18 Cool Redesign Ideas for Popular Websites

Design plays a pivotal role in the success of a website, acting as the crown to the content’s kingship. It’s not just about looks; design shapes how we interact with content. A poor design can lead to a frustrating user experience and a decline in website traffic.

As web designers, we often face a balancing act. In our pursuit of creating the perfect website, we find ourselves weighing aesthetics against functionality, or functionality against readability. Achieving a design that satisfies everyone on all fronts is a challenging feat.

So, what makes a design stand out? This is a common question among web designers. Some have even taken it upon themselves to reimagine how popular websites like Facebook and YouTube could look, offering fresh perspectives and potential redesigns. In this collection, you’ll see these creative concepts. Whether they’re improvements or not, that’s for you to judge. Dive in and see for yourself!

Facebook Redesign Concepts

Facebook, with over 500 million active users and a staggering 700 billion minutes spent on the platform, presents a significant challenge for web designers. This immense popularity is perhaps why numerous designers have ventured to reimagine the design of Facebook. Let’s explore some of these creative redesign attempts:

Concept Design by Barton Smith

Barton Smith took on a personal project to revamp Facebook, focusing on enhancing its form and functionality. His ‘Facebook Facelift’ features a streamlined, structured, and linear interface, making it more user-friendly and content more easily digestible.

Main Page

Redesigned Facebook main page by Barton Smith

Photos Page

Redesigned Facebook photos page by Barton Smith

Events Page

Redesigned Facebook events page by Barton Smith

Contacts Page

Redesigned Facebook contacts page by Barton Smith

Notifications Page

Redesigned Facebook notifications page by Barton Smith
Concept Design by Information Architects

Conceived in December 2006 and later adapted to modern design standards, this innovative redesign of Facebook by Information Architects aims to provide a mail-like application feel. It features a flexible three-column layout that distinctly separates filter, information stream, and reaction. This concept is detailed in their post.

Main Page

Innovative Facebook main page redesign by Information Architects
Concept Design by Justin Dauer

Justin Dauer envisioned a Facebook interface more akin to a web app, catering to the 175 million daily users and their repetitive interactions. His redesign, coinciding with Twitter’s new app-like UI, seeks to validate this modern approach.

Main Page

App-like Facebook main page design by Justin Dauer
pseudoroom design
Concept Design by Peter Knoll

Peter Knoll’s sleek design significantly enhances Facebook’s visual appeal with improved graphics and a cleaner interface, complemented by elegant typography for better readability.

Main Page

Sleek and visually appealing Facebook main page design by Peter Knoll
Peter Knoll
Concept Design by AndasoloARTS

AndasoloARTS’ variation of Facebook, which was even sold, follows a design philosophy similar to Peter Knoll’s but stands out in its own right. This sleek design focuses on minimalism.

Main Page

Minimalist Facebook main page design by AndasoloARTS
Concept Design by Jonaska

Inspired by AndasoloARTS’ design, Jonaska’s version of Facebook is uniquely crafted, with notable features such as an integrated status sharing and search box, making it a well-conceived variation.

Main Page

Unique Facebook main page design by Jonaska
Concept Design by Czarny-Design

Czarny-Design introduces a bold take on Facebook’s design, featuring sexy rounded corners and a slightly altered color scheme. This unique approach asks the question: are you ready for such a change?

Main Page

Unique and bold Facebook main page design by Czarny-Design

Myspace Redesign Ideas

Once a titan of social networking, Myspace, now rebranded as My_____, sought to pivot towards being a prime destination for social entertainment, encompassing music, movies, celebrities, TV, and games. Although these redesigns were envisioned for the old Myspace, they offer intriguing insights into what designers believed Myspace could have evolved into.

Concept Design by Rafael Oliveira

Rafael Oliveira pondered how Myspace might look with a clearer, more beautiful interface, yet retaining customization options in a user-friendly way. This led to his project that not only focused on aesthetic improvements but also proposed usability enhancements, inspired by the existing content and structure of Myspace.

Main Page

Rafael Oliveira's vision of Myspace main page

Channels Menu

Myspace channels menu redesigned by Rafael Oliveira

Photos Page

Redesigned Myspace photos page by Rafael Oliveira

Customized Profile Page

Customized Myspace profile page by Rafael Oliveira

Artist Page – Default

Default artist page on Myspace by Rafael Oliveira

Artist Page – Customized

Customized artist page on Myspace by Rafael Oliveira

Videos Channel Page

Myspace Videos Channel page redesigned by Rafael Oliveira

Google

As a global leader processing over 1 billion search requests daily, Google stands as the most recognized website worldwide. Known for its ambition to lead the internet realm with user-friendly products like Android, Gmail, and Analytics, Google boasts a team of top-tier designers. Any attempt to redesign their website is a bold challenge to these experts. Let’s explore this intriguing idea.

Concept Design by Craig Reville

“In light of Google’s potential redesign plans, I’ve imagined my own version of how I’d like to see and interact with Google. I’ve kept the icons and logo relatively simple, as professional icon designers can enhance these further. I prefer the logo in its simplistic form. Feedback is always welcome.”

Main Page

Conceptual main page design of Google by Craig Reville
Craig Reville

Search Result Page

Conceptual search result page design of Google by Craig Reville
Craig Reville

Search Result Page – 2nd Concept

Alternative conceptual design for Google's search result page
Craig Reville

Image Search Result Page

Conceptual design for Google's image search result page by Craig Reville
Craig Reville
Concept Design by FloxDesign

Envisioning a design reminiscent of Bing but with a more spectacular approach. I would love to see this extraordinary design as my Google main page.

Main Page

FloxDesign's conceptual redesign of Google's main page

YouTube

Positioned as the third most visited global site and fourth in the US, YouTube is a hub for discovering, watching, uploading, and sharing videos. While individual creators are the backbone of its content, notable media houses like CBS, BBC, Vevo, and Hulu contribute through YouTube’s partnership program. Redesigning a site with over 2 billion daily views is a daring endeavor, but these designers have risen to the challenge.

Concept Design by Michele Byrne

This sleek redesign focuses on enhancing the video viewing and sharing experience. While the user interface bears some resemblance to Vimeo, it’s a commendable and unique approach to reimagining YouTube.

Main Page

Michele Byrne's conceptual redesign of YouTube's main page

Video Page

Michele Byrne's concept for YouTube's video page

User Page

Conceptual user page design for YouTube by Michele Byrne

Video Info

Concept design of YouTube's video info page by Michele Byrne

Recommended Video

Conceptual design of YouTube's recommended video section by Michele Byrne
Concept Design by Josh Collie

“A major issue I’ve found with YouTube over time is the inability to search for videos and read comments without losing sight of the current video. My design tackles this by incorporating three separate scrollable columns for search, video, and comments.”

Main Page

Josh Collie's innovative main page design for YouTube
Josh Collie

User Page

Redesigned user page for YouTube by Josh Collie
Josh Collie
Concept Design by Thadeu Morgado

This experimental redesign for YouTube’s main page maintains the familiar style but restructures the layout, adding a prominent, sleek slider to highlight featured videos.

Main Page

Thadeu Morgado's main page redesign for YouTube, featuring a large slider

Amazon’s Redesign Exploration

Amazon, since its inception in 1995, has evolved into a global e-commerce leader, offering an extensive range of products from books to electronics. Given its vast business scope, designers worldwide have taken up the challenge to enhance Amazon’s website, making it more aesthetically appealing and user-friendly.

Concept Design by Trevor Cleveland

Trevor Cleveland embarked on a project to reimagine Amazon’s homepage, particularly for modern, high-resolution displays. He noticed that Amazon’s current design, optimized for smaller screens, appears disjointed on newer computers with larger screens. His goal was to present three distinct redesign concepts to modernize Amazon’s interface.

First Concept – Main Page

Amazon's first concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland

First Concept – Menu

Menu view of Amazon's first concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland

Second Concept – Main Page

Amazon's second concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland

Second Concept – Menu

Menu view of Amazon's second concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland

Third Concept – Main Page

Amazon's third concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland

Third Concept – Menu

Menu view of Amazon's third concept redesign by Trevor Cleveland
Concept design By: Maurice Kindermann

Maurice Kindermann tackled Amazon’s design challenges head-on. Dissatisfied with the current layout, he addressed three key issues: stretched screen resolution, cluttered buying options, and an overwhelming amount of content. Here’s a look at his innovative approach to refining Amazon’s user interface.

Main Page.

Refined Amazon Main Page Design by Maurice Kindermann

IMDb Concept Redesign

As the world’s foremost database for movies, TV shows, and entertainment content, IMDb presents a unique design challenge. A successful redesign would need to manage vast amounts of information while enhancing user experience.

Concept design By: Vladimir Kudinov

Vladimir Kudinov critiqued the current IMDb design for being cluttered and disorganized. In his redesign, he focused on a clean, sleek layout, prioritizing visuals like photos, videos, and essential movie information, ensuring a more straightforward, user-friendly experience.

Film Page.

Simplified IMDb Film Page by Vladimir Kudinov

Menu.

Redesigned IMDb Menu by Vladimir Kudinov

Player Pop Up Component.

IMDb Player Popup Component by Vladimir Kudinov

Top Panel.

Streamlined IMDb Top Panel by Vladimir Kudinov
Concept design By: Clay Parker Jones

Clay Parker Jones envisioned a map enhancement for Foursquare’s user pages, capitalizing on the platform’s location-centric nature. His design allows users to interact with the map and view information in four different formats, enriching the social networking experience with feeds, likes, tips, and suggestions.

User Page.

Foursquare User Page with Map Feature by Clay Parker Jones
Exitcreative

Your Thoughts on Design Evolution

Adapting to new designs is a journey for every user. Reflecting on these conceptual redesigns, what are your thoughts? Do you prefer these innovative designs over the current ones? Do you believe they address user experience issues effectively? Your opinions are valuable, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on these creative endeavors.

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