Screenshots of an updated Twitter website design were released in a TechCrunch article today. They show a lighter design that puts more emphasis on cover photos and the Twitter logo.
The improvements seem to be on the design only, and really haven't changed what a great tweet looks like. Here are a few screenshots of the new design compared to the current format. The changes are subtle, but most likely data-driven improvements (perhaps to boost efficiency to please Twitter's new public investor base).
Home Page
It appears as though the exact same phone stock photos were used with new screenshots on each one that highlights upcoming changes to the mobile app. The header bar was also switched from black to white background and this change persists throughout the new design. Most notably, the sign in/sign up box was removed completely from the home page. The new design suggests that Twitter is prioritizing the mobile app over signing on new members.
Profile
The new white header was the biggest change from the current design, which seems to follow the lighter and flatter trend being set by Apple iOS 7. The text also goes from black to light gray, but all else looks almost the same.
New Tweet
Composing a new tweet doesn't look strikingly different than the current version. A few minor changes such as adding text to the 'add photo' or 'add location' were the most notable changes. The lightbox background also seems to be darker, but this could also be due to the monitor used for the screenshot. Other than the text, lightbox background and small button changes, everything else (and the primary functionality) remains the same.
Edit Profile
The 'edit profile' section was the part that showed the least amount of changes. The slight design changes to flatten the buttons was really the only difference in this area.
New Look, Same Functions
Overall the screenshots leaked to TechCrunch suggest only design changes. All of the functionality apparent in the new version currently exists on the current version of Twitter. Personally, I like the 'flat' design trend that was taken mainstream by iOS 7. How do you feel about the new Twitter design?