Facebook rolled out a redesign in the wake of its many recent privacy scandals. Today, it feels like Facebook is trying to wipe the slate clean with a minimalist interface and a pivot toward digital community-building.
Just last month, Facebook announced that significant changes were coming to the mobile and desktop platforms. They announced the changes would shift away from the news feed and toward the two features people still use: Events and Groups.
Watch the Zuckerberg announcement here, if you’re so inclined:
But, the gist of it is, Facebook is aiming to get more personal. The company is doing so by putting some distance between features like Groups, Messenger, and Events and the increasingly problematic newsfeed.
Here’s what’s changing:
New look, new feel
So, before we dive into the real meat of the redesign, Facebook has made some notable aesthetic changes. Instead of the big blue header at the top of the page, the site includes a lot more white space, with light gray icons for accessing your newsfeed, notifications, Messenger, and Facebook Watch.
They’ve also updated the logo, shifting gears from an F within a blue or white square to a brighter, circular icon.
It’s all about the groups
Zuckerberg is all about building communities these days. Groups represent a big part of that shift from a centralized newsfeed to a core focus on groups.
That focus on community, according to Zuckerberg, means building out both public and private groups on the platform. Increasingly, users seek private spaces where they can post content that reflects shared interests in front of an engaged audience.
Facebook also plans on helping you expand your online circle by recommending groups based on past interests and interactions. Plus, they’ve improved the feed, making active Groups easier to find — within a personalized feed. Now, you can separate group posts from the regular newsfeed, making it easier to engage with other users.
Meet new friends
Remember when we could meet people online? Sure, dating apps are huge, and there are apps like Meetup designed to help you find a book club or a few local folks to go with you to happy hour.
But, the days of the chatroom are long gone — perhaps for a good reason (namely, safety).
It’s long been sort of taboo to add someone you don’t know in real life on Facebook. However, part of the redesign involves changing what’s become a digital norm.
A new feature, Meet New Friends, aims to connect people with strangers who share an interest or connection. The goal is to help them meet up IRL.
Facebook Marketplace got a makeover, too
The social network’s e-commerce service, called Marketplace, also got an upgrade.
People selling goods through the platform will now be able to to take payment directly from the platform, including shipping costs.
As it stands, marketplace users have to arrange for payment outside of the platform — though they can do so inside Messenger.
How to use Facebook Marketplace to sell what you no longer use
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Events
Another area where Facebook is diving in head-first is its Events page. As is the case with groups, Facebook wants to help you find more things to do near where you live.
The new tab is now next to the Groups tab in the new menu bar layout. It offers a more detailed map view that allows you to see where the events you are interested in are located in relation to one another.
Facebook Watch is front and center
Wait, what is Facebook Watch? Don’t worry; if you’re asking that question, you’re certainly not alone. According to a Diffusion study, 50% of adult Facebook users in the U.S. had never heard about it.
Facebook Watch aims to capitalize on streaming trends — it’s trying to hitch a ride off of the success driving Netflix and YouTube. But, there aren’t any notable “hits” on the platform.
Facebook says that 75 million people now use Watch for at least one minute per day, and not necessarily all at once.
While we get why Facebook insists on making us notice Watch — it’s hard not to feel as though they’re really forcing us to pay attention.
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Privacy
Privacy has been Facebook’s Achilles heel going on a few years now.
From Cambridge Analytics to the ongoing debate about the company’s data collection practices, the company has had some difficulties winning back the trust of the public.
To combat this image problem, Zuckerberg has been promoting a message centered around privacy. It runs in stark contrast to its old narrative as this digital public square.
Zuckerberg said, “Privacy gives us the freedom to be ourselves,” pointing to a shift in how we interact online these days.
In the past, the purpose of posting was to reach as many people as possible. Today, Zuckerberg says, we now crave a sense of intimacy online.
Which, in all honesty, is probably true.
Wrapping up
If the recent news about Facebook’s shareholders wanting to hire a chairman to oversee Zuckerberg is proof of anything, it’s that the company wants to change.
These new design changes to Facebook are nice, but we are hoping that the changes to the social media giant go beyond the cosmetic level.
