Twitter is getting a new look. The social media giant announced on Thursday that it has redesigned its interface, which will roll out on twitter.com, Twitter for Android, Twitter for iOS, Twitter Lite and TweetDeck in the coming days.
“We listened closely and kept what you love. And for the things you didn’t, we took a new approach to fix and make better,” Twitter wrote in a post announcing the changes.
The changes, which are mostly cosmetic, include round profile pictures, bolder headlines and a more compact bottom toolbar, scaled down to just four icons.
A new side navigation bar is also being implemented to Twitter for iOS, which will allow users to access their settings, profile, additional accounts and privacy settings in one place.
Changes to icons will make it much easier to engage with tweets. The reply icon, for example, has been replaced with a speech bubble, a symbol that most users associated with leaving comments or replies.
The Retweet, DM and Like icons have all been revamped, but not replaced with entirely new symbols like the “Reply” icon.
Twitter has also changed its bird motif, which is what makes the brand unique and recognizable.
“it’s part of what gives us personality, and uniqueness, but we also know [the icons] need to evolve, because there are certain things that don’t work as well internationally,” said Grace Kim, head of use research and design.
Tweets are also updated instantly to display Retweets, replies and likes, so users can see conversations in real-time.
Links will also be handled differently, with web pages opening in the Twitter app. This change will allow users to access website accounts they are already signed into.
As noted in a post by PSM Marketing, Twitter’s changes are a nod to one of its biggest competitors – Instagram – and an attempt to attract more millennials to the platform.
Twitter’s new design is the social network’s latest attempt to lure in new users. The company has struggled to compete with Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook in the user growth department. Revenue growth has also stalled, forcing the company to cut back on costs and change executives.
Twitter recently underwent rebranding to further help improve user growth.
“I think the design team felt like it was the right moment, because Twitter finally had a clear of what we’re doing,” said Kim.
Years of research and surveys revealed that users felt Twitter was too complicated. The simplified redesign of the social networking platform makes it more user-friendly for new Twitter users.
