On August 12, Twitter introduced a new design across all of its platforms. He changed colors, appearance, buttons and even a new font for the texts of the publications called Chirp.
Hours later, the criticisms began. Users from different latitudes said (on Twitter, of course) that the new typography and contrast were causing them headaches when scrolling and looking at the screen for a long time.
It seemed to be one of the classic resistance to changes that is very common in the redesigns of famous applications (it happened to Twitter before, also to Facebook and Snapchat).
There is always a group of users who feel uncomfortable with the changes, not only on Twitter, but on all social platforms, and even when brands rebranding their logos.
However this time it seems that it was true.
Over the weekend, the platform led by Jack Dorsey announced that it is making changes to the contrast of all the buttons “to make them softer on the eye.”
The new changes are especially aimed at the contrast of the redesigned buttons, which appear to be causing complications for some users.
The redesign of Twitter had changed the font to the Chirp, aligned to the left, and had modified the appearance of the buttons, removing blue tones and increasing the contrast to optimize visibility.
Now, the official Twitter accessibility account says that it will make changes again because there are people with “sensory sensitivities” who are having problems.
We’re making contrast changes on all buttons to make them easier on the eyes because you told us the new look is uncomfortable for people with sensory sensitivities. We’re listening and iterating.
– Twitter Accessibility (@ TwitterA11y) August 13, 2021
In parallel, Twitter says that has identified problems in the operation of the Chirp font in the version for Windows personal computers and explained that he is “working to fix it.” I mean, Chirp could have his days numbered.
The reversal of Twitter is a clear example of a failed redesign. When it launched, the social network said that “it might seem strange at first”, but assured that it would improve the visualization of the content and clean up the visual clutter.
But many complained. “The typeface is smaller and denser, which makes you need to strain your eyes more to read,” wrote one user. Another said: “It is simply impossible to read if you have any visual impairment.”
Regarding the source, many were also upset. Responding to a concerned user who asked to be able to choose his own font, Twitter now promised new changes. “We are reviewing everyone’s comments on the source,” they officially responded.
Announcing the new font, in January 2021, Twitter’s head of brand, Derrit DeRouen, said that it had been designed by the Swiss typeface foundation Grilli “to improve the way we convey emotion and imperfection,” and that the Helvetica standard typeface, widely used, “was not up to the market”.
But now, that DeRouen thread is chock full of responses urging Twitter to use Helvetica, or any other system default font.
I want to give a bit more depth to Chirp, our new typeface.
Type, in 280 character doses, is the foundation of Twitter. In the history of the company we’ve either relied on someone else’s typeface, from SF Pro and Roboto, to Helvetica Neue in our brand. pic.twitter.com/OrvlYsxF9g
– Derrit DeRouen (@DerritDeRouen) January 27, 2021