Facebook Tests “Related Photos,” Shows Users Excerpts from Other Albums
Facebook is experimenting with a new feature that appears in the right sidebar while a user browses the in-house Photos application. Called “Related Photos”, it displays two types of shots: photos from other albums by the person who uploaded the shot you’re currently looking at, and additional photos of your friends who are tagged in the album you’re viewing.
This trial follows other right sidebar features like Photo Memories and Unread Messages, which also resurface content a user may have missed.
Related Photos has a few interesting characteristics. When it displays additional photos by the same author, the title line above the photo only shows the photo-owner’s first name, giving the feature an intimate feel. Other photos by the same owner are shown, though, even if they are not your friend. Similar to when users are given suggestions for people and Pages to friend or like on the home page, this aspect stimulates the formation of connections — a core strategy of Facebook’s interface design. Related Photos takes advantage of the vertical space in the right sidebar by displaying photos shot portrait style twice as large as those shot landscape style. Lastly, photos are sometimes accompanied by one of their comments, adding context that shows the photo was interesting to others as well.
Photos have been a key way for Facebook to increase user engagement on the site, and this interface should help make the in-house application even more interesting to users.
Thanks for the tip, BrandGlue
May 28th, 2010 at 9:02 am
I have seen this the other week on the photos tab of the home page, I quite like the idea, reminds you of people and good times. I would like to see face detection that could auto tag photos in the future, although I’m sure it’s coming. Good move Facebook.
May 28th, 2010 at 10:19 am
[...] photo, as well as photos from other albums by the FacebookFacebook user, according to reports from Inside Facebook.“This is a feature we’re currently testing with a small percentage of users,” a [...]
May 28th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
[...] Facebook Tests “Related Photos,” Shows Users Excerpts from Other Albums, Inside Facebook [...]
May 29th, 2010 at 10:53 am
[...] Facebook Tests “Related Photos,” Shows Users Excerpts from Other Albums [...]
May 30th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
[...] whether they are your friend or not. This could help increase user engagement on the website. [Inside Facebook] Categorized under Facebook If you liked this post, subscribe to the Pulse 2.0 RSS [...]
May 31st, 2010 at 9:08 pm
[...] has been working on a new feature called "Related Photos" which will display similar photos next to a photo your are [...]
June 1st, 2010 at 12:01 am
[...] FACEBOOK‘as testuoja giminingų nuotraukų modulį. [...]
June 4th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Photo integration has helped Facebook gain a lot of users, like the older ladies who want to see their children and grandchildren. They are most interested in photos and updates of their entire family, which is hard to find in most photo sharing sites. They lack the popularity that Facebook has, and that’s where Facebook can step in and continue to improve upon one of their most superbly integrated features, photo sharing. Having related photos show up on the same page will also crank out some extra page views that Facebook can’t live without. I also don’t see many negative effects of this feature, in sharp contrast to all the Facebook privacy changes.
June 6th, 2010 at 3:02 am
[...] Related photos appear in a right-hand sidebar adjacent to the photo the user is viewing. The product shows additional photos of friends tagged in the displayed photo, as well as photos from other albums by the Facebook user, according to reports from Inside Facebook. [...]
June 6th, 2010 at 5:20 am
I’m actually not a fan of “photo memories” at all, because it shows albums that I’m tagged in to other people. This is a problem because:
a) We have no mutual friends in common.
And
b) I have my tagged photos hidden.
So how is it fair that these “photo memories” show up when I have opted for these particular people to not see them? If they keep this up, I will definitely be deleting my profile.
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Good point, Samantha. This feature currently exists outside of the privacy settings and does violate a user’s selection to hide their tagged photos.
July 3rd, 2010 at 11:58 pm
[...] Facebook has been playing with this zone for a while as insidefacebook.com describes in its Facebook Tests “Related Photos” article. [...]