Google's been on fire with their latest updates, and as UX designers, there's a lot we can learn from their actions. While these updates may not directly impact our workflow, they're worth keeping an eye on 👀

<span class="line-rich-text">-</span>

Immersive Maps 

One update that caught my attention was the Immersive Maps in Google Maps. It's a game-changer, allowing users to engage the platform like never before. No more relying on Street View, as Immersive View gives us a true 3D representation of the path. 

I believe this has the potential to transform the future of navigation, possibly creating exciting opportunities for augmented and virtual reality. 

I wonder how designers will start taking inspiration from Immersive Maps, and applying new UI behaviours into their solutions.

<span class="line-rich-text">-</span>

Duet AI for Workspace

Google has also introduced Duet AI for its workspace applications to assist users with writing, organizing, visualizing and so much more. 

A feature from Duet AI that stood out to me was the image generation in Google Slides. This feature allows users to effortlessly create unique visuals for presentations by generating images based on a few words. This gives anyone the ability to create and visualize even non-existent concepts, within their presentations. 

Even though I don't use Google Slides much myself, it's great to see competition driving innovation. This move is sure to push other presentation tools like Pitch and Tome to step up their game, saving us time when creating killer presentations. 

<span class="line-rich-text">-</span>

Project Tailwind 

Now, let's talk about Project Tailwind. It's like having our own personalized AI assistant. By analyzing our Google Drive documents, it can answer questions and provide insights. It's like having a virtual EA available 24/7.

One example I cannot wait to try is to download a company's quarterly or EOFY results and then asking it questions about their performance. If Project Tailwind can accurately provide insights into matters like this, I think the future is going to be pretty interesting. Investment opportunities 😉

<span class="line-rich-text">-</span>

Bard & Google Search

Google's also shaking things up with Bard. They're on a mission to catch up with Bing's AI and Chat GPT, but they're also carving out their own path. The fact that Bard is trying to become more visual goes to show that it's trying to create or 'bridge the gap' if you will with Chat GPT by providing a differentiation. 

As I teach in my ​Practical User Research & Strategy​ course, when you are competing with competitors, it is important to match their baseline, then continuously beat them by 1%. 

Just as intriguing as Bard, is Google's new AI insertion in Google Search, and I'm curious to see how it will impact SEO and our search behavior. This is an unprecedented move by Google, as it can heavily impact their business model. Remember, Google generates revenue from Google Ads, not AI generated responses; yet.

Will we become obsessed with chatting with AI? Will SEO become AIO (AI-Optimization)? Will different search intents drive people to different platforms to find answers?

<span class="line-rich-text">-</span>

Google's Pixel line 

And let's not forget Google's investment in the Pixel line with its latest announced devices. From the newest midrange phone - the Pixel 7a - to the first foldable phone with the Pixel Fold. Google also revealed the official Pixel Tablet which doubles as a tablet and a smart hub perfect for homes. 

These constant investments show to me that they are determined to keep people away from Apple's ecosystem. Google want's to maintain a firm grip on owning the devices, the operating system (Android) and the search engine for the world.

He who controls the spice controls the universe 🌶