Today Facebook held a press conference at their Menlo Park headquarters to announce changes to the News Feed. While in the past Facebook has taken heat each time a change has been made, I have a feeling users are really going to love what's in store. These changes are especially pleasing to creatives as Facebook is now embracing videos and photos bringing vibrant new visuals and giving them a predominant space on the news feed. Read on to learn more about these great changes and view an additional helpful video.
The first and probably biggest change most users will notice is the reduction in clutter on the news feed. In addition to reducing all the distractions Facebook is also giving large real estate space to our photos and videos. Albums will be featured with large cover images and smaller thumbnails below to see exactly what the album contains. In addition in the top right corner of the page we will now have a way to view more stories from our news feeds but organized into sections. So for example you can view a news feed of all the photos your friends are posting or switch to the most recent stream to get all the latest updates and stories being posted. It actually reminds me a lot of a newspaper style website allowing me to view the section of news I am most interested in.
Another big noticeable change is the update it will be making to our mobile devices. Viewing Facebook on our devices now will more accurately replicate our experience while using it on a desktop or laptop computer. So this clean new look will be the same whether we are accessing it from mobile a tablet or the web. They have also made accessing, understanding and changing our privacy settings even easier.
Ultimately I think it is just another step in the right direction for Facebook and yet another way they solidify themselves as the #1 social media platform. I am interested though to see how this all plays out with our business pages as well. For example, will this mean that Facebook users will now be able to filter their entire news feed to avoid seeing posts by business pages? It will be interesting to learn more over the next couple days and get answers to some of these questions. To see more the changes and join the wait list to be included as soon as it rolls out publicly visit the New Facebook News Feed page.
Here's another video they put out discussing the changes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PW54Sm99ck
What do you all think about the redesign?
looks a bit like google plus
I agree with Tim. Looks very close to G+
Good artists copy; Great artists steal.
Good social media sites steal, Great social media sites innovate.
FB has fallen behind the curb.
The best change farcebook can possibly make is cease to exist.
This guy
Congrats, this is the smartest comment I've read from you so far.
What a courageous little anonymous corner from which you occupy your malcontented soapbox. Pfft.
Maybe you should learn to formulate a coherent sentence before criticizing others. Buffoon.
So much FB hate in these comments.
Heh
Facebook PR outlet are we now, fstoppers?
Yes, the sad decline continues...
This is relevant to professional creatives because FB plays a big part of promotion.
Fstoppers owes you nothing. Just move on, if you like.
I wish Facebook was putting money in my pocket for sharing the news. Unfortunately it's not the case. Just sharing it because Facebook plays a large role in many of our businesses.
I shoot adoption photos for local rescue groups, I know for a fact good photos on FB get dogs adopted. In fact we got "Sarge", a GSD we were fostering, adopted three times before we finally gave up and kept him. Every adopter, and the many others who adopted dogs and didn't return them, all cited the photos on FB for creating interest in the dog. So if FB has improved the photos & video capabilities I couldn't be happier.
Sarge's FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/adoptsarge
I like how their little video has no advertisements in the sidebar of their facebook page
I think it looks good.
Everyone can choose themselves whether they go on the site or not, it's all up to you. I don't spend much time on Facebook, but when I do I like it to be easy and nice to view.
I like the new layout. Much, much cleaner and design-driven. One slightly off-topic question: What camera do you think this video was filmed with? It's so sharp and crisp (with almost no moire), it can't be a Canon or Nikon! I'm thinking either the Panasonic GH2/3, BMCC, or maybe RED.
- Joe
Looks more similar to google +, which I like more anyways, sadly all my friends wont move over and more people use Facebook so I am stuck using it as well.
Im noticing a trend. Redesigns these days are being heavily influenced by the "mobile platform" look. I am a young person but this is still aggravating to me. there's a reason I go to my computer instead of my mobile to see web based content: mobile has a simplified "app-like" feel where everything is set and predetermined in little grids and squares. On the computer however, its more open and purposefully so. It's a very nice change from a design standpoint, but im not thrilled with the idea of making EVERYTHING look mobile. To me, it's choking accessibility.
...And of course, these are our first world pains.
Tried to use Windows 8 yet? Someone should be fired over that one.
HA. exactly. windows 8 is a joke!
Wish Facebook can change the FRIENDS to CONTACTS so we can add the real FRIENDS in a group....
o com'on. If you are to lazy to create a group name for your "real friends" for example called "real friends" - and click at every friend request for the right group- than don't expect facebook to sort your friends for you. Oh wait - THERE is "Close friends" as group povided from facebook, too. Well ...*sigh*
facebook provides social media. Use it yourself.
The one thing Facebook should have done a long time ago is still not in place. That is, disable the 'right click' option thereby making it a bit harder for people to steal images! It's a simple step and in my opinion much needed. I'm at the point of leaving Facebook because I'm so tired of people stealing my images!
The simple truth of the matter is that if you put something on the internet, it's going to be stolen. There is no way around this.
True enough. If someone really wants it, they'll find a way to get it. That doesn't mean though that we should make it so easy for them. It's like going on holiday and leaving your front door open :/ The 'average' Facebook user wouldn't go beyond attempting a 'right click - save as'...
Anything I put on Facebook (or the rest of the internet, actually), I consider promotional. I make sure it is stamped with my name/logo and my web address. I mean, I put it there to be shared in the first place. The only thing I care about is that I get credit.
way can't i filter gym statuses, pictures of animals, politic and religious talk, and photos of peoples kids? help facebook.
Facebook has lost its own look trying to copy everyone else on the internet and that is so very very sad used to love FB but not anymore must say if it was not for my one game I play I would have closed my account with FB in a heartbeat FB get back to your own original shape please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!be yourself not twitter or igoogle or what ever you are chasing after!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!