LinkedIN released a site-wide redesign yesterday morning, which undoubtedly reflects the common trend of Web 2.0 style websites.

Overall, the redesign is a big step forward in regards to functionality and design. You now have the capability to navigate to just about every nook and cranny of the site through the addition of an expandable left navigation column. On the bottom right you’ll also notice a new module interface that adds a movable snapshot of your custom Job Search, Questions & Answers, and Profile Views. Cool idea but I’ll be looking forward to what new features they will be adding in addition to these. The last noticeable feature addition is a status update, à la Facebook. It asks ‘What are you working on?’ with a dropdown of suggestions when you start typing. For those of us who connect with current employers/colleagues, it may not be the best idea to let all them know that you’re ‘Currently utilizing LinkedIN’s Job Search feature’ :).

The main miscue I see with this design though, is the darker blue header that appears when you stray away from the homepage. The problem I have with this is that it lacks the simplicity that it should have gotten in the first place. Case in point, the profile page:

The addition of ‘Edit/View My Profile’ tabs in the dark blue area lacks fluidity and makes it more confusing for the user as there are already tabs on our profile page that cycles through Profile, Q&A, Recommendations, and Connections. A simple link to edit or view our profile would have made it a better user experience. Nonetheless, it will be something I will have to get used to as I won’t be leaving LinkedIN any time soon.

It’s only been a day since playing around with the redesign and all in all, I’m a happy professional networker. It’s good to see they’re keeping up with the trends in the social networking world, but I’ll be expecting to see some more unique features from the site that will continue to set them apart from the competition.