On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 6:54 PM, Erik Moeller <erik(a)wikimedia.org> wrote:
Hi folks,
As WMF looks to clarify its role for UX changes, I think it's important to
look at other examples, and initial reactions to major design changes. It's
also important to understand which efforts have succeeded and failed.
Here are examples that I can think of:
1) NYT redesign
<http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/times-designers-are-monitoring-reaction-to-the-redesign-with-adjustments-possible/?module=BlogPost-Title&version=Blog%20Main&contentCollection=Opinion&action=Click&pgtype=Blogs®ion=Body>
(1000+
comments, mostly negative).
2) Flickr redesign
<https://www.flickr.com/help/forum/en-us/72157633547442506/> (if you
think disputes in Wikimedia can be unpleasant ..). Even their recent
changes <https://www.flickr.com/help/forum/en-us/72157642911765443/> to
the photo view got similar reactions.
3) Slashdot redesign
<http://meta.slashdot.org/story/13/10/01/1849218/come-try-out-slashdots-new-design-in-beta>
(which
led to - ongoing - protests and boycott suggestions)
4) Gawker redesign
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gawker_Media#2011_redesign_and_traffic_loss> (which
by all accounts was a failure - PVs declined) - anyone got a comment thread
for this one?
5) Wikia 2010 redesign, which led to many wikis forking (including the
World of Warcraft Wiki) and the formation of an Anti-Wikia Alliance
<http://awa.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Anti-Wikia_Alliance>
Others you can think of? Other than Gawker, what's the evidence for
success/failure of the above changes? What are examples of really
successful major UX changes that were welcomed by communities, if any?
Thanks,
Erik
Hi Erik, I really love the WikiWand design. The big image at the top, the
larger
images throughout, the pale-grey boxes for block quotes, white
space, larger fonts, different fonts. It's very clean and inviting.
Is there anything the Foundation can do to help us build the tools to
achieve something close to WikiWand? I've been trying to introduce some of
that look at Night (book) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_%28book%29>,
particularly the grey boxes for block quotes – it's block-quote heavy and
could really use some design help – but the images push the boxes out of
the way.
I posted about it here
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28technical%29#WikiWand.2C_images_and_blockquotes>
on the village pump, and was thinking of pinging you there. I also left a
note for Brandon about it here
<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Countering_systemic_bias/Gender_gap_task_force&diff=prev&oldid=622819104>
at the gender gap task force.
Sarah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SlimVirgin