It’s been a long time since there was anything new on the site and I apologize for that! We’re working behind the scenes to create an all new Tweetstyle and we should be done within the next few weeks.

Here are some things to look forward to:

• New pricing on Custom Designs
• New Feature – Premium designs
• Design specifications and guidelines for the new Twitter profile
• Free designs that fit the new profile

Thank you for your patience! I hope you like what we have in the works.

This is the first background in our Free Background of the Week feature! Download, enjoy, and come back next week for the next design.

[Download]

I visited Twitter this morning and immediately noticed a few design changes to my profile (well, almost immediately… it is still pretty early, after all!). They’re relatively minor, but make the profile look just a little sleeker.

There main thing that changed is that items that used to be on tabs (like “Replies,” “Direct Messages,” etc.) are now on the sidebar, and the sidebar is arranged a little differently.

Take a look at a before-and-after (though these profiles are using different colors):

Aside from the content changes, you’ll see that following and followers are displayed a little differently, and the new version uses some nice details like rounded corners. It’s also “attached” to the main content, rather than set off by itself.

As the title of this post mentions, they also updated the design tool.

First, they created 11 new “themes”—one-click designs that change the background and give you matching colors all at once.

The new themes are very nice, and I also like that the new tool shows you a real-time preview but you’re not committed to the new look until you click “Save.” This makes it less scary to experiment.

You can still use your own background and colors, and it’s even easier now:

I think you’ll find the new version more intuitive and fun to use, and I expect more people will try their hand at a little customization. My only complaint is that I need to update about half the (meager) content of this site now to reflect the changes. A small price for progress!

You can read more about the changes on Twitter’s blog.

Have you ever come across a profile on Twitter that particularly caught your eye? I have a few times, but not as often as I’d like.

My background is in web and blog design, and it occurred to me (eventually) that people who like their websites and blogs to look pretty might also want their Twitter profiles to look pretty, too.

I’m planning on offering both free and custom Twitter backgrounds here, as well as spotlighting the best backgrounds I encounter and offering tips for DIY design.

If you’re looking for a nice background in the meantime, I encourage you to check out Twitter Treats and TwitterBacks.com.

What would you like to see here? Leave a comment and let me know.