Bea Halstead - January 23, 2012
YouTube activated a new channel design that drastically changes how the videos and information is being displayed. Utilizing a more marketable format for promoted videos and advertising, the design primarily changes the layout of the channel page by displaying information about the channel more prominently. YouTube channels will all eventually be updated to the new design by March, 2012. Listed are the advantages for using the new YouTube channel design.
- Header – a sleek header design has a larger avatar/logo image and channel name, a subscribe button that turns green with a plus sign when rolled over, and the channel stats (subscribers and video views). The emphasis on the stats is great for a quick glance to gauge the channel’s popularity.
- Tabs – re-organized the navigation into Featured, Feed, and Videos. Edit channel includes template options to organize how the videos, playlists, and channels will display on the Featured tab. There is an option for selecting a featured video to play in the viewing area and the ability to remove advertising. Your Feed tab will be updated by your activity on YouTube and you can choose to filter what is shared in the settings. The Videos tab will display a thumbnail grid view with various sorting options for the videos on the channel.
- Search –a search bar has been added for finding videos specific to that channel. For channels that have a lot videos and users wanting to drill down into old content, this has been a long awaited, much appreciated add-on to the page design.
- Profile Panel – was located below the main video description but now has prime real-estate being positioned higher on the page and in left column replacing the previous video navigation. This area first displays the channel description, URLs, social media icons (hyperlinked), and other details can also be seen, however you can select what you’d like to show via the edit button. Featured channels can also be added to highlight partner channels or related channels to your field of expertise.
