Facebook Continues Graphical Tweaks, With Nod Toward Gender Equality
By KYW social media editor Melony Roy
MENLO PARK, Calif. (CBS) -- Following its subtle logo change last week, Facebook is now updating some of its icons, giving its female silhouettes a slightly more prominent position.
In a blog post on Medium.com, Facebook design manager Caitlin Winner explains, "As a woman, educated at a women's college, it was hard not to read into the symbolism of the current icon; the woman was quite literally in the shadow of the man. She was not in a position to lean in."
The "Friends" and "Groups" icon previously had the female silhouette in the background. Now, the man and the woman in the "Friends" icon are pictured side by side. In the "Groups" icon, the woman, though still outnumbered, is now in the foreground.
To make matters worse, says Winner, the female silhouette was actually poorly designed when seen on her own. "The iconic man was symmetrical except for his spiked hairdo, but the lady had a chip in her shoulder," wrote Winner.
Winner claims she "assumed no ill intentions, just a lack of consideration" in how the old icons were designed, and decided to make the woman's silhouette equal to the man's.
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