LinkedIn unveils major design overhaul, including the introduction of Stories

LinkedIn has unveiled its first major redesign in five years. With over 700 million users globally, it is the world’s largest professional network, and the new-look website and app are, according to the company, designed to “put the community front and centre”, particularly during the current Covid-19 climate.

Arguably the biggest change is the introduction of Stories. While Stories are nothing new to social media, LinkedIn says in its statement that it “took the time to understand how this format fits in the professional context”. The new tool allows members to connect more personally and less formally with their peers and connections, replacing the “essential water-cooler moments” that we’ve lost in this era of Covid-19.

The new LinkedIn also offers members a new way to let others know they’re open to work, again a sadly much-needed feature in our current economy. The design team has launched “Open to Work,” a simple profile photo frame that says you’re looking for your next opportunity. According to the team, nearly 2.5 million members have adopted the frame.

And in a third major change, the updated LinkedIn offers new ways to launch a video call over Microsoft Teams, BlueJeans by Verizon, or Zoom directly from a message thread.

Aside from these more functional changes, the designers have evolved the visual sides of things as well. As senior director of product design Joann Wu wrote in a separate post, the redesign introduces a “warm colour palette with foundational canvas hues, and blue and green accents”, with a view to making the interface “softer and friendlier”. The look and feel is also more streamlined with the addition of more white space and fewer divider lines and decorative icons.

Inclusivity is also at the forefront of this design overhaul. Layout decisions and elements that allow for text scaling, bigger touch targets, and increased contrast for readability mean that the new LinkedIn experience meets high accessibility standards. The brand has also developed new illustrations that, according to Wu, “capture a wide range of different professional fields and industries beyond tech, and represent people with different abilities and ethnic backgrounds, bringing to life our vibrant community”.

The company also said it would be gradually introducing the new design to members around the world over the next few months. There will also be further changes, including a dark mode, while the new design will be integrated across all LinkedIn products for a more consistent experience.