Face-Off

What happens when you don't get your experience design right?  When you don't take the time to understand your users?  When your user experience is not exactly in sync with what your users want, need and desire?  You get a full on revolt from the people who keep you in business.

From Caffeine Marketing:

"The new home page of Facebook features updates on every single thing your friends are doing on the Facebook network. Whether they became single recently, signed up for a new class, or ate a corn dog… you’re going to hear about it. One would think users would appreciate the changes in terms of Web 2.0, think again! The new homepage has become a headache to users and peeping toms watching every move you make on the social networking giant. Simply put, users feel betrayed. Facebook members have taken their disgust a step further by starting a Facebook petition to resist the step forward into Web 2.0."

Did anyone take the time to test these new feeds and features?  I mean really test it?  Get to the heart of the matter to see of Facebook users wanted (and needed) these kinds of features?  Hello?  Is anyone out there?

Update: Save Facebook is launched.

Comments

[Paul McEnany]

I get the feeling that if they added this feature, but allowed each user to add to the feed on their own terms, this would have come off much differently.

A few people would add it and enjoy it. Then a few more. Then many of those who are now complaining about it might see other people using it and enjoying it, then join in themselves because they've seen it in action. If no one actually wanted it in the first place, then it would just fall flat, and facebook could remove it and move on.

Just a thought...

[Ann Handley]

There's another issue here: because the new "news feeds" streamline and condense content for each individual user, the kids don't have to click around as much to check up on their buds. Which means fewer page views. Which means fewer ads served. Which is how Facebook makes its money.

Bad idea for Facebook fans, and bad business idea for Facebook.

[Clay Parker Jones]

Okay. I'm an avid Facebook user. I'm also relatively entrenched in this whole social net/blog/online app thing, for better or worse.

I know a lot of people don't like the Facebook change. And I know that from an experience design perspective, the redesign may suck. But that's if we're trying to design EXACTLY what the people want today, not what they might want down the road.

I LOVE the new Facebook look. It's great. I get all the stalkery information that I always wanted, served up hot'n'fresh.

Facebook used to tell you when people updated their profile, but it was almost impossible to know what they had changed. Now I know exactly what changed, and when.

Sometimes people don't know what they want. Sometimes you have to tell them what they want.

The Facebook redesign is a good thing.

More people are going to know what a "feed" is and what a powerful tool it can be. That's good, right?

More people are now aware of their privacy (something my generation hasn't been particularly good at understanding). That's good, right?

Facebook now integrates with my RSS feed, meaning I can serve my blog quickly to my friends. Again, good.

My profile page on Facebook now shows A LOT more information, but in a more customizable (with AJAX-y dropdowns) interface. It's actually really nice to play with. Good.

When I log in to Facebook, instead of a useless splash page, I'm now offered a bountiful feast of information. Stuff to read. Interesting things. Broken record: good.

And as a response to Ann's point, people will click around just as much. The new feed-based structure act like teaser headlines, causing people to click. At least that's my perspective on the use of the site.

If we are going to give Agency.com props for trying something new (even if it's hacky and a waste of time), then we should applaud...no, stand and applaud Facebook for trying to advance their online application.

Don't hesitate, right?

[DA]

Paul,

That's an interesting idea. It's more subtle.

Clay, good points all around. When you make a big change like this, not everyone is going to be a fan. But the reaction seems to be pretty negative, at least in terms of how they implemented the specific feed features (not navigation or look and feel etc.)

No, they should not hesitate to iterate their features, functionality and overall experience—but just make sure it's something people will find value in. Then you can always refine later on.

You seem to find value in these features—and I don't know all that much about Facebook. Question is—do the majority of Facebook find these features desirable?

[Ann Handley]

Clay -- Definitely good points and great alternative perspective. As you would say: good! : )

The point you make about privacy is really interesting. As Facebook says, it's not offering any new information, just a new format for that information. Which, as a result, makes that information more noticeable...more in your face. (Or Facebook. Ha.)

If this change sticks, I wonder if users will change how they use Facebook? If more people are now aware of their privacy, or the lack of it, will that alter how they behave? Will it change what they post and how they interact? And if they do, will it just be a temporary thing?

Or will it further "advance" a generation that is increasingly accustomed to being on display...watched..."stalked," in the words of some Facebook users? And good lord...what's the repercussions of THAT....?

[Clay Parker Jones]

Ann & David -

It's funny the way us young people are reacting to this situation. It's almost an anti-government and anti-big-brother response from a generation that hasn't yet started to care about these types of issues. We've become accustomed to posting our entire lives online, via Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, Flickr, Webshots, Blogger, Youtube... the list goes on. I'd venture a guess that less than 10% of the 9 million Facebookers devoted any thought (no matter how small) to their privacy until today. We're perfectly fine typing our searches into Google, perfectly fine letting Gmail and Yahoo hold all our emails (scary!), and perfectly fine with buying stuff online.

This is going to teach my generation a little something about the power of a database. I'm sure that very few of us thought that every little tidbit of information we enter gets stored in a big, fat, hot server somewhere. And now it's accessible (and delivered!) to everyone.

I dig it.

It's not a problem for me, because I've always been very considerate about what I post online. Heck, I'd even let you guys tool around in my Facebook account so you can see how it works. But there are people out there posting some WILD stuff that I'm sure they'd be pretty ashamed of 5-10 years from now. Or if their parents saw it. Or if they found out it was being broadcast on the front page of Facebook for all to see.

These social nets are funny. People make myspace pages, and then change their age to 14 so that "random" people can't view their profile. They write their deepest, darkest secrets into a message to a friend on Facebook, and don't realize it's getting stored somewhere.

The issue, then, is that people need to be aware that what they are posting is visible, findable, accessible to all. And it will be for a long time. Every bit of gossip is now broadcast. People want to read about other people, but they don't want others to read about them.

I still like the Facebook redesign, but I understand why some of the more trusting (naive?) users out there might feel betrayed. If they roll back the redesign (and maybe scale it up slowly like Paul suggests), it'll be a great "win" for customer service. And the lessons are valuable for "Generation (Social) Net". And the demonstration of the capabilities of feeds/databases will accelerate our growth online.

Good.

[DA]

Clay,

I really appreciate your thoughts on this subject matter. It's helped me get a better understanding of the different perspectives around a topic like this. Again, I don't use facebook—so I'm forming opinions of of what I'm observing.

Your feedback really adds depth to a discussion like this.

Just another benefit of having a blog.

:)

[Ann Handley]

Clay -

"...It's almost an anti-government and anti-big-brother response from a generation that hasn't yet started to care about these types of issues....I'd venture a guess that less than 10% of the 9 million Facebookers devoted any thought (no matter how small) to their privacy until today."

That's what I think is so interesting, and I really appreciate your comments here. Once again, the shades of gray are so much more revealing than the black and white of an issue.