I was going to say I hate Google Docs, but that’s a bit strong. Anyone who had documents with Writely prior to the big server shift yesterday will know what I mean. Writely had a sexy, lean, smooth, web 2.0 interface. The ajax was slick, the usability was high.

Then, Google got their hands on it.

All the sexiness of the Writely interface is gone, replaced with cold text links and unappealing, flat colors. Now, it looks like Gmail. I may like how Gmail works, but I hate how it looks. It’s the same look that Google Spreadsheets had, which has now been merged with Writely to create the abhorrent beast that is Google Docs.

I’ll likely get used to it, but after spending so much time in the friendly Writely environment, moving into the harsh, abrasive Google Docs world will be a drastic shift.

Where are all the designers in Google? Why aren’t they making sure this stuff looks good, in addition to working wonderfully? Isn’t design just as important as usability?

Well, it is to me.