# 14 Entry_ 20500297

Facebook's Big Facelift

"The social networking site's coming redesign will be

marked by a cleaner, more organizaed look

to appeal to its vastly bigger, more diverse user base"

Fancy vs. Simplicity*

If there's Cyworld in Korea, there's Facebook for all over the world. Cyworld is quite fancy, providing lots of options and choices with multiple colors. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with new functions they daily upate. On the other hand, Facebook has been focusing on simplicity, meaning that it has been praised for being clean and tidy. However, now Facebook is trying to redesign its web site and I wondered why.

Facebook's problem*

There will be 70 million worldside users in the next few weeks. As the number of users is increasing, designers of Facebook decided to represent a major simplification. - Facebook's trial to differentiate itself from other web sites. Editor in chief of Mashable. com said that "people are starting to feel that Facebook is quickly becoming like Myspace." Myspace has allowed its 100 million users to create wildly different looking pages, which makes its web site look more complicated and messy. Because of this problem, Facebook is trying to find new ways to arrange lots of information users upload. They will give users more options without radically altering the look and feel of the site so that users can feel fresh and well-organized.

Personal opinions*

Because updating is quite different from 'redegning', Facebook's change is a hugh thing to consider. In my opinion, what Facebook needs to focus on what users really want. They need to listen to users and follow what they need, not make user follow what they have already created. What people want from Facebook is probably fun, the way they can express themselves and having a "connection" with other people. Sometimes providing customers' basic needs can catch their minds toward your products or service. Also, Facebook should remember that redesigning would never satisfy each of 70 million users. Some would like it while others wouldn't. Facebook would have to take critics as precious advice from its users and seek what they really want from Facebook. One of my team members mentioned about lify cycle in her journal. Without a doubt, Facebook has been doing great and it is obvious that they are in mature stage and it's the right time for them to think about differentiation and innovation. - which will make them able to 'maintain' its position.

Annotation: Matt Vella, Facebook's Big Facelift, BusinessWeek Journal, May 14 2008

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