There has been a bit of buzz on the interweb this week surrounding the rollout of some ‘Google+ esque’ aesthetic updates to YouTube, so I thought I would share some insights. The important thing to think about as you read on is user experience and online engagement. Do you think the changes help or hinder?

The facts;

  1. Google Panda – Google is trying to unify the user interface aesthetic of its online services, which includes a series of experimental updates for YouTube (released in July 2011) that has been named ‘Cosmic Panda’.
  2. The New Changes – Google has been in stealth mode working on an even newer look for YouTube, which is slowly & selectively being rolled.

Here’s what Google had to say in a feed about the Homepage changes…

Apparently anyone can force this new design by adding a cookie to his or her browser. Here’s how to do to so for Chrome and Firefox.
If its Cosmic Panda your after, click on the Cosmic Panda YouTube page to activate.

I think the main takeaway from the recent YouTube changes are that brands need to always’s consider the importance of staying fresh & current with their online services, always bringing it back to the consumer and whether or not they are having a good consumer experience.

Screenshot of New Changes

Screenshot of YouTube Cosmic Panda