Google Maps new colors upset some, including former designer

If you wish to spark a good-hearted debate on the workplace water cooler, ask your coworkers what they consider the brand new Google Maps shade scheme.

The brand new replace, which has been out for weeks, was a lightning rod for on-line banter over the week of Thanksgiving journey. The prevailing opinion: Persons are mad concerning the new colours.

The roads are actually grey as an alternative of yellow and our bodies of water are teal as an alternative of a deeper blue. Parks traded of their inexperienced for mint.

“It feels colder, much less correct and fewer human,” former Google Maps designer Elizabeth Laraki wrote on X (previously Twitter) final week. Her put up additionally highlighted methods she believed Google Maps might clear up its person interface.

“In case you’re gonna undergo such a major shift that may be very noticeable to folks, it appeared an attention-grabbing option to focus a lot on making these very noticeable dramatic adjustments to the map tiles themselves however nonetheless go away all of the crud on high of the map that’s there,” Laraki informed CNBC.

Laraki additionally mentioned that it felt “extra much like Apple Maps coloring than Google Maps coloring.”

Laraki was not alone, as others took to X and Reddit to precise their frustration with the brand new colours. Some agreed with Laraki’s stance on them being chilly, whereas others had been upset that there was not sufficient distinction between the brand new colours.

“We’re at all times interested by the best way to make Google Maps extra precisely replicate the true world. We designed our updates primarily based on intensive analysis and suggestions from customers — with a purpose of creating the map simpler to make use of and perceive. For instance, the roads are actually darker to look extra like precise roads and supply a greater canvas for useful particulars like lanes,” mentioned a Google spokesperson in an e-mail.

Laraki additionally mentioned that it was a dramatic change to make with out making a transparent public assertion concerning the causes behind the brand new adjustments.

The web boards had a choose few sticking up for the brand new replace, although they had been dramatically outnumbered.

Google Maps has come out with quite a lot of new updates over the past month, together with new methods to search out issues to do and use emojis, nevertheless none have acquired as a lot opinionated consideration as the brand new colours.