Twitter has just rolled out the new version of its homepage that new potential users and users who are not logged in will see. The design has been completely overhauled from the previous version which was fairly cluttered (see it at the bottom of the page). This new version is sleek and features trending topics by the minute, hour and day.
Most importantly, the new version features search functionality front and center. This way people who aren’t even Twitter users yet can search for things being said on the service. And results are nicely placed on the same page below the main area.
You’ll also notice that when you click on any of the popular topics, a description of why that topic is being featured appears along the top of the search results. This is something that is very helpful, as quite a few trending topics seem to make no sense on the surface. It looks like Twitter is using the third-party service What The Trend? to populate these descriptions.
It’s important to note that nothing has changed about Twitter’s UI and functionality for those who are logged in. This is simply part of Twitter’s goal to make the service more accessible and obvious to new users, as well as increase engagement, and the use of search/trends. The bigger goal is to make it easier for businesses to use Twitter, which will allow the service to finally make some money. It’s new Twitter 101 area is another of the initial steps in that direction.
Find screenshots below of both the new main page and the old version. As well as what the new main page search results look like.
Update: And here’s Twitter’s post on the new homepage. Here’s the key blurb:
The open and timely exchange of information will have a positive impact on the world and Twitter has a role to play. We have a lot of work to do when it comes to the quality of our search results and trend analysis but repositioning the product to focus more on discovery is an important first step in presenting Twitter to a wider audience of folks around the world who are eager to start engaging with new people, ideas, opinions, events, and sources of information.
We’ll likely continue to make changes to the Twitter home page as we respond to feedback and ideas. We’re eager to see if encouraging a sense of wonder and discovery leads to a better first impression of Twitter.
Update 2: It also looks like Twitter is using this new homepage search interface to highlight some of the lesser-used search operators, like the “:)” symbol for results with “positive attitude.”
Update 3: As Adobe’s Ryan Stewart notes on Twitter, this homepage change seems like it could be a fairly big shot across the bow of Google. After all, if everyone now visiting twitter.com sees search front and center, it’s pretty clear that the product is being positioned as a major player in the search game. It will be interesting to see Twitter’s next step, which undoubtedly will include another homepage redesign to match this new Twitter home screen. Will we also see the search box more prominently featured there?
I just noticed this as I was logging out and was very surprised!
I like it but the color scheme is much darker than everything else on the site!
It is, yet I love it! I think that the design and choice of colors are fabulous. Good job Twitter!
Twitter is teh BOMB!
….and yet I am posting with my Facebook credentials?
yep new design is sexy!
i am to lazy to type…a link in the post please.
I see you missed the first sentence.
Saw that. Still alittle quirky as the CSS doesn’t load up right and needs refreshing. Seems to be happening to more people than just me.
James F.
Owner, TwitterBackground.com – Free Twitter backgrounds
Yeah it’s definitely darker than the previous version and the little birdy is a little different. It’s still pretty clean without the ads. I wonder how it would look once ads start popping up when they’re forced to make some money. http://ziggytek.com/
I like it ; )
Maybe the design will grow on me, but the previous I preferred as it was more simple graphically. This looks a bit cartoonish.
Though again, maybe I was used to the previous.
I like it.
If Mike likes it, I like it.
I guess you “Follow” @arrington
If Scoble likes it, I like it.
if you like Mike, I like you.
I agree, I think it was a good move.
Finally they got rid of that hideous aqua blue background colour.
It seems to work well in terms of aesthetics and functionality.
* Sign up form is still the same though.
2x
Flaunt it if you got it (and Twitter search is hot!)
bad move. new potential customers will see the list of trending topics and think: just another spam-filled tv-obsessed site and leave.
I know they ‘re proud of their tweets, but they are of little practical value as search results. It’s like searching IRC logs or instant messenger archives.
I agree. I can’t see how obscuring Twitter’s primary use (talking about oneself) helps new users. Trying to convince novices that Twitter is a search engine is foolish.
I think Twitter’s emphasis on search is a bad sign, really, because it implies they can’t figure out a way to monetize the site’s primary purpose. Stumped there, they’re falling back on monetizing search, which seems doomed to fail, since Twitter isn’t a very good search engine.
IMO it’s primary use is a real-time RSS feed, secondly real-time search, and thirdly talking about oneself.
Wow, I didn’t notice that, great catch. I’m just so used to the flow of crap on Twitter.
It’s true, the first thing you see is Harry Potter, William Shatner and Apple.
If I found Twitter today, I wouldn’t even sign up because I’d instantly associate it with all the social BLAH that I avoid.
correct. as a search engine it just doesn’t cut it. most recent (live) results != relevant results.
sweet. i’ve had a twitter name for over 2 years, but have only sent out 2 dozen tweets.
I search at least once a day and have ever since I signed up. I also use the service as an anywhere RSS reader.
whoa…just saw the change when I logged in. Sweet, putting the search front and center. I think this will help newbies, “get-it”.
Not loving the darkness. Tweeting in the dark just feels a bit precarious. And I get the sense our poor little twitter bird will be flying into a storm cloud soon. Oh my!
Not bad, but they really should extent it through to logged in users as well.
Yes, extent it. How could they overlook that one?
Change is always good although I can’t view the change since it’s taking its sweet time to load!!!
Wow. This thing looks really good, must be those new designers coming over from Google, who are finally allowed to design things as they wish. No need for 40 different kinds of blue, allows amazing things to happen.
The blue bird has to go. It looks stupid.
Twitter needs to start doing sponsored tweets. Just like Google and all other search engines do with sponsored results. Let’s say somebody types in Coca Cola and the tweet that would always be on top would be Coca Cola tweeting about their new product or something. This is probably the best way for them to start earning revenue.
Twitter’s not really interested in revenue.
I’m surprised it took so long. Now they need to fix the after logging in interface.
I agree. The basic time line is very antiquated and needs a face lift! But I like the new look on the home page. Think the search function is good, but I wonder if putting the top trends out there is?
Taking forever to load…
That rocks.. twitter vs google.. the true search wars begin….
It won’t be much of a war…for a while, anyway. Until twitter cleans up the spam and junk tweets, searches on twitter won’t be very useful.
Your right.. when I dance in a red thong on youtube.. if I ever get to 10 000 subs.. it will really test there ability to handle high tweet volumes… wait.. am I drunk commenting TC again… darn recession and canadian beer…burp..
You can not be serious.
Twitter removed the Search link from their footer bar! How does one do advanced searches? Left Nav & Homepage don’t have advanced search!
The old search page is still there and so is the advanced search link.
http://search.twitter.com/
http://search.t...er.com/advanced ?
Doesn’t really match the color scheme when you login.
I guess that’s the next to be redesigned?
I wonder if Douglas Bowman did this design… Looks pretty nice.
http://stopdesi...lo-twitter.html
I was wondering if it was XHTMLized.com. Look at their home page – http://www.xhtmlized.com/ – and see that one of the Twitter guys endorsed them.
“These Guys are the Future.”
Disclosure – I have used XHTMLized for dozens of websites. Love ‘em.
This is quite a great redesign!
from a design pov – i like it. the only exception would be the faint sunburst behind the logo…kind of last year’s versace.
Now the important thing. Will it actually load?
….
And the answer is no! Come on Twitter. It is really bad when your homepage does not load properly(no graphics, text all over the place, etc.) or at all.
Try clearing your cache. Your browser is probably still using the previous design’s CSS
The color scheme is nice but I don’t like the fact that the search results start pretty much below the fold. After the initial search they should use a condensed header…
looks amazing, big congrats to the team.
OK…so I just clicked on a trending topic “AT&T.” REALTIME SEARCH RESULTS are below. Someone tell me how this is a threat to anything. Someone tell me how this would entice someone to sign up.
uberguineapig: RT: @diehardmacfan I signed a petition to FreeMyPhone: http://www.free...net/FreeMyPhone #freemyphone #iphone #AT&T
RSprung: RT @RyanAlexander: I didn’t think it was possible, but it seems that AT&T has passed Comcast as the web’s most hated service provider.
Delta4111: I can make $300.00 a day on Twitter. Find out here! http://tinyurl.com/ljy78q AT&T Shattner harry potter
brandongoodin: Ordered up some U-verse today. Now AT&T will own all my media access points.
Money_Rocks: AT&T, Barnes & Noble offer free Wi-Fi use in stores http://bit.ly/B6lxy
Delta4111: Make $1000 a day trading stocks. Free Stock Market guide. http://tinyurl.com/n9gqaq AT&T Shattner harry potter
RandiElaine: I’m LMAO at my mama. She been having an iPhone for a year and didn’t know about the YouTube icon. AT&T is robbing her.
New_Cell_Phones: AT&T Samsung Solstice A887 Cell Phone Coming On August 2nd http://bit.ly/gxtlI
diehardmacfan: I signed a petition to FreeMyPhone: http://www.free...net/FreeMyPhone #freemyphone #iphone #AT&T
whigumstyx: Technorati Weblog: Get a Small Business Makeover: AT&T has just launched a site site designed by and for sma.. http://bit.ly/1QIQLq
amitgir: @rtreharne more than likely AT&T’s fault
Misskittyboo: Hell’s Kitchen Big Brother Google Voice AT&T Harry Potter And Everybody Else: You heard it here first: Dogs Bite
bunkerton: i think #FrankTurner is better than Blue M&Ms and AT&T, so why can’t he be a trending topic?
Delta4111: Make $500.00 a day with New Google Wave http://tinyurl.com/ojhdr8 AT&T Shattner harry potter
BobbyD3: Google Voice rejected by the Apple App Store “approval process” AT&T is in cahoots with the rejection….http://ping.fm/gTYHR
zazuthebird: @mileycyrus goodnight stay safe and how is the family? may it go goodly. Brandi get AT&T fixed?
ka99jacob: Finally made up my mind. Splitting with my Blackberry. Going with AT&T and the iphone,despite all the shit AT&T has been pulling. We’ll see.
Delta4111: $2000.00 a week on Twitter. Find out here! http://tinyurl.com/ljy78q AT&T Shattner harry potter
paciffreepress: #journalism #news Iran: Riding the ‘Green Wave’: IRAN: RIDING THE “GREEN WAVE” AT T.. http://twurl.nl/fd0c8w
ryanalexander: I didn’t think it was possible, but it seems that AT&T has passed Comcast as the web’s most hated service provider. Impressive.
Agreed..
aye, they should filter out retweets and tweets that contain multiple trending topics. It’s horrible constantly seeing “AT&T GOOGLE WAVE BING DAVID CAMERON” in a bunch of tweets.
This is a huge design improvement. It serves a purpose and looks great. I can’t believe how bad the old one looks by comparison.
Gratifying that your blog is constantly evolving. Such positions only adds popularity..
Very nice improvement! Though I’m not seein #techcrunch50 in the popular topics.
What up with that?
i wonder if they made the search, you know, work…?
so from now twitter is just another search engine?
Cool beans – I like it.
I think it’s lookin’ pretty good.
Where can I see a full list of those search tips? Anyone?
unfortunately the Google analytics code seems to be slowing down its new home page load times.
Finally, I was beginning to think about starting my own “Twitter Search” company. Just recently I heard something resembling gunshots in UES but couldn’t find where to search for “UES” on Twitter.
Twitter probably shouldn’t use “What the Trend” to describe why the topics are trending. why? Because @iamdiddy show Making His Band premiered on MTV…but instead, look whos show twitter said premiered: http://mypict.m...how.php?id=f00f
@cliffdailey
bad move….original homepage was much better….i dnt know why, but the new homepage gives me a feel of a newsletter!!
time to start bastardizing its client (read seesmic, tweetdeck, peoplebrowsr) community
if i was those guys i’d be very worried
To me.. until now Twitter has been about real-time conversation, and real-time search was a very valuable byproduct. Although it needed to become its own product, I don’t believe it should be at the expense of the original conversation product. They have moved the invitation to join the conversation way below the fold to the far right bottom, and only after you have performed a search. The little “join the conversation” label above the sign up button doesn’t count, or is indicative that the conversation has become the byproduct. Enjoy the spam..
‘real-time conversation’ has always existed in a cleaner form in IM clients.
pretty cool, but I hardly ever see the homepage anyways. usually just go straight to my profile
I like the new style much better.
One thing I don’t like though is that I can not sign-in immediately on the landing page. Now I gotta open this little window.
Finally, the real power of Twitter at everyones’ fingertips and a chance to see the Summize acquisition come to life. The tips section is cool too.
nice. i’ve been bitching about Twitter’s UI for search since Day One.
Unfortunately finding search on Twitter still sucks. And I must continue to bitch.
They added the search bar to the right column, but they took away the link to the search page. There is no way to get to that page once you’ve logged into your account (other than typing in the URL).
Also, the Twitter Advanced Search doesn’t really work. Most searches end up on a near-blank page displaying: “The page you were looking for doesn’t exist.”
I guess that’s why they released their API to get all those 3rd party apps & sites. They can come up with an amazing service but struggle with UI like it’s a childproof pill bottle.
dark blue at the bottom looks like footer, and that big footer impression is not what people expect from company websites, unless they change that dark blue this is FAIL design
twitter should learn from bing on how to design UI
It’s funny how everyone wants to be a search engine.
What kind of indexing/search software are they using? Homemade, or solr or something?
I like the new homepage a lot better than the old one. It’s great that they’ve added the search functionality as well as trends. That’s a much better way than asking you to answer “What are you doing?” and then see a lot of people take this literally.
They gave into the lingo. From update, to tweet.
They want you do search before joining. hmm.