{"id":3108,"date":"2008-04-25T14:22:30","date_gmt":"2008-04-25T08:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=3108"},"modified":"2026-10-21T15:12:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T09:42:40","slug":"golden-google-design-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Design Principles: 10 UX Rules and What They Mean (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We all use Google every day for search, email, maps and more. Its products became the web&#8217;s starting point partly because of a clear set of <strong>Google design principles<\/strong>: be fast, be simple and focus on the user. In 2008 we shared Google&#8217;s ten user experience principles and its &#8220;ten things we know to be true&#8221; philosophy. Here is what they say, what they mean in 2026, and how to apply them to your own site.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67742\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026.webp\" alt=\"Six colorful spheres symbolizing simple, friendly Google design principles\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/google-design-principles-2026-768x403.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Google&#8217;s ten design principles were: focus on people; every millisecond counts; simplicity is powerful; engage beginners and attract experts; dare to innovate; design for the world; plan for today&#8217;s and tomorrow&#8217;s business; delight the eye without distracting the mind; be worthy of people&#8217;s trust; and add a human touch. Today Google expresses its design approach through Material Design, but the same ideas of speed, simplicity and trust still apply.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae374a0b367a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae374a0b367a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#Googles_10_user_experience_design_principles\" >Google&#8217;s 10 user experience design principles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#Googles_philosophy_ten_things_we_know_to_be_true\" >Google&#8217;s philosophy: ten things we know to be true<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#Google_design_principles_in_2026_Material_Design\" >Google design principles in 2026: Material Design<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#How_to_apply_Googles_design_principles_to_your_site\" >How to apply Google&#8217;s design principles to your site<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#What_are_Googles_design_principles\" >What are Google&#8217;s design principles?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#What_design_system_does_Google_use_today\" >What design system does Google use today?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#What_is_Googles_%E2%80%9Cten_things_we_know_to_be_true%E2%80%9D\" >What is Google&#8217;s &#8220;ten things we know to be true&#8221;?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/golden-google-design-principles\/#Why_is_speed_a_Google_design_principle\" >Why is speed a Google design principle?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Googles_10_user_experience_design_principles\"><\/span>Google&#8217;s 10 user experience design principles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google published these principles on its corporate site in the late 2000s. That page has since been retired, but the ideas remain a useful checklist for any designer:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Focus on people, their lives, their work, their dreams.<\/strong> Start from real user needs, not features.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Every millisecond counts.<\/strong> Speed is a feature. Fast pages keep visitors and rank better.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Simplicity is powerful.<\/strong> Remove clutter so the main task is obvious.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Engage beginners and attract experts.<\/strong> Make the basics easy while offering shortcuts and advanced options.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dare to innovate.<\/strong> Try new ideas, but keep them consistent with what users already know.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Design for the world.<\/strong> Support different languages, devices, connection speeds and abilities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Plan for today&#8217;s and tomorrow&#8217;s business.<\/strong> Make money in ways that don&#8217;t hurt the user experience.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Delight the eye without distracting the mind.<\/strong> Good visuals support the content rather than compete with it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be worthy of people&#8217;s trust.<\/strong> Be clear about data, privacy and what happens when users click.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Add a human touch.<\/strong> Friendly writing, helpful errors and small moments of personality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Googles_philosophy_ten_things_we_know_to_be_true\"><\/span>Google&#8217;s philosophy: ten things we know to be true<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>These design principles grew out of Google&#8217;s company philosophy, which is still published on its <a href=\"https:\/\/about.google\/philosophy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Google philosophy page<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Focus on the user and all else will follow.<\/li>\n<li>It&#8217;s best to do one thing really, really well.<\/li>\n<li>Fast is better than slow.<\/li>\n<li>Democracy on the web works.<\/li>\n<li>You don&#8217;t need to be at your desk to need an answer.<\/li>\n<li>You can make money without doing evil.<\/li>\n<li>There&#8217;s always more information out there.<\/li>\n<li>The need for information crosses all borders.<\/li>\n<li>You can be serious without a suit.<\/li>\n<li>Great just isn&#8217;t good enough.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_design_principles_in_2026_Material_Design\"><\/span>Google design principles in 2026: Material Design<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Today Google&#8217;s design thinking is expressed through <a href=\"https:\/\/m3.material.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Material Design 3<\/strong><\/a>, its open design system for Android, web and other platforms. In 2025 Google introduced Material 3 Expressive, which adds more colour, shape and motion while keeping usability at the centre. Material Design gives designers ready-made guidance on colour, typography, layout, components and accessibility, turning the old principles into practical rules.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_apply_Googles_design_principles_to_your_site\"><\/span>How to apply Google&#8217;s design principles to your site<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Speed:<\/strong> compress images, cut unneeded scripts and test with PageSpeed Insights.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Simplicity:<\/strong> give each page one main job and remove anything that distracts from it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mobile and global:<\/strong> design for small screens first and support accessibility standards.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trust:<\/strong> avoid misleading ads, explain data use clearly and keep the site secure with HTTPS.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Human touch:<\/strong> write in plain, friendly language and make error messages helpful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These principles offer timeless wisdom: apply them and your site can stand out in any niche. For more design basics, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/04\/crap-principles-of-professional-web-site-designing\/\">CRAP design principles<\/a> and our guide to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/09\/essential-web-design-elements\/\">essential web design elements<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_Googles_design_principles\"><\/span>What are Google&#8217;s design principles?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google&#8217;s ten UX principles focus on people, speed, simplicity, serving both beginners and experts, innovation, global design, sustainable business, clean visuals, trust and a human touch.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_design_system_does_Google_use_today\"><\/span>What design system does Google use today?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google uses Material Design. The current version is Material Design 3, with the Material 3 Expressive update introduced in 2025.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Googles_%E2%80%9Cten_things_we_know_to_be_true%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>What is Google&#8217;s &#8220;ten things we know to be true&#8221;?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It is Google&#8217;s company philosophy, starting with &#8220;Focus on the user and all else will follow&#8221; and ending with &#8220;Great just isn&#8217;t good enough&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_speed_a_Google_design_principle\"><\/span>Why is speed a Google design principle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Because users abandon slow pages. Google treats every millisecond as important, and page experience also influences search performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all use Google every day for search, email, maps and more. Its products became the web&#8217;s starting point partly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3108"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67746,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108\/revisions\/67746"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}