Facebook has introduced a subtle change: Its friends icon features the woman in front. Though the change has largely gone unnoticed, it has garnered media attention because of the symbolic significance.
The change was initiated by Caitlin Winner, a design manager at the social networking site, who found “something in the company glyph kit worth getting upset about.” While the iconic man symbol was symmetrical with a spiked hairdo, the female icon had a chip on her shoulder and Winner “assumed no ill intentions, just a lack of consideration but as a lady with two robust shoulders, the chip offended me.”
After fixing the chipped shoulder, she began working on the “Darth Vader-like helmet” hairdo to give the icon more definition. After experimenting with various styles, Winner zeroed in on a shapely bob.
The decision to place the female icon in front happened because, says Winner, “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.”
Winner also changed the ‘groups’ icon which initially featured two men and one woman, with the woman on the back left hand corner.
Winner says on her blog that this is not the first time such a self-initiated project got recognised: another designer, Julyanne Liang, created globe designs that included not only North America but Asia and Africa as well.
Winner concludes that “As a result of this project, I’m on high alert for symbolism. I try to question all icons, especially those that feel the most familiar.”
The change is visible across profiles on the Facebook app. However, a small survey in the Business Standard office shows that the social networking site shows different icons depending on the gender of the user. If you are a male, the icon shows a boy in front but in case you are a woman, the girl takes the front seat.
| Business Standard Mobile Website
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