I learned through a flurry of online chatter recently that YouTube is forcing a change to their new channel design in mid-June. For several weeks they have been encouraging channel owners to adopt the new One Channel design with prompts at login. If you opted in, you know the new design eliminates the area around the video channel that is customizable with graphics, logos, text, etc. Some of your channels with the ‘old’ design are beautiful and I know a lot of work went into them. As of mid-June the channels will have a simple banner across the top and a layout that looks like the YouTube home page. The new design is supposed to improve the YouTube experience because the channel will look pretty much the same on all devices.
Here’s what the current format looks like as of 6/5/13:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TrinityCafeofTampa
Here’s the new design as of sometime in June: (Hint – subscribers don’t have to see the featured video auto-play every time they visit a channel, only the first time.)
http://www.youtube.com/user/VeranosResources
I have been experimenting with the new design on my channel for a little while. I’d like to say I love the new design – maybe I’ll fall in love with it in time.
One additional change is it seems to force a Google + account for every YouTube channel now. If you don’t already have one, it requires you to create one to manage your channel settings, logos, etc. If you have one, it doesn’t let you associate your channel with an existing gmail account. So I now have two gmail accounts for my business. It’s a bit confusing.
Another thing to note: all the channels you subscribe to will be visible to the world on the left in an area called the Guide. You have to remember that if you’re signed in as your business channel manager, not your personal YouTube channel, everyone will know when you subscribe to Pet Grooming Disasters. Hey – this may be a good idea for a new show. If people will watch strangers fight over the contents of storage units…
We’ll see what happens when YouTube switches everything to the new design. How will the graphics look? How long will it take people to figure out their channel has changed and revise it?
Some channels may need to be re-worked to conform with the new layout. Let us know if you have any questions and we’ll help you figure out how you, too, can learn to love the new design.
Nancy Summers is a video marketing specialist in Tampa, FL. She produces video content for businesses to help them tell their story and connect with new customers. She has an ongoing love/like relationship with YouTube. She can be reached at nsummers@veranosresources.com.
June 4, 2013
