#012 The Design Insider: Digest
Twitter rolls out Super Follows, Linkedin to remove stories, Voice chat coming to Roblox & much more
In the news
Linkedin to remove stories: Less than a year after the full rollout, Linkedin has told advertisers that it will be removing stories from the platform to focus on alternative short-form video content. This announcement comes after Twitter also announced their intention to remove fleets a few weeks back.
Facebook announce live shopping event: Instagram will be hosting their first major live shopping event, which will run from September 1st for ten days, featuring some of the biggest celebrities, influencers and brands. The move comes as it fights with rivals to become the dominant player in live shopping, a trend that is just taking off in the west following insane growth and adoption in the far east.
Twitter begins rolling out Super Follows: This highly anticipated feature will allow creators to monetise by charging a subscription fee for access to exclusive content, chats and conversations. Once subscribed, super-followers will have a badge to make them stand out to account owners. To cash in through this feature, you must be 18+, have 10K+ followers, have tweeted 25 times in the last 30 days and be in the U.S.
Twitter testing “safety mode”: The new feature, currently being tested with a small feedback group, will temporarily block accounts posting harmful language and abusive content for up to 7 days. The move comes as the social giant ramps up its efforts to make the platform safe for people to converse without fear of abuse.
Google launches new chrome beta browser: The latest version comes with several new features to enhance the browsing experience for users. This includes a new tab page consisting of cards directing users back to past web search activities and quote cards, which will allow users to create stylised images for social sharing that feature text found on websites.
Spotify blend is here: Spotify will begin rolling out blend, a shared playlist feature it began testing earlier this year, to all users worldwide. The latest version will allow users to see how well their music taste matches with friends and seamlessly add their favourite tracks into a single playlist in a couple of taps.
Voice chat coming to Roblox: Roblox is making an exciting move by allowing developers to test “spatial audio”, a new feature that will eventually enable users to have more realistic conversations while playing games. Early access to this feature will be given to the first 5,000 developers who are 13 or older.
Telegram hits 1 billion downloads: Telegram has finally joined the elite group of apps to hit 1 Billion downloads. A huge yet expected milestone as it capitalised on the mishandling of the privacy settings saga by rival messaging app, Whatsapp.
Flipboard adds newsfeed personalisation controls: Users can now control the content shown on the “for you” newsfeed based on specific topics of interest. These controls aim to minimise the time users spend scrolling and increase the time spent on the app.
Facebook introduces Fantasy Gaming: Fantasy Games will go live on Facebook’s iOS and Android app for users in the U.S. and Canada. The games featured will be more straightforward versions of existing fantasy games and predictive games associated with popular T.V. shows such as Survivor and The Bachelorette.
Square to launch “invoices plus”: Essentially a paid subscription service version of Square’s existing invoicing software, invoices plus will include a host of new features that were previously released as part of a limited trial last year. These include custom invoice templates, multi-package estimates, custom invoice fields and much more. The move comes as square gears up to take on invoicing software providers.
Windows 11 coming October 5th: Windows first O.S. update in 7 years will become available on supported devices and as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 P.C.s from October 5th. With this update, users will have access to several new features. However, support for android apps, which was one of the most anticipated, will be omitted on launch.
Recommended reads
Modern UX design is killing creativity: Modern UX design focuses purely on reducing friction to create practical solutions and experiences. However, there are times when user needs cannot be solved analytically or otherwise follow a predictable path. In this article, the author shares how going away from the tried and tested approach can yield outstanding user experiences.
How the biggest companies broke design trends to succeed: This article looks at how Silicon Valley titans went against the grain and did things differently to design transformational products and user experiences that redefined entire industries and how we carry out everyday tasks.
5 Common UX Design Problems with E.V. Charging Stations: Mass adoption of electric cars is around the corner, yet the infrastructure and charging station network is fraught with flaws. In this article, the author highlights the design issues and shares some potential solutions to improve the UX of E.V. charging stations.
No more margins - a modern approach to spacing: Spacing is an important and often overlooked part of visual design. This article will cover the fundamentals of using space in design and best practices for spacing out your layouts to achieve optimal functionality at scale.
A guide to designing successful Login experiences: Designing a login flow that is both secure and pleasant for users requires a lot of thought and experimentation. In this article, the author shares some top tips to keep in mind to design login-flows that offer a stress-free and straightforward experience for users.
Useful tools & resources
Book of the week: The Little Book of Psychology: An Introduction to the Key Psychologists and Theories You Need to Know by Emily Ralls and Caroline Riggs
Sprig: Formerly known as Userleap, Sprig is an all-in-one product research platform that lets you ask questions, conduct video interviews, test design concepts, and run microsurveys with actual users in minutes.