Just after a petition to roll back Snapchat's recent redesigns pushed past a million supporters, Snap Inc. responded with some disappointing news: the redesigned app is here to stay, but the company is nonetheless listening to people's concerns.
In a message signed by the Snapchat team, Snap Inc. says it's heard the feedback and understands why users have concerns over the new aesthetic improvements to the app.
"We hear you, and appreciate that you took the time to let us know how you feel. We completely understand the new Snapchat has felt uncomfortable for many," said the company.
Snapchat Redesign Petition
The petition, signed by more than 1.2 million people, is a landmark effort in the landscape of apps and tech in general. There has never been quite something like this before, with over a million of people berating a company because they hate an app's design.
Bad news, though: the Snapchat redesign won't be going anytime soon, according to the company, echoing CEO Evan Spiegel's comments last week. Snap Inc. reassures petition signers that the app will adapt to them over time and that new features are coming soon, which will allow them to further customize their Snapchat experience.
"Once you receive the update, you'll be able to sort things like Stories, Group Chats, and Subscriptions, allowing you to further customize your own experience on the app."
Here's What Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel Had To Say
Last week during a conference, Spiegel defended Snapchat's new look, stating that the complaints the company are seeing reinforce the philosophy. He admitted that it will take some time before users can adjust to the design changes, but claimed that he's become more attached to the app because of the redesign.
Why was Snapchat ever redesigned, though? Well, that has to do with the company attempting to make the app more appealing and less intimidating to a wider audience, especially considering that before the redesign, the app's user interface was super convoluted and alien to someone who's never interacted with it before.
The intent, of course, is to make it more user friendly and diminish even more barriers toward adding more users as the company continues to compete with Facebook, which has been repeatedly copying its feature and thereby stealing a huge portion of its audience.
What do you think? Do you agree with Snap Inc. on this one? Do you think the app should get its old design back? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
