Facebook now has a new logo in place, but the change can easily go unnoticed. The changes are very subtle, yet it's an important step.

The redesigned Facebook logo is not a striking change, and at first glance you wouldn't even notice that something is different. It's the same all-lowercase word, with the same white and blue colors and the same favicon (i.e. the ubiquitous "f" icon).

Nevertheless, Facebook's new logo tries to look the same as the old one while changing the design of its individual elements, in this case, letters. The new logo now features slightly thinner and more spaced out letters, with a simpler and more practical overall look. The "e" and "o" are now slightly rounder, alongside a more traditional "b," but the most visible change relates to the "a," which is now single-story instead of double-story as it used to be.

The redesigned logo will appear only in places where the full "Facebook" word is visible, such as signage around the campus or the main Facebook webpage. Otherwise, users will only see the "f" favicon.

Christophe Tauziet (@ChrisTauziet), product designer at Facebook, announced the new logo on Twitter, complete with an image that shows the redesign.

John Higgins, creative director at Facebook, further explained the decision to spruce things up, telling blog Brand New that the redesigned Facebook logo aims to be "more friendly and approachable."

Truth be told, the redesigned logo may not mean anything for web users, but it is important for mobile users. The new logo is easier to read on small screens with its new typeface optimized for mobile, and that's an important aspect.

When Facebook started out more than a decade ago, mobile had no big say in the whole matter. In today's mobile-driven world, however, an increasing number of Facebook users access the social network from their smartphone and tablet, and mobile optimization is now paramount for most services.

A simpler and more practical logo that's more mobile-friendly is an important step for Facebook, especially as it drives its expansion into Africa and India. The change may be too subtle for many to notice, but it does matter.