In case you hadn’t heard (or read), Twitter.com is changing its interface.
Preliminary reports suggest that there will be a wider right sidebar, giving you more room to display your followers and following count, as well as your list count.
In addition, you’ll have access to more robust recommendations.
But, perhaps, the most significant change will be the inclusion of pictures, videos, and [possibly] audio, right in your tweetstream. No longer will you have to use a 3rd party service to provide this type of content in Twitter.
You’ll have the option to turn this feature on and off, determining whose non-text content actually shows up on your page and in your tweetstream.
Twitter is also adding a map and geolocation feature, which will also show up in your right sidebar. In addition, if you link to a product, that will also show up in the detail pane, right in Twitter.
Basically, what it seems like Twitter is trying to do is make the site easier to use, with more relevant information. All this while decreasing the reliance on third party services.
What it seems like, to me, is that Twitter is going to become kind of a hybrid between Facebook, Amazon.com, and Foursquare. Certainly, it will be including a certain level of functionality present in all those other sites.
So what does this mean for you, the user?
1) If you have a custom background or custom Twitter page, you might need to redesign it. This is to accommodate the increased width of the new sidebars.
2) You’ll have an easier time finding people to follow, and in understanding why you should follow them. This means you may find it easier to grow your network on Twitter.
3) You’ll have the opportunity to experience rich media directly on the site, saving you some clicks and (possibly) some time.
Now, since most people respond negatively to change, at least at first, it will be interesting to see whether people love or hate the redesign.
As it rolls out, let me know what you think.
