Google has launched a redesign of Blogger, its popular blogging platform.

Now, users can create or edit posts with one click at the top of the screen whether they’re on the dashboard or settings page of blogger.com. The post editor has been expanded and simplified, and users get a larger canvas (see pic above).

There is a new “overview” section on the dashboard, which lets users see quickly how people are reacting with the blog through a graph of traffic numbers, comment activity and follower counts. There is also al ist of links, a feed of Blogger updates and a showcase of other blogs.

“It’s been a few years since we made major updates to Blogger’s look and feel, and there’s a lot more to these changes than just shiny new graphics,” says Blogger Product Manager Chang Kim. “We’ve rewritten the entire editing and management experience from scratch so it’s faster and more efficient for you—and easier for us to update and improve over time.”

“Throughout the design process, we conducted user interviews to help identify how to make Blogger even easier and more enjoyable to use,” adds Kim. “We also watched users try our new interface and made many refinements based on their feedback.”

Google is letting bloggers opt in to the new user interface starting today. Over the next few days, the company says, users will see instructions via a pop-up announcement on the dashboard.