Test Google's Newest Prototype for Yourself

By Shane Craver on October 9, 2009

For Google, less is obviously more in user interface design.

Google's main homepage has been the beacon of simplicity even with the first prototype released in November of 1998.

But while other companies add more features, more clutter and more confusion to their sites, Google takes it away.

That 1998 prototype produced by Google is a garbled mess in comparison to the latest design in the works.

But you can try it out and see for yourself.

Thanks to Google's openness to experimentation, you can try the working prototype by following the instructions below:

• Go to Google.com
• Paste the following snippet of code in your address bar:

javascript:void(document.cookie="PREF=ID=abac7a90f5a3784b:LD=en:NR=10:TM=1254990196:LM=1254990236:S=uB6F4jDnMP_DuxtT;path=/; domain=.google.com");

• Hit Enter
• Refresh your page

You'll notice that only the logo, search box and two buttons are present. To see other options just hover over the page for a second.

That's it.

If you find this little Google trick interesting enough, take a minute to visit Google Labs to see the bigger and better projects that the innovation giant is working on.

Thanks to Google Blogoscoped for the tip.