The look and feel of Facebook's News Feed is getting a major overhaul. The social networking giant said the new design will emphasize content from your friends and the brands you've liked with larger and more vibrant photos, articles, videos, events and maps.

Additional updates include a left-hand navigation menu and new feeds. The feeds will allow users to view specific types of content that is most important to them. These include feeds from all friends, music, photos, games and specific lists of people or brands a user follows.


The new look will be consistent across Facebook whether you access it through a mobile device or the web. The redesign is only visual, Facebook said, meaning the algorithm that determines the content that people see and when they see it will not be changed.

As a business owner, these News Feed changes represent an opportunity to more visually represent your brand on Facebook. Here is how you can take advantage of the new News Feed look:

1. Be more visual.

Facebook users tend to respond better to visual content in the News Feed. You can now increase engagement with your brand by posting more visually appealing content that will be larger and more vibrant.

2. Make sure your ads are in News Feeds.

If you're advertising on Facebook, ensure your ads are getting into the News Feed. They too will be more rich, vibrant and engaging.

3. Get discovered. 

Another new feature is the "Following" feed, which collects and displays all content from friends you're connected to and brands you've liked in chronological order. This means that your fans now have a place where they can see all of the content you publish.

4. Have an eye-catching cover photo. 

Whenever you add a new friend or like a new restaurant, for example, you'll see the cover photo for that person or that business's page appear in the News Feed. According to Facebook, this change is designed to provide more context about your Page, so make sure the photo is eye-catching and visually representative of your Page.























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Facebook is testing a new Timeline design. Currently live in New Zealand, the new look brings a slimmed down toolbar to the top of profile pages and repositions other content.

First spotted by The Next Web,

Check out the two photos below. The top is the new design, while the bottom is the older version:

New:



Old:



The toolbar at the top of the page is where the most drastic of the changes takes place. Where there are currently large photographic tiles, there are now just text buttons for your About information, Friends, and Photos.

Maps and Subscriber information are removed from the top of the page. Subscriber info is now made available in a new About widget at the top of the screen, while Map info is restricted to the Places widget on your Timeline. Photos also have a new home on the left side of the page, where nine photos are shown in a square (currently Facebook shows eight pictures in a rectangle).



Timeline navigation moves to the top right of the screen, swapping places with the ads that currently reside there.

Likes and App information are now centralized on the left side of your profile page, while status update are placed on the right. Notes are also given a new prominent placement.



Perhaps the most noteworthy change in the redesign comes in the form of advertisements. Owen Williams shared with us that now when you share a link on Facebook, a prompt to Like the page for the company you're posting about is automatically added. For instance, in the photo below, Williams posted a link to a Mashable story, and a link prompting readers to Like Mashable on Facebook was added to the bottom.



It's important to note that Facebook is likely using New Zealand as a testing ground for the new look. Depending on how those tests go, we may not see the new design come to the U.S.

Check out the gallery below for a closer look, and let us know what you think about the new design in the comments.

Facebook Updated Timeline 

New Toolbar

The redesigned Timeline changes the top of the page in particular, removing the photo tiles for Friends and Photos, and moving Map and Subscriber information lower on the page.



Navigation Up Top

Timeline navigation moves to the top right of the page, trading places with the ads that currently reside there.



Divide and Conquer

App updates and Likes are on the left side of the screen, while status updates are in the center.


Take Note

Notes have a new prominent location in the updated look.



About Me

Your About Me info has been moved to right below your profile picture.



9 Lives

Photos are now displayed in a square format that holds nine pictures. The same with Instagram shots.



Sponsored Stories

Sponsored ads appear below the Timeline navigation on the right side of the page.


Screenshot images courtesy of John Lai; Thumbnail image via iStockphoto, LeicaFoto
































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