Paul Rouke and PRWD on User Centered Design

It’s easy to forget just how quickly Facebook has risen since bursting onto the British scene (as a measurable force) in the summer of 2006. It may now hold 45% share of the market but with its drastic overhaul of its user interface will it manage to maintain this share?

I’ve recently taken my first look at the new Facebook design and I’m instantly unsure.
Firstly the interface is much wider. Looking at the positioning of the columns on the homepage I can’t help but feel it’s unbalanced. I’m not sure I like not having a border to contain the news feed section in either. I like the changes to the navigation - I have to agree that it does offer an easier set of route options.

Moving to my profile page the first thing I notice is that all this new white space has been irritatingly filled with two sectioned off adverts on the right hand side. Their new prime position on the actual profile page simply means these ad’s really stick out - great for advertiser, really irritating to me (even though I admire the targeting intelligence).

One clear advantage I have found is when looking at ‘application addicts’ profile pages. These pages have resorted back to a loadable page, just like pre-application days. On saying this, to my dis-appointment they have removed the ability to write on your own wall, which was always fun to mock as newbie Facebooker’s learnt to use this feature.

I really don’t like the fact that they have combined news feed updates with ‘the wall’. I think this subtracts from their attempts to simplify the interface, and simply makes its look messy. I’m not really sure what advantage this gives, when the homepage is specifically for this purpose?
There are a few aspects of the new design that I think will really enhance the users experience of Facebook, but overall it’s too much too fast. Look out for petition groups and campaigns to restore it to the original design!

It was my 21st birthday the other day. As a July baby I was always blessed with the school year just finishing around my birthday so I didn’t have to go to school but I would have a chance to hand out my cartoon decorated invitations to all my friends. My birthday morning would always start with the frantic present opening with my family sat around half asleep. Then one by one the grandparents would stop by or call me up to wish me a happy birthday. My friends would all call at my house to personally wish me a happy birthday and treat me to the odd box of celebrations.
How things have changed.

I recently removed my birthday from Facebook (so that identity thieves couldn’t steal it) only to discover none of my friends were notified about my birthday. It meant that many of the people I would have expected to congratulate me, didn’t.

The fact of the matter is most of my friends and even some of my family members rely completely on web applications/networks to communicate with me and sometimes this can have pitfalls but all in all these are extremely powerful tools. Online retailers should be capitalising on the host of possibilities for strategically designed and placed selling applications which could transform the way we shop, communicate… and celebrate birthday’s!

I think many online retailers greatly underestimate the power and influence online operations can have to their business. Those who are profiting online, are those who not only have e-commerce stores that are user friendly, but intuitive and intelligent in equal measure.