Improving
manolo said:
...all the old patrons feel uncomfortable and "out-of-place" here...
Not all: I've just used the new site for the second time since it was launched (and I started complaining about it; see my other posts if you want). I am pleased with the usability improvements that have been made since then:
- It's more information-dense (except for the carousel), back towards the quality that positively differentiated the old site UI.
- It's less confusing than it was - it's visually easier to scan a page and zero in on what I want.
- It takes a lot fewer clicks to get where I want.
- Moving around the site is easier.
Pending more thorough use, the new site now has crossed back into the world of sites that I will visit. This is a big relief. Also, it shows some responsiveness to user feedback - much appreciated.
Thank you Laura especially (for your great attitude and the RSS feeds), and whomever else is responsible for the improvements. It would be nice to know specifically who directed, designed, and implemented these improvements so those people can be acknowledged. Keep up this good work please.
One thing that I would do differently:
- Given the assumed requirement of the carousel, how would it be to make it just one headline tall? If the corresponding images need to exist and be taller than that, put them in the far right column. This would gain valuable content space right in the sweet spot (and be much less annoying).
Thanks.