Wilkinson himself only considers the Googleplex redesign “partially successful.” The Times reports:

Many engineers and the company’s chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, were not happy with the shock of change, including orange and green carpets, glass workrooms with yurt-like tented fabric roofs to absorb reverberations and “clubhouses” with beanbag chairs for brainstorming that some employees just avoid. “The acoustics in the yurts made people woozy,” said a Google executive who asked to remain anonymous to protect his job. While neither Google nor Mr. Schmidt would comment, Mr. Schmidt, by many accounts, moved out of the building and his large glass office into a tiny but secluded space. “Tour groups and passersby were always rapping on his glass wall to say hi,” said the Google executive. “Eric felt it was unproductive.”

The new face of CNET's flagship site offers a revamped look, more online video, and an easier way for advertisers to customize their messages. The new CNET.com includes a "brand showcase" feature, allowing advertisers to pay for pages where they can promote products with links to CNET reviews, a service for which CBS can charge higher rates, according to Joe Gillespie, who oversees CNET.com.

The new CNET.com highlights another priority for CBS's online strategy: video. A large window that will soon play high-definition video within the homepage promotes the site's video content, including relevant clips from CBS broadcasts. Mr. Gillespie says video ads can sell for double normal ad rates on the site.

If Yahoo's official color is purple, why is the logo it shows to hundreds of millions of users on its homepage red? One explanation Yahoo insiders have given me: In the early days of the Web, purple didn't display well on the available monitors. Since then, an overwrought caution has kept Yahoo from updating it.

The company started testing variations on a new logo two months ago; after trying a different typeface, it appears to have settled on the current version — finally, after 13 years, in the right color.

Tumblr users in Kalamazoo, Michigan:

More in Des Moines, Iowa:

There's one in Muncie, Indiana!

Tumblr users exist where they used to make Goodyear tires in Akron, Ohio:

In East Sioux Falls, South Dakota, they must call the Tumblr-using Sioux Falls kids crybaby emos:

The redesign is one of those things we actually like, so at first I was a bit surprised to learn that users hate it so much. I asked a non-tech scene friend whether he uses the old or new design. His answer: "Old, because the new one is ugly and annoying." And then I remembered that Facebook users also hated the News Feed so much when it came out that 587,715 of them joined a group called "Students against Facebook News Feed" in just one day. Expect similar riots in September when Facebook will force its users to migrate to the new platform.

In a word, no. Despite improved targeting, click-through on Facebook ads remains abysmally low, at about 0.045 percent, CPM Advisors reports. The rates on those ads is similarly rock-bottom; Facebook's automated ad-selling systems suggest advertisers bid a CPM, or cost per thousand pageviews, between $0.21 and $0.27.

Most of Facebook's inventory is junk. And Facebook's new design may help take out the trash. It's no surprise users don't click on ads on profile pages; there's too much else to do. The new profile centers on users' news feeds, a constant report of their activity on Facebook — and, increasingly, on other sites across the Web, like Digg and Flickr. (This latter bit, called Facebook Connect, is a reinvention of the troubled Beacon feature, which met a frosty reception last year for being overly invasive of Facebook users' privacy.)

To the extent Facebook users see ads on the new profile pages, it seems likely they'll be disguised as reports about your friends in your news feed. (Did you know your friend went to see that new movie? Maybe you'd like to buy a ticket, too.) Or not: We hear Zuckerberg, who once championed these ads as a once-every-100-years change in media, has now soured on them.

One has to think conventional ads won't disappear entirely from Facebook. The social network has a multiyear agreeement to let Microsoft sell ads on the site, for one; having already renegotiated that deal in the course of getting a $240 million investment, Facebook would be hard-pressed to change it on Microsoft once again.

But make no mistake: Taking banners off users' profiles is a bold bet. The new profile design emphasizes the news feed — and, presumably, the friend-centered ads that appear within it. Those ads are difficult to sell, and difficult to place; they require vastly more computing power than the keyword matching Google has used to make billions of dollars. If Facebook can master this, it might actually be worth $15 billion, or more. If it can't, its value will be much closer to zero. Good luck, Zuck.

Update: The ads are back — but the mystery over their disappearance remains.

Facebook pushed the launch to June, and Zuckerberg relented, letting the widgetmakers have their way with the redesign, which people close to the project have called "his baby." Then, proving that a platform needn't be nearly as popular, important, or functional as a real operating system to experience ongoing delays in development, Facebook delayed the rollout further, this time into July.

I am very proud of this project as it was a challenging one. I had to "dress up" (in addition to furniture, art accessories, a new lighting plan and flooring as well as stage it) almost 4,000 sqf in one month in order to fulfill my client's as well as Fox's network criteria as the penthouse used to film part of the Secret Millionaire show airing in fall. Fox was thrilled with the way it turned out(as they described it- it looked like a "movie set")

Hi guys,

Are you or a graphic designer you know is looking for contract work? 23andMe is looking for contractors. (www.23andme.com)

The basic rundown:

We're looking for a super-talented individual or group that can design stuff that is clean, friendly, and smart. (no arbitrary swooshes!) If you're not working through me, then you'll be dealing with non-designers giving you project descriptions—so it helps if you're comfortable working with a fair amount of independence and can bring your own intellect to the table.

-Create stuff that can scale between print and web nicely.
-Ability to make sweet diagrams a plus (think Wired for level of science + accessible).
-Ability to make flash animations a plus
-Ability to edit video also great
-You will probably need to learn a little about our technology along the way. Poorly researched allusions to double-helices will not cut the proverbial mustard.
-Good communicator. We are busy and can be vague (I had this when I was a contractor) so you need to feel comfortable asking questions to get you the info you need.
-Work will target a wide audience from average Joes to researchers.
-Project by project basis, most likely the work will be in marketing materials and not tied to the actual website. So think items like booklets, logos, icons, posters.
-The items being created are small in scale but in content are very complex. you'll have to get a nuanced message across that is both sophisticated and accessible.
-Potential for full-time hire if interested.

It can be any primary color except red or yellow. It must use a letter from the Google logo, but one that's closely associated with Google's services, which rules out "o," "l," and "e." Anything you want, as long as it's a blue "g"! Mayer's tyrannical design process aside, her business justifications for settling on "g" are intriguing.<./p>

The design constraints were all set around cell phones, not Web browsers. Mayer wants Google's new mini-logo to be distinctive on a wide range of cell-phone screens; blue will always show up reasonably well. The lowercase "g" has relatively thick features, which means it will hold up in low resolution. Google wants to be small — so it can have a big future in wireless.

The earliest Facebook profile we could find comes from 2005, though the site started up in 2004. Back then, you needed an SAT score of 1350 to use "thefacebook.com" Or at least a good personal essay "revised" by your guidance counselor.

A fuller look at the profile in later 2005. Note the Matrix-y 1s and 0s flowing around the departed "Facebook guy."

By 2006, at the time this profile screenshot was taken, thefacebook had become just "Facebook" and already founder Mark Zuckerberg had caved to hoi polloi. Bennington.

Here, from 2007, the Facebook profile almost as it is now. But without Vampires, Zombies or that ever-begging "Causes" application.

The Facebook profile as it is now. Accessible to high schoolers, the unemployed and even those at state schools. Note how it's carefully armored against your pervy eyes.

The Facebook profile of the future, arriving on your 3G iPhone in just a few weeks.

We couldn't find any screen shots of what Facebook profiles used to look like, so these are just images of the site's welcome screen, taken from the WayBack machine. Send us old screenshots if you've got them?

Meantime, try not to let bitter tears of nostalgia sting your eyes as you take a look at these babies.

1. Mozilla
2. Facebook
3. Mahalo
4. DoubleClick
5. Yahoo
6. Microsoft
7. Google
8. LinkedIn
9. Jajah
10. Adobe

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

• Tech's 10 worst workspaces
• Yahoo
• Mozilla
• Mahalo
• Google
• Microsoft
• LinkedIn
• Jajah
• Facebook
• DoubleClick
• Adobe

Click to expand the images, which Microsoft designer Evan Malahy told LiveSide he hopes "raise awareness not only outside of Microsoft, but help us (designers) have more traction and power to get these inconsistencies addressed."

(Graphic by Google Blogoscoped)

Click to expand

1. MySpace: The ugly stepchild, the target of everyone's affection. It's anarchy of customization, Photobucket widgets, audio, and image backgrounds is gut-wrenching and mind-numbing. It's also it's most distinguishing competitive advantage. Beyond MySpace's personalization features, many of its core features go unused or are poorly designed. Grade: C- (inflated from F because it wouldn't be MySpace otherwise)

2. Facebook: The antithesis of Myspace: crisp design, limited customization, focused feature set. Grade: A

3. Bebo: (Nielson has particular reservations about websites chasing the usage pattern of teenagers.) Somewhere between the crisp and functional Facebook and the chaos of Myspace lies Bebo. It satisfies its community's heartrending cries for individuality while remaining functional without inducing seizures (most of the time). Grade: B+ (for having some class while still appealing to the teenies)

4. Twitter: Focused on the core functionality of the service with limited customization of backgrounds and icons. Because it is primarily a service, the web site is often circumvented entirely by widgets, client apps, or mobile devices. Grade: A (for its avoidability)

5. Geni: The genealogy-focused social network deserves special mention because without "chasing Web 2.0", it would not be possible. It's primary interface, building family trees visually, is dependent on new Web technology and customization. It's a shining example of exploiting new technologies for new purposes. Where it is subject to criticism is its lack of greater customization and viewing options. Grade A+ (but it could use an upgrade)

Conclusion: Design always has its examples of good and bad, and most are in between. Even a good design is worthy of criticism. However, the state of web sites is no different than at other times. New technology is exploited for functional purposes and can be over-used. Customization can interfere with the user and get out of their way. Teens are the target demographic of most every market. Jacob Nielsen would have less of a foundation on which to base his criticisms without everyone's poster child, Myspace, but critics will always have a job.

Oof. Makes MySpace look like Google.com. Owner Marc Canter committed the cardinal sin of Web 2.0 with his site: He didn't make it pretty.

By the way, if you want into the site early, use the username and password "paalpha".

People Aggregator [Official site]

I want you all in this shirt by Friday.

Buy it: Web 2.OH, YEAAHH!! [Mule Design]
Because: Web 2.0 (TM): The shit hits the fans [Valleywag]

Monday

• Mobile Design: A Lifestyle Approach: Learn about interaction design in handhelds and other non-PC interfaces.

Tuesday

• PBwiki Meetup: Get drunk at the house of this dot-com startup's CEO.

Wednesday

• SV Bloggers Third Wednesday: Hang out at the Cupertino Coffee Society with bloggers from the South Bay.

Thursday

• AIGA Traveling Lounge: Hang out with designers at Martuni's (off SF's Market Street) and, according to the event listing, complain about clients. Should be good for some gossip.
• Third Thursday: Social Media in Marketing & PR: Michael Arrington, blogger at TechCrunch, will speak. So you know every eager startup PR rep is going.
• "Email — Should the Sender Pay?": EFF Fundraiser, Debate Between Esther Dyson and Danny O'Brien: Hear the EFF's Danny O'Brien call CNET's Esther Dyson a tool of the extortionist hegemony; hear Esther call Danny a soft-headed commie luddite. Bring fruit to throw in case they get too civil.

The husband is a notorious publicity hound, the wife less so, but acquaintances have wondered before — "Are they swingers?" Not quite, so keep your pants on — but do what you will with your shirt.

The New Monogamy [New York Magazine]

A six-man panel redesigned Craigslist for SXSW. The new design is gorgeous, slick, and almost as small as the original. Until the panel posts it at Design Eye, you can see it at panel-member site Just Watch the Sky. Right now, they're taking questions about the design at their panel. And of course Craigslist founder Craig Newmark was invited onstage to share his reaction.

After Craig made another go at his Amanda Congdon impression, he said in a tentative tone, "It's good. I like it." Would Craigslist try any of the changes? "Talk to my CEO, Jim Buckmaster — who's featured in Fortune, there's a photo of him on a bear rug. Anyway, it looks good." Applause.

Design Eye for the List Guy [designeye.org]
Craigslist redesign [JWtS]