I just game across this post on Please Enjoy, by the Google Creative Lab team. Scott Suiter of Google asked random people in Times Square questions about their browser and search engines. The responses he got are a little surprising and definitely funny.
Of the people interviewed that day, only 8% actually knew what an Internet browser was. Most people just associated a browser with the task that they do most often, which is search the web. Most likely Google is their homepage, and they just think of it as their gateway to the Internet.
Some of the most searched for terms in Google include web addresses, with people actually typing the www or .com into the search box. People know a search box will get them where they are going, and they don’t think about it much after that.
This video was definitely an eye opener, since most of the people I interact with in my life are fairly proficient with technology. Web designers should keep these people in mind when designing their next page or app. Most people don’t care how it works, they just want to get there and get the information they need.
Enjoy.
