instead of me just posting i don't like it here is why.

1. it seems like the "body" is to small. you have tons of space on the left and the right being wasted.
2. map can't search the same way as before - families etc?
3. family doesn't show leader - online etc.

I have no idea how the new interface works since I am not playing anymore.

Could someone give a general description on how things have been improved?

Some main points off the top of my head:

The design is unified across devices, so it now actually looks like the same game no matter what device you play it on.

The design has also been unified across the pages themselves, so things look generally more cohesive.

There's a new, simplified top-nav bar that lets you quickly access forum/hq/map from any page.

The map *looks* much better, although it is is missing some functionality from the old map (certain system flag types, distance checker, etc).

A few screenies of the new planet page as an example: http://imgur.com/a/sVPlV

There are definitely some cons vs the old layout, but work is ongoing.