Snapchat is said to be redesigning its Discover section once again

Almost exactly a year after Snapchat first redesigned its interface to highlight its “Discover” section for news pieces and advertisements, the social media app is planning on changes once again. According to reports, a new look for the Discover page will be unveiled on June 7, and Snapchat partners whose content already populates this high-profile spot are said to have already been given a sneak peek.

Sources familiar with the redesign say that the new and improved Discover tab will boast a brand new layout, abandoning the circular icons so familiar to Snapchat users for another design reminiscent of a separate photo-sharing app. According to reports, Discover will look a bit more Instagram-esque, with users scrolling through tiles of news and ads.

With Snapchat reporting burgeoning user numbers and video view statistics, it come as little surprise that the firm is taking a closer look at the portion of its app that is arguably responsible for the vast majority of its revenue. It would seem that advertisers and media sites are eager to vie for precious placement opportunities and viewership among the app’s young demographic.

And if rumors of the tile-based feed are true, it could be a more attractive option for some media companies who would prefer this layout to its previous, circular aesthetic.

Back in March, the Wall Street Journal became the first American paper to establish a presence on the Discover section (though others soon followed suit). And according to Snapchat, this feature gives more traditional media companies a way to think creatively about how to reach new audiences, and how to package content in bite-sized, easily consumable packages. For some, and certainly including the Journal, it’s fantastic.

“This is about new audiences in new platforms,” Sarah Marshall, a social media editor at the Journal told Digiday. “It’s not about gaining subscribers tomorrow.”

We’ll just have to wait and see what the Discover redesign does for subscribers — for Snapchat and for advertisers alike.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1WIZdCz
Lulu Chang