Google has given its Google+ social network a significant makeover, centering its attention on Communities and Collections.
Google boasts that the refreshed service should now be much more mobile-friendly and "make life easier for people."
"Today, we’re starting to introduce a fully redesigned Google+ that puts Communities and Collections front and center," notes Google on a blog post. "Now focused around interests, the new Google+ is much simpler. And it’s more mobile-friendly—we’ve rebuilt it across web, Android and iOS so that you’ll have a fast and consistent experience whether you are on a big screen or small one."
In hopes to take on Facebook Groups, Google+ Communities was initially rolled out way back 2012. Google touts that an average of 1.2 million people joins a community every single day.
Collections, which is the next concentration of the newest update, has been around since May. This feature makes it possible for users to share content effortlessly, akin to a combined Facebook and Pinterest. Users can share content on cards. A multitude of boards is available to share the content to.
Google is working together with a well-renowned interface designer Luke Wroblewski in this endeavor. Wroblewski is furthermore the founder of polling startup Polar, which the company purchased in 2014. He has been known in his work of making design more obtainable regardless of which device the content appears. This sort of design should now be applied on the revamped version of Google+.
Wroblewski disclosed on a post in his Google+ account that the update comes along with other enhancements, such as optimizing how users search, post, connect and follow people and topics. Performance concerns have likewise been resolved in the new update.
Users who would like to try out this new Google+ design should sign into their accounts and click on the "Let's go" link when prompted. Interestingly, users are permitted to click back to the classic mode should they find the new design not appealing enough.
It is worth noting that the updated apps for Android and iOS devices will soon be released in the next days.
