You're Anti... You're AntiSocial (Media)
While recently pondering this ever-shrinking echo chamber of modern society, I had been thinking about my experience(s) on Facebook and how difficult it has become to use, and if it actually makes sense to keep using it. In a regard, it's poorly designed and reminds me of a nightmare such as Windows 98 with how non-intuitive, ugly and messy it is. This includes:
Confusing photo and photo album processes.
Microscopic and cumbersome message UI at the bottom of the screen (also true for mobile).*
Restricted messaging such that contacting people you're not connected to is made possible only by a charge of $1. Otherwise, your message gets unceremoniously dumped to the "Other" inbox (we're a few years into the latter and there are still citizens discovering this folder). Interfaces should organize, not judge information. Anyway, this is a business model?
Public sharing of items you post that were intended for a "Custom" audience.
*I was preparing some notes for this blog post and part of my research was the message UI (and in this case, mobile). I proceeded to access the emoticon section to drop one into my message body as I tapped away, and discovered that just selecting one sent it through as a new message automatically. That was unexpected and kind of pesky (luckily I chose my test recipient wisely in the event of a somewhat anticipated mishap).
I then considered Facebook's uses; regardless of whether you're giving or receiving:
1. You just want to look at bullshit pictures: Instagram.
2. You enjoy quick news links or witty one-liners from the likes of your own people, Rachel Maddow, or Boobs Radley in a feed: Twitter (perhaps with TweetDeck).
3. You're a business or band: Talk to someone about this.
Both replete with a simplified and efficient UI/UX scheme.
Well shit, Facebook is designed to keep you on the site, not to create a more enjoyable experience or easier process to execute most (not all) useful actions. And, to serve ads (don't get me started on those auto-play videos). Clearly that is a commerce angle, and in this scenario, we are the goods. Because let's consider the data mining and habit tracking with all these hashtags and Likes.
Remember Facebook Home? Of course you don't. That was the phone app suite for Android that totally failed. The HTC First, the first (haha, and probably only) phone pre-loaded with Home, sold so poorly that the company cut the price from $99 to $1 in less than a month!
Hey, I'm just writing a bunch of bullshit about this on a blog, but this guy actually sat down and rethought the whole thing earlier this year, and totally redesigned the motherfucker from the ground up. Some of it seemed to have a Windows 8 feel in a sense, and I also found the UX to be a bit cluttered and unorganized.
If it looks better, are you better served by its purpose?
And therein lies the inherent problem…
Internet ubiquity is clearly the goal for Facebook HQ, but from a UX perspective, it's a platform that probably allows you to do too much. And that is why a modern and clean redesign is not enough.
And finally to conclude, your entire family is now on the goddamned thing. Ew.
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