The New Facebook Design: Not THAT Bad

It appears, by all accounts, that I chose a really bad time to set up my new Facebook profile. After unofficially boycotting the site for several years, it appears I signed up just in time to be thrown into a civil war over the new Facebook design.

However, as strange as it may sound. I actually got to use both designs and, frankly, I don’t see what all of the excitement is about. Sure, the new layout is different, but it really isn’t THAT bad.

I think a lot of Facebook users need to calm down and think about this a bit more logically. I admit it is a jarring transition and that any change comes with a little bit of pain.

But is it possible that Facebook users are over-reacting, just a tiny bit? Seriously, let’s take a moment to put this in perspective.

How I Broke the Facebook

My first experience with the new layout actually wasn’t on my account, but my better half’s. I had added her as a relationship contact and she needed to sign in to approve it. She had had he account for some time, having gotten it for an old job, but had not done anything with it.

When she went to add me, I noticed that her page looked different from mine and, with two version of Facebook open up on two monitors side-by-side, I got the chance to briefly look at both of them and even observe both of them in action.

To me, my version, the old one, didn’t look like it made the best use of the space. It looked cramped and cluttered and it didn’t take up the whole of my screen. It was easy to use, and I picked it up quick, but I really liked the version on Crystal’s monitor better. It was open, brighter, made heavier use of tabs and to me at least, more attractive.

However, I was at least somewhat aware of the debate going on even though I did not know which layout was which. I instantly assumed that I had been moved to the newer layout and Crystal was somehow still on the old. I didn’t think to check the URL so I was convinced the old layout was the new one simply because I liked it less.

Then, a few hours later, I landed on a www.new.facebook.com link and found myself using the new layout. I liked it. Since I hadn’t had the experience of using the previous layout for years, the transition was not nearly as jarring and I was able to look at the new layout without worrying about to find every little feature a second time.

The new layout made sense, it looked good and, after a few hours of learning, I felt as if I was back on track. Yes, there was a transition period, even for someone who had only been on the site a few hours, but I picked up and moved on quickly.

Now, I am completely unsure about how this happened. According to Facebook, the transition was supposed to have been completed over 10 days ago. How I started out with the old layout and was then transitioned to new is beyond me, but I am glad that it happened.

If it hadn’t, I might be griping about the new layout without realizing what the old one was like, now I have at least some perspective on both.

Understanding

photo credit: jelene

Now, I don’t want anyone to think I’m bashing the people who are against the new Facebook layout. I actually understand. I have an unusual advantage in that I’ve only been on the site for two days. They have literally had years to use the old layout and adapt to it.

Facebook, for many, is their primary means of communication with family and friends, it is how they plan their social lives. When you start messing with that, no matter what the reason, you are going to have problems.

When I think about these design changes, I remember an analogy that a friend told me years ago. He asked me to imagine if, while I was sleeping, someone had broken into my car and rearranged everything. Moving the ignition to the left, putting the gear shift on the steering wheel, switching the cup holders around, etc.

I’d be mad as Hell. It wouldn’t matter if he had come out with a giant printout proving why his system was better. I’ve been driving that car for years and I’m used to it eccentricities. Without them I would feel lost and I’d probably crash more than once trying to adapt.

Having done more than a few site redesigns over the years, I understand the frustrations of both users and the Facebook designers. The designers felt the need to upgrade and modernize the aging Facebook design while the users were perfectly comfortable with the old one.

The breakdown, from what I see, is not so much in the new layout itself, but how it was introduced. If adequate opportunity for feedback and improvement had been given, the rough edges could have been smoothed and the legitimate grips, which there are several, could have been ironed out.

Furthermore, with adequate testing and exposure, the switch out would have been less jarring and users would have been better prepared. The whole process coudl have been handled better and the lack of cooperation is evident in the ongoing dialog.

To me, the greatest symbol of this mess is the fact that the most common complaint users have about the new layout is not anything particularly wrong with it, just that it is unnecessary. In a way I have to agree with that. The new layout is nice to look at, but it really doesn’t add much to the site that I’ve found and it does seem to change some behaviors in a way users don’t like.

Still, Facebook does not seem ready to repent and such a change is almost impossible now. The reason is that Facebook knows something the complaining users don’t seem to realize, that Facebook has no reason at all to worry.

The Truth Comes Out

photo credit: lu_lu

The bitter truth is that Web sites have botched redesigns every day. Most of them never see this kind of protest or backlash.

The reason Facebook is different is because, when most sites screw up a relaunch, people vote with their feet. The Facebook users are not going anywhere, in fact, they’re using groups within Facebook to make their displeasure known.

Though there is at least some talk of switching to another social network, I think most people realize that the Facebook juggernaut will not be unseated any time soon. As long as friends and family use the service, so will the vast majority of the protesters.

If Twitter can survive rampant downtime and remain the number one microblogging service despite stiff competition, Facebook can survive this and remain the largest non-Myspace social network.

Facebook knows this all too well. Though they expect to lose some users, they know that vast majority of even the most ardent protesters will stick around, albeit begrudgingly.

They also know that, if they don’t innovate and take a few gambles, that they can be trumped by a new start up at any point. It is important to remember that Facebook itself was the upstart service just a few years ago, taking on well-entrenched competitors and taking names.

Innovate or die. Facebook gets that and that is why the old layout is not coming back. They would rather risk losing a small percentage of users now than becoming a dinosaur down the road.

Making a Difference

Rather than demanding the return of the old layout, which clearly is not happening, or asking to have the old one return as an option, which is not feasible from a maintenance standpoint, why not offer real feedback on the new layout and suggest actual ways to make it work better?

Here are a few select items I’ve gathered from people I’ve talked to:

• Make the “Wall” work the way it once did. Several people complained it was too much work to view what they wanted.
• Clicking on a “Top Friend” should go to that friends page, not their top friends list.
• The way images are displayed feels broken to many people. They need to be more prominent with less focus on the album covers.

The idea is that users need to stop demanding something that will not happen and start being constructive about the layout that they have. There is nothing to be gained from being hostile or combative with Facebook as a company, they are not going to be pushed around when they feel their future is on the line, but there may be room for small gains and changes that can have a serious impact on the site.

Conclusions

For me, the bottom line is this: Though I sympathize and understand those who are upset about the new Facebook layout, it is clear to me that backlash no longer fits the problem.

The time has come for the protesters to decide. They either have to live with the changes, leave the site or work to make improvements within the current system. If they vote with their feet, Facebook might reconsider. However, as long as users are signing in every day, Facebook isn’t going to care, even if some of the users are posting to anti-Facebook groups.

If the dialog doesn’t get more constructive soon, Facebook runs the risk of being the kind of high-drama center its users fled from.

But hey, if you’re into drama, Myspace is still taking new users…