Your web browser can say something about you, so experiment!
Your web browser says something about you. Do you like add-ons, pop-up blockers, bookmark bars, and widgets galore? or do you perhaps prefer a cleaner visual style, simplicity and ease of use? There are a range of options and since Google Chrome entered the market it’s become somewhat cool to experiment beyond your pre-installed Internet Explorer or Safari. This is a flirtation you can follow up without fear of catching something. The free browser marketplace has been blown wide open and competition is seriously driving up standards.
When it launched with a slew of catchy viral campaigns and poster ads recently, Google Chrome fast became the hip alternative to prepackaged web access, the new kid on the block with a ton of new design features that clearly resonated well with people everywhere. The uptake of Google’s browser is the obvious combination of strong marketing and a number of simple but appreciable features:
1. It’s fast. Or so the adverts say (trust me, it is). Pages load in a flash. And buffering? That’s soo a thing of the past!
2. It looks great. It’s simple (like everything Google makes) and the nature of its design appeals to young and old alike.
3. You can type searches directly into the address bar. And what a design feature that is! For who but Google could find a way to work their search technology directly into the URL field, cutting out the need for multiple design elements and making an altogether more coherent and intuitive interface.
4. There’s a fully customisable splash page (think Safari’s latest home screen) with thumbnail portals to all your favourite websites.
5. Tabs on top. If you need an explanation of why tabs on top is just so much better than the traditional setup, look no further than this wonderful video created by a designer working on the Firefox 4 user interface:
To cram that detailed explanation within a nutshell, in Firefox 4 (and Google Chrome) the active and inactive UI elements become more individually coherent and defined structures which meet our natural expectations more intuitively.
Firefox 4 is due for release in late 2010 and I have to say from the beta I’m already impressed with the direction they’re taking in the forthcoming iteration. Firefox 4 for Mac sports a UI consistent with Mac OS X, seamlessly blending in as though it were preinstalled software (any Mac user’s dream!) and the optional catalogue of themes and skins introduced partway through Firefox 3′s life cycle remains. The new interface’s icons and layout is more customisable than ever before, allowing each individual to tailor it to his or her own browsing style. Small and large icons, drag and drop; it’s all in there. In many ways the new Firefox is a step up to (or evolution beyond, perhaps) the benchmark set by Google Chrome. Similar features like pinned app tabs means you can keep your most popular web applications, like Gmail, just one click away. Plus, it’s as fast as Chrome, if not faster.
There’s never been a better time to experiment with new web browsers and the functionality of design they bring. Your browser can now truly say something about you and the way you create, share and interact with web content. After testing, it’s hard to put a sheet of paper between Chrome and Firefox at this point, and Safari, default on Mac, now presents a fantastic option for fast and reliable browsing on Windows. They’re all great options. While it remains in beta however, I’ll be helping the Mozilla Foundation iron out the kinks.
