JOSIAH HUGHES, COPYWRITER
Case Study: Chrome.com
josiah-hughes.com
josiahedwardhughes@gmail.com
Today I will walk you through the Google Chrome homepage redesign, where I handled copy from its earliest conception stages through strategy, UX narrative, writing and editing, final deliverables, and internal comms.
HELLO!
It’s a story of how we went from this:
HELLO!
To this:
HELLO!
THE BRIEF
Chrome.com was performing well as a site for browser downloads, but the data showed some growth areas:
IN NUMBERS
47%
54
1.3B
Visitors
Over 1.3 billion users visit Chrome.com every year,
and the site was little more than a download button.
Traffic
47% of visitors already had Chrome installed. The website was not speaking to them.
Markets
In addition to two distinct user bases and Google marketing needs, the site needed to be adaptable for translation into 54 global markets.
THE STRATEGY
THE PATH TO SUCCESS
design
narrative
tone of voice
Adaptive
Benefit-driven
Playful
feedback
Consistent
We decided on a modular website that would work for both Chrome and non-Chrome users.
I pitched multiple narratives before we landed on our final page story.
The page narrative was built around highlighting the three main pillars of Chrome: speed, security, and personalization features.
These three pillars defined how I told the Chrome story across the page.
Google’s tone of voice is friendly and helpful, but it can sometimes feel dry. I worked to liven up the brand message and get fun copy passed through legal.
I wrote dozens of alts for every section on the page, with some true gold that didn’t make it.
The site went through near countless iterations of feedback, both with internal Huge directors and Google’s stakeholders, executives, and legal counsel. Then it was translated into dozens of languages.
I was the sole owner of copy in all of these conversations.
MODULAR NARRATIVE
We planned two narrative experiences that would change depending on the user’s viewport.
If you visited from a non-Chrome browser, you’d receive one version of a site. Visit from Chrome, and you’d get the same information in an order tailored to you.
EARLY NARRATIVES
When we first started the project, Chrome wanted to build a site that catered to its “No place like Chrome” campaign.
In an early pitch, I followed that punny logic for both experiences.
Non-Chrome users would be encouraged to make Chrome their home, then Chrome users would be pushed to really make it theirs by “decorating” with more personalization.
Still from No place like Chrome campaign.
Concepts and rationale from early pitch deck.
THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY
Google decided not to limit themselves to “No place like Chrome.” They were looking for a page that would outlast their campaign. A forever home page, if you will.
That meant the path was wide open for a new narrative. But first, we had to say goodbye to our early concepts.
My favourite piece we couldn’t use — this callout to download Chrome for mobile.
Excerpt from a 30-page copy doc where I explored early copy ideas.
An early extensions module that subtly calls out how Chrome works in everyday life.
SIMPLIFIED MESSAGING
Google kept describing Chrome’s three main value props: that it’s faster, it’s safer, and it’s highly customizable.
Of course, words like “faster” and “safer” were legal no-nos.
But when shortened to fast, safe, and yours, I had found our Chrome.com narrative.
FAST, SAFE, YOURS
These three brand priorities defined how we told the Chrome narrative across the page.
Non-Chrome experience: an animated hero that runs through brand pillars.
Chrome experience: a straightforward hero that subtly hints at personalization.
FAST, SAFE, YOURS
The pillars also created wayfinding across the page as both jumplinks and “pills.”
I made sure that even the jumplinks tell a micro-story, almost like a sentence.
The final section headers that made it onto the page.
Every piece of copy on the page was workshopped through various iterations, working with Google and Huge in both copy docs and Figma.
INFORMATION CARDS
Within the Fast, Safe, and Yours sections (as well as the “by Google” section), we created interactive cards to emphasize the benefits of Chrome.
To speak to our two user bases (new to Chrome, and familiar with Chrome), I decided to make the front of the card more short and snappy, with more nitty-gritty details on the back.
Early explorations for some features cards. I love “stop oversharing,” but it was too cheeky for Google.
Larger cards that feature animations and explanations without needing to be
flipped. (Unfortunately “Keep tabs on tabs” was already used by multiple competitors.)
An example of the front and back of a feature card on the page.
OTHER COPY
As the sole owner of copy, I was responsible for maintaining all client-facing copy documentation. I also worked with Huge’s UX and visual design leads to ensure the pitch decks were in perfect shape, and worked with devs to write accessibility alt text. I also had to work with Google’s legal team, SEO researchers, and localization teams to help accurately translate the page for 54 different markets. The Chrome homepage was one of three or four projects I had on at any given time.
I worked with Google’s product team to write the FAQ for the page.
Excerpt from the lengthy localization guidelines I wrote for the translation team, who
were running into problems finding the right words to replace “fast,” “safe,” and “yours” in the jumplinks and pills.
SIZZLE REEL
I’m most proud of this 90-second sizzle reel, which I concepted, wrote, storyboarded, and edited with an animator and our designers in less than 48 hours. I can’t show you the whole thing because it includes some confidential stats, but the video resulted in actual cheering at a Google town hall that had execs in attendance.
AN INSTANT SUCCESS
downloads
engagement
system
Increased
Increased
Established
reputation
Developed
I can’t tell you the number, but the projected increase in annual Chrome downloads was in the millions.
In other words, we succeeded in speaking to non-Chrome users and increasing downloads.
The new site tested with one-third more engagement than the previous version, with a 13x increase in users interacting with modules below the hero.
Chrome users were interacting with the copy in the cards and educating themselves.
Not only does Chrome.com use Chrome’s new design library, but I also established rules for copy that make it easy to add and subtract new modules.
The copy on the homepage has made it easy to develop Chrome’s new AI section and landing page.
The Chrome.com redesign was one of Huge’s most lauded projects in 2023, and informed work in other channels, both on Google and off.
My copy approach Chrome.com has informed my copy on projects for Google for Education, Android, Cox, and others.
IN RETROSPECT
The Chrome homepage redesign took over a year to complete (and the work is still not done as the page is still being updated with new features). It was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects of my career. I’m grateful that my team had plenty of kind things to say about me and my work in Lattice.
And that about sums up the work I did on the Google Chrome homepage redesign.
Thanks for following along!
GOODBYE!