Facebook redesigns core service

Default avatar.
March 11, 2013
Facebook redesigns core service.

ThumbnailIt’s been some time since Facebook made any changes to its News Feed, and like Timeline feature launched in 2011 the News Feed redesign represents a major change to one of the site’s core services.

In the press event announcing the change, Mark Zuckerberg said of the service, The news feed is one of the most important things we’ve built”. He went on to add that the News Feed was, the most personalized newspaper,” and that, the stories around you deserve to be displayed with more than just text”.

These statements coincided perfectly with the three major components of the new and improved news feed: larger images; multiple feeds; consistency across mobile devices.

However, the goal of the News Feed redesign wasn’t only to make it a better product for Facebook users. It also enhanced the ability for businesses to inject sponsored posts into the stream by making these advertisements richer and bigger; allowing for larger images and video content to be used as advertising. While there was no mention of video advertising in the presentation the opportunity is obviously there.

As far as feeds are concerned, users will now be able to control how feeds are displayed. Using a subscription-based model the user will be able to remove feeds that create too much noise as well as add new feeds based on their likes or their relationship with other users.

Feeds

On the surface, the ability to break feeds down by category and increased real estate for the feeds look like great enhancements for the user. Yet given Facebook’s lack of respect for their users’ information and privacy shown in the past, it makes you wonder if the driving force behind these improvements was a dedication to user experience or a dedication to their business model.

Don’t get me wrong, I know Facebook is in business to make money and keep their investors happy, but when a company releases new product features that make marketers drool you have to wonder just who they are trying to please.

The one feature that presents itself to be something that will have real benefit for Facebook users is their dedication to providing a consistent look over multiple devices. Given how many users interact with their Facebook account over their phone or tablet, it only makes sense to address this market.

Mobile

Impressively, the team responsible for this feature looked to many of the apps built to enhance the Facebook experience on mobile devices. Adding a side navigation bar and more white space certainly make it easier to condense content to fit a smartphone’s screen as well as expand to fill the larger screen of a tablet. The aim of this new look was to declutter the page and give it a simpler look according to the project’s lead engineer.

Facebook has promised a slow roll out of this latest redesign, perhaps to quiet the onslaught of complaints that most applications receive when they overhaul something to this extent. Those who wish to get an early glimpse of the News Feed enhancement can sign-up for the waiting list at www​.facebook​.com/​n​e​w​sfeed. Others will just have to wait and see if they take kindly to the changes or start signing petitions to bring back the old look.

What do you think of the new Facebook News Feed design? Will you be using it? Let us know in the comments.

Jeff Orloff

Jeff is the content developer for a security company. He also writes about apps, security and just about anything else web related. You can see more from him at jeffreyorloff​.com or follow him on twitter @jeorl.

Read Next

Apple Opts for AR over VR at WWDC

An Apple VR headset has been one of the most widely-rumored devices of the last few years, and it was finally settled a…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, June 2023

We’re halfway through 2023 already, and the number of incredible apps, tools, and resources for designers is mounting.

3 Essential Design Trends, June 2023

This month we are focusing on three trends within a bigger website design trend – different navigation menu styles and …

15 Best New Fonts, May 2023

The choices you make when selecting a typeface have more impact on your design than almost any other decision, so it’s …

10+ Best Tools & Resources for Web Designers and Agencies (2023 updated)

Having the ability to envision a tastefully designed website (i.e., the role creativity plays) is important. But being …

20 Best New Websites, May 2023

This month, there are tons of great new agency websites to get excited about. 3D animated prisms are a popular theme, a…

How to Find the Right White Label Website Builder for Your Agency

Web design agencies face a lot of obstacles in closing the deal with new clients. One of the most common ones is the ar…

Exciting New Tools For Designers, May 2023

There are hundreds of new tools for designers and developers released each month. We sift through them all to bring you…

3 Essential Design Trends, May 2023

All three of the website design trends here mimic something bigger going on in the tech space, from a desire to have mo…

10 Best AI Tools for Web Designers (2023)

It’s time to stop worrying if AI is going to take your job and instead start using AI to expand the services you can of…

10 Best Marketing Agency Websites (Examples, Inspo, and Templates!)

Marketers are skilled in developing strategies, producing visual assets, writing text with high impact, and optimizing …

15 Best New Fonts, April 2023

Fonts are a designer’s best friend. They add personality to our designs and enable fine typography to elevate the quali…