Meta has announced a series of major design changes to Facebook which it will be hoping will help it to maintain a place of significance in a swamped social media world. The changes are pretty much across the board, but changes to Feeds are likely to be most noticeable.
Revamps to the Feed, search, and navigation systems are consumer facing, but Facebook has not forgotten creators. Improvements have been made to streamline the creation of both Feed posts and Stories.
Facebook says that the aim of this latest batch of improvement is to “help cut through the clutter so you can easily update your profile, find new content via search, and enjoy photos and videos in your Feed”. But what does this actually mean, and what does it look like?
Starting off with the Feed, Facebook says:
We’re making Feed simpler and more immersive, so that it’s easier to enjoy the content you care about most and connect with others over shared interests. Now when you post multiple photos, they’ll be arranged in a standardized grid. You can also like photos in Feed by double-tapping them, and see Feed content in full screen when you click into it.
Soon, the most-used Facebook features on your tab bar – like Reels, Friends, Marketplace, and Profile – will be front-and-center in your tab bar, so you can easily access them. You’ll also see a refreshed menu design and cleaner tab notifications to catch up on the latest updates across Facebook.
In addition, your search results will now show more content in a more immersive grid layout that supports all content types. We’re testing a new full-screen viewer that lets you explore different photo and video results without losing your place in search. We’ll look to expand this feature to more content and post types in the coming months.
This is certainly what the average user is going to notice, pay attention to, and – probably – have an opinion about. For the legions of creators on the platform, there are also plenty of changes to explore. Cross-posting for maximum audience reach has been simplified and brought into the foreground.
Facebook is also taking steps to help improve engagement – which, it is very easy to forget, is very much the point of social media:
The commenting experience across Feed, Groups, and Reels has also been simplified with streamlined replies, prominent badging, and new pinning tools, so conversations are easier to follow. New and expanded controls will also help group admins and creators monitor the conversations happening on their content, and everyone can now anonymously flag comments that are irrelevant or don’t fit the spirit of the conversation.
The company is also trying to get its users more connected with each other – and it is not clear is this will mean a flurry of notifications are on the way. Facebook says:
We’re also making it easier to find people with similar interests. When you update your profile, Facebook will help you discover friends who share your passions or who may have useful advice on shared interests by surfacing them within your profile. For example, if you update your profile to show you’re into sourdough bread baking or planning a trip to Nashville, Facebook will show you friends who can give you sourdough starter tips or offer suggestions on the best local spots.
With this updated experience, people can get to know others on a deeper level — from where you work and live, to what TV shows you’re binging and what album you’re playing on repeat, to your hobbies, travel, and more. You can choose who sees what on your profile and whether to share these updates to your Feed.
Take a look to see what you think of the changes Facebook is making and let us know your opinion in the comments.
