Google Search Redesign May Be Rolling Out

Download Squad is reporting that a redesign of Google’s main search engine is being rolled out to users, which would make it the first major change in the look of Google search in three years. Interestingly, if this is a new permanent design, it would mark a trend of Google redesigning every three years:

October 2001 – Google adds blue tabs below search box
March 2004 – Google turns tabs into clean links, moves above search box
April 2007 – Google moves links to top-left hand corner menu bar, adds smart tabs.

The new design, followed by the previous two:
2007:

2004:

2001:

(old screenshots via forevergeek)
Not a huge amount has changed, Google has just found a way to increase the amount of white space and clear up UI inconsistencies. Google had been criticized for putting the account links in the top right-hand corner, inconsistent with the rest of the page, and the new menu […]

Original post by Nathan Weinberg