“It accelerates our efforts to create a simpler, more beautiful Google,” Google Senior Vice President Vic Gundotra argued in a blog post announcing the redesign.
Some of the design elements included in the update echo Facebook Timeline, such as a cover photo that sprawls across the top of the profile and bigger photo and video displays. Others, like a customizable navigation ribbon that now runs along the left side of all pages, are new to mainstream social media.
In addition to prettying up its look and improving navigation features, Google made efforts to better highlight some of Plus’s pre-existing features. A new Hangouts page, for instance, shows Hangout invitations from people in your circles and makes it easier to browse upcoming hangouts. With a new Explore page, users can see the content that is trending across the network.
Reactions to the redesign itself have been largely positive. Forbes called it “simply more gorgeous than Facebook.” Wired noted that “Overall, the new Google+ look is cleaner and seems to make better use of the real estate.” Fast Company agreed with this general sentiment, but added that it doesn’t really matter.
“It’s better in almost every way, focused on real-time trends, customization, and playing to Google’s few advantages they have in the space,” wrote Mark Wilson on the news site. “But, you know, it’s just a little too late for design alone to save the day.”
Scroll through the gallery below to check out exactly what changed about Google Plus on Wednesday, and let us know in the comments if you think it’s an improvement over the old design — and whether that matters in the social network’s long-run success.
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Updated Profile Pages
With the addition of a cover photo, the new Google+ profile page looks a lot more like Facebook Timeline than it used to.
Bigger Photos and Videos
In another nod to Facebook Timeline, Google+ photos and videos in the news feed are bigger than they were yesterday.
More Prominent Chat List
Chat now takes up most of the right-hand column of the profile. In previous versions of Google+, chat had a much less prominent position on the profile.
Navigation Ribbon
Previously, Google+'s navigation buttons lived in a static bar at the top of the news feed. The update introduces a ribbon that can be customized with different Google+ apps using a drag-and-drop interface. When you hover over an app icon, a list of quick functions appears. Hovering over photos, for instance, reveals an "add photos" button.
Explore Page
A new Explore page tracks what’s interesting and trending across the site. You can adjust how much of that content will hit your news feed with a sliding control.
Dedicated Hangouts
A new page for hangouts makes it easier to find public and on air hangouts to join. It also shows invitations to hangouts from people in your circles.
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