Why I love Twitter's new design

Twitter just rolled out a new update which has unveiled multiple changes, mostly on a design level. Even though the makeover is intended for the user experience to be lighter, faster, and easier than before and isn't a radical departure from its predecessor, the social media platform has already started getting a lot of hate from its legion of fans and haters alike. I remember the same pattern had ensued when Twitter started using algorithms to present curated tweets last year.

Jumping straight to the point, here are the things that work for me in Twitter's #NewLook:

1. Good social media is known by the design it keeps - Twitter has opted for a complete design makeover, introducing a sea of changes. Yes, those rounded avatars do look a lot like Google Plus or Instagram, but guess what? They work! These circular avatars look prettier and edgier, compared to their older squarer selves. Ask any web designer, and he/she will tell you that rounded profile photos do a much better job of differentiating profiles than square-shaped profile avatars. In addition, the new icons make so much more sense than the earlier platter of icons. The universal speech bubble makes it easier to navigate the tweets and replies, instead of the slightly confusing arrow icon earlier. The direct message icon has been also made more intuitive, making it easier to understand its intended purpose. The icon tray at the bottom of the tweet also looks less intrusive and chunky, making it stand out neatly.
2. White is sexy, and they know it - It doesn't take a genius to tell you that white space is great for design. A simple dash of white can go a great way in reducing distractions and focusing on what's important! And in this age of information overload, where we are constantly bombarded with app notifications, messages and emails, any thing that makes my reading experience better is more than welcome. Even the night mode looks pretty cool thanks to a generous spread of grey!
3. Bold is beautiful - Most of the hate seems to be spewing towards the icons, but not many have raised a red flag against the new topography. IMHO, the sleeker topography and bold headlines are certainly making sifting through the tweets a breeze!
4. The perfect setting - After getting rave reviews on Android, iOS users can now experience the new settings location after the update. All your profile, additional accounts, and privacy settings will be available in the new side navigation menu. While it may take some time to get used to this, this is a much better way to experience Twitter than taking the cumbersome route through your profile to adjust settings. The lesser tabs at the bottom make tweet-browsing an even better experience. (Disclosure: I am an Android user)
5. The Ultimate Safari - Another great feature for iOS users is the ability to open links in Safari’s View Controller within the Twitter app. Again, this makes for a great Twitter experience as you don't need to exit the app to explore the link. For Twitter, it's great, because the user ends up spending more time on the app.
6. Back to the future - While these changes may be incremental, it does seem that CEO Jack Dorsey has a concrete plan behind this redesign. With Twitter emphasizing video content on its platform and even bidding for some big sporting events like MLB and NHL, the lighter design will boost video content consumption. I don't know if you have noticed, but the newer videos are already loading up faster with the new update. I think this is one among a series of moves for Twitter, where its trying its best to play catch up with more popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram. If these intuitive changes help Twitter attract more users to its platform, this is a step in the right direction.

Of course, Twitter is yet to address more pressing user concerns such as editable tweets, user abuse and troll prevention. There are already reports that Jack Dorsey has hinted at adding an edit button on tweets soon. Hopefully, Twitter will address these concerns in its future updates. For now, a big thumbs up from me for #Twitter2017!