Be careful when you redesign

Facebook is the social networking mantra of the 21st century.

Just a peak at the current social phenomena, Facebook seems to be staying before another new social networking site sweeps us off our feet again. It is undeniable that Facebooking is the in trend amongst millions of people around the world. However, when Facebook announced that they are introducing a new layout, millions of its members lambasted the whole idea.

"New" Facebook

When Facebook first unveiled its makeover in July 2008, there was a link that allowed users the flexibility to switch between the "Old" and the "New". At that infancy stage, the introduction was done subtly to provide time for users to explore and learn the whereabouts of the new layout. Unfortunately, the "New" Facebook caused hysteria among its users with approximately 7 million out of 100 million users joining protests groups that disapproved the new layout.

Why Facebook redesign?

As Dubinsky, Paretti & Armstrong (2001) aptly described, it is important that readers browse sites that are not too cluttered and difficult to understand. As such, the used of segmentation and frames in a website is to help make the website looks neat, eye-soothing and user-friendly.

Facebook's goal is to create a clean and organized layout to reduce the clutter of member's profile pages. In order to give users the flexibility and freedom to select what should be more prominent on the profile pages; hence, Facebook implemented the 'tab' layout.

With the 'tab' layout, profiles were divided into five seperate tabs: Feed, Info, Wall, Photos, and Applications. This gives the users the flexibility to add on tabs whenever they like.

(Source: www.facebook.com)

According to ABC News (2008), Facebook's Vice President of Marketing, Chamath Palihapitiya was quoted saying, "We want to make sure it is easy for people to push and pull information in the form of bite-size content rather quickly."

In the end

Despite its fuming uproar by many, Bitzenhofer (2008) who conducted an analysis to observe the reception and adoption rate of the new layout said that the "New" Facebook was accepted steadily and by the week of August 17th, there were more than 50% of all Facebook users who have checked out the new layout. In addition to that, by that very same week, about 60% of users decide to stay on the "New" layout.

(Source: www.compete.com)

This indicates that any redesign should come with a purpose and function. Beyond the aesthetic appeal of a site, web designer needs to take into consideration the needs, desires and expectations of its users. Ultimately, the new design has to be a better version than what preceded it.

Just as NaMee (2008) advised, "Changes must add enough functionality (for you or your users) or improve usability in such a way as to offset your visitors' resistance."

References

Bitzenhofer, B 2008, The "New' Facebook: Learning from old mistakes, Compete, viewed on 2 November 2008, <http//blog.compete.com/2008/09/03/facebook-new-old-version/>.

Dubinsky, J, Paretti MC & Armstrong, M 2001, Principles of Document Design, viewed 1 November 2008, <http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/tw/TechnicalWriting/docdesign/index.htm>.

ABC News 2008, Facebookers unhappy with the new look site, ABC News, viewed 4 November 2008, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/12/2362454.htm>.

Hoffman, H 2008, Facebook's new profile design is all about tabs, CNET News, viewed on 4 November 2008, <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13515_3-9949175-26.html>.

McNamee, J 2008, The facebook factor: Redesigning a website, Centre of Digital Imaging Arts of Boston University, viewed on 6 November 2008, <http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/design-culture/how-to-redeisgn-a-website>.

Perez JC 2008. Facebook boycott called as millions blast new design, MSN Tech & Gadget. viewed on 7 November 2008, <http://tech.msn.com/news/articlepew.aspx?cp-documentid=10790025>.