foursquare logoFoursquare has spent the past six months quietly working on a major redesign.

This morning it launched in all its glory with a new look, more interactive tools, and a bunch of new features. The iPhone and Android apps have been updated; a new Blackberry release will roll out in a few weeks.

The check-in is now a much quicker process; the app makes smarter, more timely recommendations.

"We took the last three years and looked at how people use Foursquare through 2 billion check-ins and 20 million users. Then we put Foursquare back together in a way that makes it easiest to use," says Andrew Hogue, Head of Search.

He says there wasn't one thing that tipped off the major redesign of the app. The team just wanted to simplify the local experience. "The thing that's always been constant is we want to get people off the couch and get them experiencing things in the real world," says Hogue.  "There are a lot of great ways to take advantage of that and we really wanted to put it together in a way that's more streamlined."

Here's everything that's changed.

Friend Feed - Instead of just showing where a friend has checked in recently, it now shows their pictures taken at the venue and gives you the ability to "like" a post and leave a comment. Pictures are "swipeable," and the feed also shows venues friends have saved.

foursquare redesign

"Check-In" and "Lists" have been removed from the bottom tool bar. The check-in button now sits at the top right of the screen near your thumb. Foursquare worked some magic behind the scenes to speed up the process too.

The "Me" section of Foursquare now makes a lot more sense. The leaderboard has been removed. Instead it shows your photos, badges, stats, lists, friends and tips as big thumbnail images.

foursquare redesign

Foursquare will still show you specials that can be unlocked. In addition, you'll be better able to scroll through your check-in history and favorite venues.

The Explore tab has become a much more prominent, visual feature.  There are pictures of food and venues with a description of the place and menu items. 

"We made it more magical," Hogue says. "As soon as you take Foursquare out of your pocket we make recommendations based on where you are and what we know about you.  If you're in Soho around breakfast time, we'll show you coffee places, for example."

The explore map has also been redesigned; it is much easier to see where friends are in relation to you, as well as recommended venues.

foursquare redesign