Myspace redesigned logo with a more recognizable version also shown in the small overlay in the corner.

In an effort to combat the growing ranks of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Myspace has introduced a new logo and website design that attempts to “Focus on Social Entertainment for Gen Y”. I must admit that although my first reaction was to chuckle at the literal space in the new logo, I started to realize how well the new design as a whole was executed.

Gen Y Appeal

I think they hit it pretty spot on with the appeal to their Gen Y audience. With a very large portion of screen real estate on these newly revamped pages devoted to what’s new in entertainment, it’s much easier to keep up with what’s trending. Also you’ll notice some funky graphics when you roll over the logo on the homepage, these change on each load of the page. Clicking around I also found random deer heads, stuffed animals and hand drawn graphics strewn about for good measure. Overall the design and functionality improvements focus on the main community that Myspace has left (in my opinion at least), artists and the Gen Y audience. Overall I found it was much nicer to look at than previous incarnations and it was indeed easier to see what was going on in Movies/Music/TV without being quite as daunting as I recall it being.

Taking Cues From the Competition

I noticed when I logged in – for the first time in several months mind you – that the header has a similar section of graphical representations for messages, requests and notifications. It’s not hard to spot the similarities to their Facebook counterparts. Same goes for the new logged-in homepage where you have a big box to “share what you’re into.”, also a comfortable familiar addition for those used to Facebook. Though this addition has a welcome new feature that brings the term “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” to mind, you can also choose to share the same thing to your attached Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.

Overall Opinion

For those with a severely low attention span – better but deep down it’s still just MySpace. The new logo is growing on me, and the new features are neat even though they’re arriving a little late in the game. But when you drill down deeper, it’s still the same old site overrun with profiles like ☆★Babee♥Grrrl★☆ and Ŝûƥêŕ Č₤ë√é® that insist on using sparkling animated GIF backgrounds and cramming their pages full of “I’m most like ____ on the Jersey Shore” quiz results. Sad part is I can’t think of a viable way of getting past that part of the MySpace tradition, as corny as the results may seem to most of us the freedom granted to users necessary for it to be possible wont be given up without a price.

Below is the introductory video to the redesigned MySpace: