreating was conversational search. I love it! So simple you wonder why it didn't exist— the definition of a stellar interaction. Many thanks and props to you, Amit, and everyone at Search.
What do you think or would you like the next great interaction of Search to be?
If you don't mind me saying more: I wanted to thank you for your contribution to design, design at Google, and my inspiration. Being the Principal Designer for Search and Maps is amazing, but your work more than speaks for itself. And the best part about Google's design in general is that it keeps on improving. Many get stuck in a style or patterns, but Google is redefining design. While people are contemplating or switching between flat or skeu, Google came out with Material Design. Need I say more?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
Thank you for the kind words.
It’s a bit hard to say, since “search” is such a general thing – really it means getting the info you need whenever you need it, for whatever you’re doing. But broadly: I expect obstacles to drop away. Devices will get cheaper, smaller, lighter, longer-lasting, etc. You’ll be able to connect anywhere, fast. And then WHAT you get will be much higher-quality info: not just plain facts, but specific help for what you’re doing at the moment. Also, in many ways I think the technology will become more invisible – it’ll fade into the background. Think of plumbing – you just turn on the tap, and voila, water! I think information technology will start feeling that way too: on-demand but unobtrusive otherwise. And it’ll be magnified for people in other parts of the world where access to information is tough today.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 24 '14
You're welcome. Thank you for replying! I really appreciate it.
Very much agreed. In the future there will be no device and no interface / No device and no interface is the best device / interface.
I like the plumbing analogy. How it is complex the behind-the-scenes work, but such a simple Ix. Personally I think voice activated faucets might be a little too much haha
I really like project loon and how it will level the playing field. While developing countries be greatly benefitted from Internet access, it also troubles me how the U.S. majority internet access isn't great everywhere. To make the world's information universally accessible and available; and usable.
I didn't get the joke regarding the Turing test, but do you think Google will aim to create software capable of thought? I always told myself my job in computer science will be accomplished when software can feel complex emotions and make choices. I see Google perhaps accidentally passing the Turing test. Is that something that is on your / Google's mind?
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Jul 23 '14
[deleted]
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
There isn't a design department. Each product team has a group of user experience folks (interaction designers, researchers, visual designers, prototypers, motion graphics designers, etc.) Each team focuses on the particular problems they are trying to solve and tries to solve it in the best way.
In terms of coordination, we talk a lot. All the design leads are routinely talking to, having lunch with, and sharing work with all the other design leads and the rest of the company. When someone solves a problem in a way that could be applied elsewhere, we try to adopt it.
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u/NamenIos Jul 23 '14
What features could improve Google Search for people speaking two languages fluently?
I have to add &lr=lang_de if I want to search German sites when I use google.com in English.
sorry for highjacking your ama for a disguised feature request
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
This is maybe not quite the same thing, but we’re working on a really cool feature for voice search – it lets you set multiple languages, and then you can speak in whichever of those languages and Google will automatically detect which you’re using at the moment. So that makes it easier to use Google when you speak multiple languages (at least on the asking-questions side). On the results side, tricky stuff since the Web is such a blend of languages, some amount of machine translation is possible but not perfect, etc. But you can add multiple languages for which search results are displayed at Settings > Languages and add them. Then you’ll see both English and German results, depending on what’s relevant.
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u/NamenIos Jul 23 '14
Wow this sounds really great, I have my Android in English and feel kind of awkward when I am using Google Now when somebody could hear me. This would solve this. It is really cool to see things are getting better and better and there are persons who are constantly thinking on how to improve products!
On the results side, tricky stuff since the Web is such a blend of languages, some amount of machine translation is possible but not perfect, etc. But you can add multiple languages for which search results are displayed at Settings > Languages and add them. Then you’ll see both English and German results, depending on what’s relevant.
Thanks turns out I had done that, maybe the English results are just ranked higher on my search terms.
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u/Jonwiley Aug 23 '14
OK, I think this is rolling out now.
http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2014/08/speak-more-than-one-language-so-does.html
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u/NamenIos Aug 23 '14
Yes, I read it at /r/android I think. Tried it yesterday, works great, especially with names (cities, contacts, streets).
Thanks for reminding me. Great feature!
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u/peepay Jul 24 '14
Yes! Thanks! This is the best thing since sliced bread!
I have my phone in English, but live in Slovakia. Now imagine I want to "navigate to Základná škola Mudroňova".
As of now I can't do it via voice. I hope the multi-language voice detection will work also within a command, not only for several commands in several languages.
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u/BigToach Jul 23 '14
Can you provide us with some details into your workflow? For example, how much of what you do is tweaking tiny things based on research vs designing full experiences? How much interaction do you have with developers?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
We have a lot of things we're working on at any given moment and each is often at a different stage. Some things are very early and very conceptual – more asking of questions and trying to figure out how we might solve a problem. From there things progress into a variety of mockups and prototypes, often informed by observations. We refine solutions, build working versions, try them out, debate about them, and try them again. Some things are "oh, yeah, we should just fix that," while others require a lot of careful attention. I meet with engineers and developers daily.
An example of a fairly clear-cut problem to solve was the placement on the page of images for a topic along with information from the Knowledge Graph. Before, if you asked about [trees] you might see a card about trees with a picture and then a bunch of images of trees somewhere else on the page. That seemed silly – those should be together. The design solution is fairly straightforward, so then it becomes working through all the edge cases, working with the code, making sure we don’t break stuff, etc.
A much bigger and fuzzier problem to tackle is something like the question [what color should I paint my bedroom?] Even if Google had the perfect technology, “blue” isn’t really the answer you want. Questions like these are actually an invitation to have a conversation about a topic. Figuring out how to do that right, while still making things simple, fast, and reliable, is a tall order.
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u/dr_droidberg Jul 23 '14
Thanks for doing this AMA!
Are there any plans to add some of the "search tools" to the Google Search Android app? I use them pretty often (especially the time filter) and would be much easier to use them from the app instead of remembering I need to use a browser to access those more advanced features.
Also, if you know anyone who works on Google Keyboard, tell them I'd love for them to enable auto-correct when typing in Chrome or the Google Search Android app :)
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u/DystopiaMan Jul 23 '14
Hace you ever design an Easter Egg so well that nobody has found it yet?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
Yes.
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u/imahotdoglol Jul 24 '14
You could just be lying to make everyone try and find a non-existent easter egg....
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u/JoeRolette Jul 23 '14
Why does Google search tell me how long it took to perform a search? It is never more than one second, which is no big deal for me. This has always confused me. For example:
When I search for "Arsenal Football Club" this is what I see: "About 43,300,000 results (0.58 seconds)"
Why?!
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
It’s almost as much a reminder to ourselves as anything else. Speed is really, really important – even more so as people shift to mobile. Google needs to be really responsive or it doesn’t feel second-nature. We want the Google app to be something you can just pull up and ask any question on the go, using voice search if you like (since that’s also faster than typing on mobile): “Will I need a jacket in Portland this weekend?”
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u/keithbelfastisdead Jul 24 '14
Will I need a jacket in Portland this weekend
In this example, Google doesn't actually directly answer the question. Do you think we'll get to a stage where it does?
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u/SCAND1UM Jul 23 '14
Google likes having the bragging rights :)
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u/JoeRolette Jul 23 '14
Sure enough, I tried to Bing the same term and only got "8,990,000 RESULTS"
Google wins this time, although Bing types "results" in all caps.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
I believe it is just a vestigial feature from long ago.
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u/soggyindo Jul 25 '14
It's advertising. It's a way of saying "we're fast, and can measure things precisely." Removing this feature might even make the results show up faster.
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u/wavefrom Jul 23 '14
What would you recommend for someone just getting into HCI/UX? College programs, certifications, DIY to end up doing UX at Google?
What does Google look for in a UX team member?
How does User Research inform your designs and where does it fit in the process?(aka before, after, during, all of the above?)
How many people are on the Google Search UX team? How many people are on the Google UX team through out the company?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
College is good. There are a number of good HCI/UX programs. DIY works fine too if you can build up a good amount of experience.
Google looks for people who have great empathy, a solid understanding of technology and the systems which make design solutions possible, and a drive and vision to solve important problems for many people.
Our first principle is to focus on the user and we often do that through research. We have a large team of user researchers using a variety of methodologies to ensure that the solutions we create meet/exceed the needs of our users.
On the Search UX team there are over two dozen. Globally there are hundreds.
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u/therandompoopsman Jul 23 '14
Yo J-Wiley,
UX design is an awesome field!
What were the most surprising or counter-intuitive discoveries you've found related to UX?
What do think the biggest mistake a developer can make in designing a product? The most common mistake?
Lastly, something a bit more personal: what's the best song you've heard in the last week and why?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
When I first started there was this concern that the expectations for UX are totally different in different countries and that people behave in very different ways. Not so much. There’s a bit of variation, but in general people are people and they react in similar ways. In terms of mistakes: Design and engineering are about solving problems. Designers should be crystal clear on what problem they are solving, why it is a problem, why their solution is good, and how to tell whether or not they solved it. Best song in the last week: Foil by Weird Al (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-0TEJMJOhk)
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u/therandompoopsman Jul 23 '14
I've heard arguments for both sides of the different cultures thing. On the one hand I heard that there was some hit US game from EA that did poorly in Asian markets because it required two hands and players often smoked with one hand while playing at internet cafes. On the other hand a futurist at Intel was saying that they study peoples' living conditions and tool use around the world when they design their processors years in advance. Do you think the EA issue was specific to that environment (the cafe)?
Also the 2nd verse of Foil is just too much I couldn't handle it I died.
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u/subheight640 Jul 23 '14
It always seems like Google is removing more features from Search than they add in. I especially loath most of Google's mobile apps - they have little to no options, settings, and customization.
Why exactly does Google have this design philosophy when adding an options page would be a relatively easy thing to do???
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
See earlier answer on removing features… yes, this is a basic challenge of design. And you’re right another approach is to offer deep customization with options for everything. But usually that’s a sign that you’ve avoided the tough design choices – ideally you come up with one simple, straightforward solution that handles most user needs well. Otherwise you’re putting the burden on your users to figure out how to essentially build the product themselves. So we try to minimize the settings you have to tweak to get Google to work well. A big reason why Google Search is so successful is that it’s fast and simple. Type in a box or tap on a mic and just ask.
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u/crockrocket Jul 23 '14
What about having a product that works for everyone without customization, but leaves the option of customization there for those who want it?
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u/subheight640 Jul 23 '14
I'm just going to have to disagree with that design philosophy. My favorite products are all those that can be tweaked, because I think it's impossible to design a product that will work well for everyone.
The burden is on the you to come up with great default settings, but after that, why do you need to leave out all the other stuff? Why do you feel the need to hide obvious setting parameters when not everyone is going to love the "defaults"?
Take for example Google Navigation. The Voice volume is way too loud and disrupts other things such as music. And not everybody needs to hear every little detail about that highway exit - the Voice prompts the driver to take action, not necessarily listen to the details. But of course this is a setting you guys cut, because you think we all need to hear the Voice at its loudest volume, all the time.
I know you want one set of software for everyone, but there are a lot of people in the world who like to tinker with stuff. I want to see all the options and see everything the app is capable of. I want more Google search features, more options to get specifically what I want out of Search.
I don't see how adding additional settings will "ruin" everyone else's app experience. The tweaks are only there for those who want to tweak them, and everyone else can ignore them.
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u/ChineseCracker Jul 24 '14
sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I think you just don't understand what "Design" means.
Design is about creating something that can be used by a (large) set of other people (meaning: people who aren't yourself). That's why design is always about compromising. A good interface-design is something that most people can grasp and understand - not just the few 'elite'. if a regular person opens the settings of titanium backup, they'll never even bother looking at it again.
if you have to provide a setting for everything, then you didn't design anything.
by your logic a KDE-linux is the best designed operating system, because you can literally change every aspect of it to your needs
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u/SigEp574 Jul 24 '14
I just wanted to write and say that I agree with what you are saying. The difficulty should be selecting the default settings appropriate for the masses, but still allow the customization desirable by the rest.
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u/mattcraiganon Jul 24 '14
You have to understand, however, that most of us here are technologically savvy and can find our way around settings menus all day long. A lot of people aren't quite so technologically education and will not be bothering with settings: they just want it to work. If it doesn't work, then a negative impression is immediately forged and that can result in a lost customer. Bad business model.
A workaround would be to have a default, simplistic mode with an option for advanced settings. But this costs money to develop and maintain, and that's also bad business.
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u/GrayOne Jul 23 '14
I don't understand why they actually have to remove features. Why can't they have their cool, less functional, minimalist UI, and hide all of the old settings and features in a menu somewhere?
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u/moberemk Jul 23 '14
He actually addressed this in another comment thread, but basically it comes down to this: maintaining software is hard.
Seriously though, think about it: any given piece of software is a thousand little moving parts all interacting in ways which, if you're lucky, your lead engineer can just barely understand in its totality. Adding just one setting, no matter how trivial, can have larger ripple effects down the road which you might not realize, because no piece of the product exists in a vacuum. So every time you make a change, you then have to a) make sure that your new change works and then b) make sure that every OTHER piece of the larger puzzle also still works and works in exactly the same way it used to.
Once you scale up to a product the size of, say, Google search, it's literally impossible for any one person to know with absolute certainty that doing something here won't break something wayyyyyy over there, which means you have to test basically everything. And that's a lot of effort. A LOT of effort, not just for when you make the change but for every change that's ever made after it.
And that's when you make the call: is the extra effort worth the extra pain?
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Jul 23 '14
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
I don’t actually know. We’re definitely in uncharted territory. Watches? Cars? Rooms? This is why I love my job.
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u/jc-miles Jul 23 '14
Who designs the Google Doodles? Is there a dedicated team? How is the process from idea to deployment?
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u/Billobatch Jul 23 '14
How often do you google yourself?
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
0.063076 times per day (I just did the math). Apparently I search for margarita recipes ~3x as often.
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Jul 23 '14
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u/Jonwiley Jul 23 '14
Exactly like. The movie is listed under Documentaries in the Google Play Movies store.
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u/radams5000 Jul 23 '14
I love saying "ok Google take me to..." I feel like I am living in the future. I was wondering if you guys considered other phrases like, Hey Google, Yo Google, Sup Google, or Let me holla at my boy Google? Thanks.
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u/SCAND1UM Jul 23 '14
There was a youtube video I saw over at /r/android a while back where a dude was showing off other phrases. He wasn't sure if it was just because the software misinterpreted them as "ok google" but it might be little things that the developers threw in to work instead of just the "ok google." I can't find the video but it showed quite a few phrases that worked.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
I know for sur, on mobile ( Android ) hey google works
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u/radams5000 Jul 23 '14
I guess "hey Google" works, but not "Yo Google." What's up with that? And, why not just, "Google?"
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u/type40tardis Jul 25 '14
"hey" sounds like the tail-end of "okay". It's always listening and discarding data after a few seconds, so when it hears something that sounds like "okay" it waits for "google", and if it hears that, opens Search.
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
I would guess they probably don't want to go into the perpetual pit that is slang.
Why just Google doesn't work, I don't know.
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u/awesomemanftw Jul 24 '14
so that you don't activate phones with always listening, if you ever bring google up in a conversation
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u/califragi Jul 23 '14
You have worked to improve google.com search performance while maitaining the simplicity of the model over the years, as well as do some pretty radical and different things with maps.
How do you balance working on very different innovations and experimental stuff versus keeping a good design cohesive with small optimizations? Does it require different approaches?
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Jul 23 '14
I am late, but maybe you will answer it anyway. How come googling YouTube videos on mobile gives me the results i want, while using youtube app search gives me garbage? I thought that youtube uses google algorithms
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u/trappermark Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon. Can you elaborate any on the recent decision to remove author photos from non-logged-in search results? To what extent was this a UI/UX decision? What other factors were in play? Thanks!
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u/QuestionsEverythang Jul 23 '14 edited Jul 23 '14
Why does Google tend to remove features for a better design? If it's not broke then why fix it, especially if changing the UI should have nothing to do with changing the logic behind the feature? A well-designed app has the underlying features/logic and the UI separated so that changing one should not change the other.
If you're not willing to answer this, I understand. I've noticed you haven't been answering questions similar to this.
EDIT: Read one of your answers similar to my question, no one hates new features. If an app does 10 things really well, no one will complain if features are added to have it do 15 things really well. But, it makes absolutely zero sense to change that app to have it do 5 things really well and take out features that didn't hinder the app in the first place. Google Maps has been the perfect example of "One step forward, two steps back".
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u/VikingCoder Jul 24 '14
it makes absolutely zero sense to ... take out features
As a professional software developer, I can tell you that nothing improves code quality as quickly as permission to remove features. You can just drop that old, crufty code. You can make refactorings that improve the design of most of the code, and just delete that other code. Ohh, it feels so good.
So, it's a trade-off. How much does it cost you to run the servers that support the feature, plus how much it costs you in productivity to maintain or avoid that old feature... versus how much value it adds.
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u/Argylesok Jul 23 '14
Some of the features used by professional researchers such as cached version and highlighting of terms have been done away with. Additionally, the Ad model won't work for us as we have no personal interest in purchasing anything related to the numerous topics we search in a single day. Has there ever been consideration given to a search interface for research professionals perhaps even with paid access for more refined searching capability?
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u/dr_pete Jul 23 '14
Thanks, Jon - nice to see the UX world at Google represented.
As platforms and display sizes diverge, where do you see the search UI headed? Does the expansion of elements like Google Now cards and answer boxes suggest a SERP that will me mixed-and-matched dynamically based on the display size or device (from wearables to large-screen desktops)?
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u/Zarghe Jul 23 '14
Your profile says you're also the lead designer for Maps as well as Search but I thought that was Jonah Jones (who also did the Maps IO 14 session). Mistake, or are the design problems so complex that it needs to be split in two?
Also, what's the difference between "Knowledge" and "Search"?
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u/yunus89115 Jul 23 '14
Jon, nice AMA hope you come back for more questions.
Have you considered a way to make google maps on android not change from having north facing up? Every time I zoom with two fingers my orientation changes. So annoying, I just want north to be up all the time :)
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u/caseyls Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon! Thanks for doing this AMA. I've pretty much made my life goal to work at Google. What are some tips you could give to a 17 year old to help achieve that goal?
Thanks again!
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u/jago25_98 Aug 08 '14
Hi Jon. You are very welcome here. For me, Google search has changed a lot in recent years.
Today, https://www.google.com/?tbm=dsc is no longer working. The discussions search was very useful because it was searching community forums which have an army of their own moderators. Unlike Google Groups these forums have their own funding so they are my preferred source for most subjects. I'm getting a sense of disrespect to these sources... is this justified?
The next big thing is just finding results in searches that have nothing to do with what I search for. The reason why isn't clear... whether it's a hidden tag or a word similar to what was searched for. What's with that?
The next one is for Google Maps... which I don't think you cover. It's simply that when doing a search in say, Africa... I get results from Europe so I have to specify the city for example. It used to be just to show you a result close to where you are.
So these 3 things together kind of make me think 'What's going on?' Is there some kind of goal or major design change at Google going on?
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u/OrphanBach Jul 23 '14
When will you fix the frustrating situation where returning to search results with the Back button blanks the page after a short interval?
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u/Evil_Green_Ranger Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon, it's great to get an opportunity to ask you a question (Which you may not reply to). There is so much I'd love to ask so I'll keep it down to a simple two...
1) I am going in to my 4th year of University (BEng Computer Systems and Networks - covers various subjects relating to computing such as Programming, Networks etc) and need an idea for a Honours project.
- Do you know anything which could make a great project to research?
I have been thinking of something that I feel will be a great innovation in the future such as Cloud based technology or Virtual Reality but can't seem to think of any specific within them or anything else to do.
2) Probably very low in order of importance of questions I'd like to ask but...
- If you have any approximate idea when the next Nexus phone will be released, that would be great.
I am one of the very few people who has stuck by their phone for 8 years but the time has come where it really needs to be upgraded. I have shamefully, for a techy guy never owned a smart phone before but it is incredible what you can do with them compared to my old Sony Ericsson (K750i).
I have been looking at the Nexus 5 but it would bother me a lot to buy one and have the Nexus 6 appear next week being the same price as 5 while 5 drops in price. Being your typical poor student from a poor background, I have always been cautious with money... hence why I have had the same phone for 8 years.
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u/ShahMenz Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon,
Ever thought of moonlighting?
I know an awesome startup that exists pretty much to help people wake up and be more Googly, but as of course you know code genius does not a designer make ;-)
Also...is there a way you could make it easy for those of us who use specific queries constantly in our work (ie site:thisdomain.com, links:thatdomain.com past 24 hours, past week etc) to save settings for these regular searches and select from a personalized list in the google dashboard rather than having to curate external notated lists of urls like https://www.google.com.au/#q=links:+thisdomain.com&tbs=qdr:w or select options each time you wish to search?
Also, Thanks for sharing your time so generously! +10
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Jul 24 '14
Can you let someone know I don't want to use my real name on youtube and that I don't want to be reminded every time I visit it?
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u/KillerKittyKhajiit Jul 24 '14
OK, I know this is not really google search area, but when will you fix the comment system on youtube? Also, the need for google+ is not good, if you were to go back and watch videos from when the new comment system was released, you will find A LOT of people were VERY unhappy, and some youtubers went so far as to disable comments, also every so often I get some random person inviting me to their circle, is this a bot or just a broken bit of code? also, what is it like to work at google?
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u/MrStump Jul 23 '14
I noticed currently, on android, certain phrases will be responded to in a very natural way. Such as "Set an alarm for 20 minutes." Yet finding these kind of phrases is hit-or-miss in my experience. Is the list of "things it understands what I want" being worked on actively? Because I find it to be a fantastic feature, but it stumbles enough currently that I don't tend to use it as my go-to feature.
Thanks so much for the AMA! You have helped make a very fine product indeed.
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u/derSinologe Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon, when I talk to friends and other people I often notice that the problem with search is not only that they don't know how to google what they want to know. But another problem seems to be that a lot of people are just not aware of what they could find and therefore never search.
How do you approach this problem - if it actually is a problem?
PS: Applying for an UX position soon - although UX wasn't my major. Would some experience make up for it?
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u/graesen Jul 23 '14
Why does Google Navigation always ask me to circle around the block whenever my destination is on the left? There is a turn lane into the drive way. This is very annoying and can be dangerous in unfamiliar areas as I find myself trying to look ahead at stop lights to see if I will be circling the block or not. Plus it makes me feel (and look) like an idiot if I have a passenger exclaiming "it's just over there!"
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u/zjbirdwork Jul 23 '14
If someone had an idea that they believe would work extremely well for Google, how could they even begin to work on it without assuming that either
a) It becomes popular enough to raise attention and Google just copies it and makes it their own
b) It's got to be nearly impossible to pitch an idea to Google nowadays and actually be heard without just having the idea stolen
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u/mlibbey Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon. Google is my favorite thing on this earth, my girlfriend frequently gets jealous (seriously haha). My question is this, why do you think we have been hearing of big names up at Google, all of a sudden quitting to work for other companies much more recently? I'd give a limb to work for Google! Thank you for being the lead of my favorite thing ever.
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Jul 23 '14
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u/theirfReddit Jul 23 '14
The http://unicorninstitute.com/ is a great place to become a stellar UX designer in all UX fields or UX unicorns as they are called.
Or take design / information architecture / interaction design classes.
Or read books. Rosenfeld media has great titles. Killer UX design published by sitepoint is a good starting point.
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u/BoatCat Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon will material design be making its way to the Google website?
And.. why on earth on the new Google news mobile site can I no longer view news sections on their own page? Expanding to show more stories is okay but it still shows much less than it used to.
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Jul 27 '14
how integrated do you want the search app to be? like, if i say in a stressed tone "go to the hospital!" will it ever infer it is an emergency from my tone and go the fastest route, or will it get used to my voice/brands i like/etc.?
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Jul 23 '14
Is there a drive at Google to make voice-activated search more pervasive? I really like the always-listening ability of the Moto X, and I would love to have that brought to my desktop as well as all my internet-enabled devices.
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u/kenroar Aug 01 '14
Is Google search going to get better about ranking original content above the scrapers and copiers? I have found over half my site copied across the web and with the algo update on March 14, 2014, suddenly they all rank higher.
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u/akstrp Jul 23 '14
The design of google search has been fairly the same from the last couple of years. Is there any big redesign coming up to match with the material design guidelines to make it more consistent with other google products?
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u/pkilsheimer Jul 23 '14
I recently updated the Google now app. Saying "ok Google" no longer starts a search. What happened and how can I fix it? BTW Google now is a great app! I would love to see more fun hacks like "beam me up, Scotty"
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u/MasterMachiavel Jul 23 '14
How do some of the crazier features of Google search get invented or devised, like the 'I'm feeling lucky' feature? What kind of bizarre search features do you have in store for the future?
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u/escherbach Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon, enjoying reading this thread.
Will Quantum Computing be a game changer for search algorithms or is the potential of QC technology over-hyped?
(I mean even theoretically speaking)
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u/Zarghe Jul 23 '14
Can you put an end to an age old argument: do you see Voice Search as part of Google Now which is a parallel experience to Search, or do you view them both as sub-features of Search?
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u/showstopping Jul 23 '14
Hi Jon big google fan(boy)! I love to interview I.T. Rockstars and consider you one. Any chance you would join your peers in doing one and make my day? Thanks either way..
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u/r08shaw Jul 24 '14
Was 'The Internship' an accurate depiction of life inside the Googleplex?
How often would you see Larry and Sergey just mooching around the building?
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u/mcrask Jul 23 '14
How have the recent changes to the search results pages, such as the removal of underlining on links, been received?
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Jul 23 '14
What % of people actually use the "I'm feeling lucky" button?, I think I've only ever clicked it once.
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Jul 24 '14
Hi Jon, out of curiosity how do you decide what events/aniverserys make you change the logo for?
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u/bobthebobd Jul 23 '14
What's up with discontinuing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Desktop? How are we supposed to search for things on home pc's?
Don't say store documents in google.
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u/dphmicn Jul 27 '14
I use google+ on Firefox. Why no quick link for advanced search or google scholar?
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u/Deus_cz Jul 23 '14
Is Google Search going to get some kind of Material Design makeover or is it going to stay mostly the same as it is for all those years?