Blessed microblogging service Twitter has launched a refresh of their website, offering cosmetic improvements and one new feature.
The biggest change is the removal of tabs, a popular design decision today as FriendFeed has just done the same thing . Previous tab options, except archive (which has been dropped) can now be found in the right sidebar. The reason given suggests that the Twitter team may have more planned for the revenue poor service:
We plan to have more tabs, and we’d run out of room putting them along the top. This was the driving factor for this redesign, but you won’t see all the benefits until a future release (hopefully, very soon!).
Among the other changes, the Twitter interface has received a dose of Ajax, delivering quicker response times when navigating between features, “action icons,” and improved visual features that aim to make the page look less cluttered.
The only new feature in the release is a revamped “design customizer” that allows users to choose between pre-designed themes, as well as play with the color scheme and background in real time.
First impressions on Twitter seem to be positive. It does look nice, and there’s nothing offensive in the changes. If you’re like the majority of Twitter users and rarely visit the website, it’s worth a look.
(via Twitter blog )