Where's the Clutch in Design?

Facebook made a major change to their system that got a lot of people confused and frustrated. They were speeding along nicely and then went on autopilot. Just as everyone was comfortable, they did a sharp turn and changed direction which confused many Facebook users.  Furthermore, many people remain upset with the new scenery. So, how do you make changes for the better without users needing a road map? Follow and do what Google does. They are constantly steering and shifting gears. They feel and test the market as they drive along and make needed changes along the way. Life and the internet is not on cruise control. You need to shift and make changes to your website and/or blog in order to keep up with society. Just try to make them gradual as you speed along by changing one gear at a time.