Google Trends Explore with Gemini: Redesigning the engine of public Search data
Google Trends is the world's primary window into real-time human curiosity, relied upon by millions of journalists, content creators, researchers, and global enterprises. However, its decade-old legacy architecture presented steep cognitive barriers for less technically savvy creators trying to extract actionable insights from raw search data. I kicked off and led the foundational UX strategy for the Google Trends Explore redesign, establishing a product vision that integrates Gemini generative AI directly into trend exploration. By transforming rigid keyword queries into intuitive natural-language discovery, expanding comparison boundaries, and modernizing data visualizations, the new Explore page makes diving deep into Search trends effortless for creators and newsrooms worldwide.
ROLE
Foundational UX Lead and design strategist
Initiated the redesign vision and led end-to-end foundational UX work from kickoff through design framework definition. Partnered closely with PM and Engineering to establish the core architecture and basis for Gemini-powered discovery, zero-state suggestions, comparisons and modernized chart designs. In April 2025, after establishing the foundational UX blueprints and design system and due to bandwidth constraints, I handed over the work stream to another designer to continue leading the project through UXR refinement and launch in February.
IMPACT
The redesigned Google Trends Explore page with Gemini democratized trend research for millions of independent creators and small publishers as well as increased helpfulness and ease of use for high-velocity newsrooms such as The New York Times. The modernized ecosystem architecture eliminated major outage vulnerabilities, significantly improved performance logging, and accelerated future product hygiene. The launch earned widespread media recognition as a major evolution in AI-assisted research tools.