Facebook is in the midst of yet another redesign and this time the signs are looking good and most people seem to be favorable to the changes. It doesn’t mean that a lot of people will have a fit, yet again, when the design goes live, as is the case with all Facebook changes but, for the most part, the tweaks will likely be appreciated. Most of the changes are subtle in nature, but a few are significant in what they point out for the site’s future, like the greater emphasis on search and the de-emphasis on Facebook apps.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the upcoming redesign but the new screenshots, published by Gigaom, clarify a few of the remaining elements like the bottom toolbar which has now been trimmed down and hosts only the Facebook Chat.
Great attention has been paid to the top navigation bar which is now a lot cleaner and better laid out. The Facebook logo is at its usual location followed by buttons for Friends, Inbox and the new Notifications section designed for applications. Next there is the search box which is now significantly bigger and occupying a more central position, signaling that Facebook is focusing a lot more on search in the future.
It makes sense too, with a lot more content inside the site, thanks to the huge number of Facebook pages and … (read more)