Google News website gets a much-needed redesign

The Search Engine Giant today rolled out a brand new look for its 14-year-old Google News. The redesign is modern, clutter-free, and puts the emphasis on what’s important when browsing the number of news stories.

A gray background and white cards around each story bring the site more in line with what Google has been doing on Android and makes it look a lot like Google Now. Everything is a lot more spaced out, so you’ll see less information on a single page. Google says the airier design is “designed for readability” and will make it easier to scan stories.

According to Google:

“To make news more accessible and easier to navigate, we redesigned the desktop website with a renewed focus on facts, diverse perspectives, and more control for users.”

The site remains recognizable as Google News. There’s still a vertical column of sections on the left side, but now the list is customizable. The Google News page now has three sections located at the center of the homepage: a top headlines list, a local list, and a personalized “For You” section containing stories in interest areas you’ve preselected.

Story cards will still expand to show different perspectives on a news story, with labels on some articles like “Opinion,” “Highly cited,” and “Fact Check.” At the bottom of a card is a new “Full Coverage” link, which will open up a new page full of stories about that topic. You can sort by date, top videos, or relevance.

These efforts will go a long way in helping Google stay competitive with mobile-first news readers like Apple News and the built-in news delivery mechanisms of Facebook and Twitter.