The makers of Californian site Facebook have decided to cut the clutter on its pages, and will instead return to the spick and span look that brought it such popularity.
The amount of applications now available for each user to use on their profile has grown rapidly, causing annoyance for many. (Does anyone really want to be asked to become a zombie/pirate/werewolf/ninja every single day? Hint - no)
Ditch the mess
The first ‘major’ social networking phenomenon - MySpace - has been criticised for allowing its users to modify nearly all aspects of its aesthetic, leading to a sites becoming visually difficult to decipher in some cases.
The Facebook designers will attempt to avert their site going down the same route by likely dividing the content into distinct areas - possible by tabs or a side list, allowing users to view their messages, comments and applications separately.
The site’s visage will not change dramatically - indeed, the Facebook layout and colours have already become entrenched within the brand - instead users will hopefully gain more control over the way their profile is organised, allowing their friends to network with them easier.
The designers have been currying opinion on a possible redesign through the company’s developer blog and wiki, and have also enabled a group within the site to gain user feedback.
A quick check - over 10 Facebook groups have been created to express pleasure/distaste for the new redesign. To these people have nothing better to do? (Hint - yes, we're avoiding it.)
