Facebook has a way of being quite elusive; right when you become comfortable with its interface, it seems to change. And with each change comes the barrage of status updates about how not user it friendly the interface is, threats of boycotting, pleas of confusion – but alas! Facebook will be playing it safe with its new layout! Well, mildly safe, but none-the-less…

Facebook has been cemented as a social staple to the extent that it is unlikely that anyone will actually leave the mega networking site because of something as elementary as a new interface. Facebooks new move follows the Mobile First format, and they have begun unveiling their new interface by slowly integrating new features, rather than the typical, sign-on-and-recognize-nothing-updates that they’ve done in the past. Even if you were one of the first few who signed up for the new-new Facebook, and you did get an entirely new interface overnight (you asked for it!), it is still not hovering in the realm of unrecognizable. Why? In the spirit of mobile-first web design, the new Facebook layout is essentially the mobile version you are already used to!

What Has Changed with the New 2013 Facebook Layout?

The Facebook layout now features a gray bar on the left, where you can navigate your photos, “favorite” friends, notes, apps: think of it is your personal navigation center! On the right, you will now find your Newsfeed options. The new Facebook layout features different Newsfeeds, so you can control what it is you see. Looking to see what your friends are listening too? Curious as to what photos people uploaded? Or want to see what your favorite groups are up too? Click the different Newsfeeds for a whole new Facebook viewing experience.

Taking from the unparalleled notoriety of picture heavy social sites like Pinterest and Instagram, the new Facebook layout relies heavily on photos. Whether it be a check-in, update, or the addition of a new friend, photos are now larger than ever, and take prominence over verbiage in ones Newsfeed. The new layout has not only increased the size of the pictures, but also integrated photos to things like check-ins, which now feature a link to the place’s page, as well as a map to show the location.

The Facebook developers refer to this new layout as spring cleaning, and it definitely has that feel! The layout also reads in a column, rather than the width of the page, again allowing a seamless transition between tablets, mobile devices, and computers. Of course, there will be disgruntled users, due to mere unfamiliarity, but the new interface is undoubtedly clean. The appearance is such that it no longer seems to be bogged down with unimportant detail; you control what you see, like never before.