Alas, Facebook has finally revised its Timeline design to reflect users’ interests in a way that appears more personalized than simply a list of pages where they clicked Like.
In a digital age characterized by content curation, this is quite meaningful because it suggests users seriously consider which pages to share with friends on Timelines. Since brands began setting aside budget for media buys to attract new brand page followers, tempting users through contests, giveaways and the promise of exclusive content, users’ Timelines became less a reflection of their favourite things and more so a mosaic of where their brand loyalty lies.
Next Facebook Timeline Design
Current Facebook Timeline Design
With Facebook’s new changes (in the testing phase), users can gain a better idea of what their friends like, especially if users feel compelled to “Like” TV shows, stores and the like that represent their favourite things. For example, let’s say your favourite band is coming to town, but you can’t remember which of your friends are fellow fans. You can search for the band’s page, where Facebook will then share which of your friends liked the band’s page, then sift through the list of acquaintances to find a friend who’d likely be interested in buying tickets too. If they “Like” the band on Facebook because they’re among their favourite musicians, they’ll be more likely to pay money to see them live. This enhances Facebook’s truly social benefits by making it easier for Facebook friends to plan offline outings.
Facebook’s upcoming Timeline redesign echoes users’ lists of favourites appearing on profiles prior to the 2010 profile re-design. Amongst the many changes was the switch from favourite films, TV shows etc. to “Likes and Interests”. Most recently, this list of favourites became hidden under the “Likes” tab, which will now thankfully be renamed “Favourites”.
Though I think the new condensed version looks a bit cluttered, not to mention that I foresee the text clashing with many users’ cover photo choices, changing “Likes” to “Favourites” is a favourable step in the right direction. And as a subtle ode to a Sound of Music song, showcasing a ‘few of my favourite things’ on Facebook is a welcome change that immediately caught my attention at first glance:
Source: Mashable