Thunderbolt Digital are a local digital agency specialising in services including Surrey web design, search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SMM), social media management and much more! As a passionate team of digital experts including online marketers and web developers, we like to keep an eye out for the latest trends and updates in web design, especially when they concern internet giants like Youtube, and its parent company Google.
Google is in the midst of a mass Material redesign following their latest Chrome OS rollout, and it seems that next in line for a new look is the Youtube web app. Following Google’s reveal of their Material design last year it’s only natural that the company would want to follow their own guidelines and implement their new UI and design features across their mobile apps and web platforms, especially since the release of Android Lollipop.
Youtube’s homepage has already seen some recent changes (in order to be more mobile-friendly than ever) and so doesn’t see as many alterations as channel pages do in the redesign; channel pages now see header images become more prominent than ever before, and also feel more immersive due to the flatter design. The redesign also features a change in the use of negative space, which is now much more effective and visually appealing.
The video player remains the same, with the bulk of changes to be found in the video description and engagement buttons, including likes, sharing and subscription options. Visual comparisons between the current layout and the revamped Material redesign can be found here.
Youtube is so far only in the stages of A/B testing their redesign, but it’s possible for anyone who’s interested to enable the new appearance before its official launch and enjoy Youtube Material’s flatter, cleaner look immediately. For those curious about the new design and who want to see what it looks like for themselves, instructions on how to enable Youtube’s new Material Design can be found here.