Google search exams empty search area

It looks like Google is testing a more empty style for its search bar. The search bar has no visible field for entering your query after your query is in the field (which you won’t see clearly). It also changes some of the icons to gray with no color.

Praveen Sharma sent this on to me Twitter but Brodie Clark sent super detailed about these weekend design tests.

Here is a screenshot of the blank search box that Google is testing (click to enlarge):

Compare that to the normal search box, which has an outlined box and a colored microphone and search icon:

But in this test, the search bar doesn’t always look empty, it becomes empty after entering a few queries. Here’s a GIF from Praveen of it in action:

Brodie delves much deeper into all of the variations on this test over here.

Note that this seems to work with the new one Full-width auto-complete menu.

Forum discussion at Twitter.