Area Soldier Killed In Fort Hood Rampage
Stroger Makes Hollywood Play
Put Down Your Nanowrimo And Leave The House
Sox Shuffle Continues
Yes, as we approach 2009, it's redesign time here in the ist-a-verse and the Gothamist, LLC tech team did a bang-up job making us look good. As with all makeovers, though, there are still a few bugs and glitches you'll probably notice, but those'll be ironed out in the coming days. Be sure to let us know what you think of the redesign. We'll be tweaking and updating it over the next couple of days and weeks and we'd love to hear your feedback so detail your issues either here in comments or at tips (at) chicagoist dot com. Thanks!
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebookTips
Clean and attractive!
As with most redesigns, I think this is completely pointless, and ugly and unwieldy to boot. I don't understand your motivation, other than giving some website design guy something to do.
And there's the constructive criticism I missed all weekend.
The redesign was a network-wide redesign all the 'ist sites are undergoing.
Though I won't be as harsh as BlueFairlane (you're trashing my profession there, buddy), I understand the "nothing was broken, so why was it fixed?" sentiment. The only thing I actively dislike is the replacement of the word "comments" with an icon representing comments. I've fallen into this trap before -- using symbols because it looks cooler. But the riddle of web design isn't what looks coolest, it's what works best.
And if you really want an improvement, ditch Movable Type. There are plenty of better blogging CMSes out there.
There was a lot of backend software changes (upgrading to the new MT, for example), so we took that opportunity to update the look of the sites as well.
Don't like it, honestly. There's a lack of white space and balance. Everything is too crunched together and it makes the ads more overbearing than before. (Perhaps that was the plan?)
There are some minor graphical changes that are an improvement over the previous design, but the overall layout is a step back.
Nice work, Chicagoist people. As someone who's constantly rebuilding web sites for a variety of reasons, and then dealing with dumb comments from people who are afraid of change, I salute you.
It's horrible, it's crappy, it stinks, it's a big mistake, I'll never read this stuff again...
Whew, didn't want to be left out. Seriously, I don't care either way. No big deal.
That being said: dealing with dumb comments from people who are afraid of change
LOL. I love stuff like this. People who don't like the way something is redesigned are automatically considered cavemen/women. Yeah, like folks who refused to drink Crystal Pepsi did so because they were afraid of change and not because it was a crappy, pointless product. Not all change is for the better. There's a reason forks have remained virtually the same all these years. It works.
I preferred Pepsi's Crystal Clear Gravy myself...
Well then. Since I can't embed video, here ist he dinner topping referenced by Marcus.
There's a reason forks have remained virtually the same all these years.
That is, of course, until the invention of the spork.
I don't mind the new look. The only thing I'd single out that I dislike is the use of colors. I'm not too hot on the mix of colors. It makes things a bit too busy. Also, the headers on the comments similarly make the section busier.
Otherwise, I think I'll be able to cope with a website changing its design without too much long-term psychological damage.
I think the rollovers on the featured stories bar are quite snazzy.
i'm assuming these are just 'glitches,' but if they aren't, i want my old chicagoist back ...
please make the title of the post in big/bold font again ...
also, some of the posts where there should be a big photo (like the weather post) just has a link sending you to the flickr page, rather than an embedded photo.
the little mini photos at the top replacing the little skylines ... it looks weird, because they seem haphazard ... either make it all skylines or all photos? or better yet, make it every other? i would like to see chicagoist and a big banner skyline, myself.
and i also thought that the ads seemed more pervasive, for lack of a better word.
but you know i really love this site, so i'll be here pretty much no matter what. smooches.
are you viewing the site on "summary" instead of "full"? that could explain the photo link to flickr instead of seeing an image.
i think the mini photos lined up on the top are replaced with the skyline logos when there isn't a photo associated with the post.
I think Rachelle might be right about the pictures because that was my initial complaint as well. But now I can see them okay.
Maybe if you click on the mini photo it should take you to the post it goes with? Or it not it should.
Overall, I liked to old layout a little better but I think its just a matter of getting used to it. The ads do seem a little bit more...pervasive. (why can't I think of a better word?) But I suppose you need to pay to keep this thing running somehow.
Also, I like the new comment format. Maybe the reply function will keep some of the more random arguements contained a little better...
The look is busy, but that's what I think whenever a site changes, I'll get used to that. However, I don't believe I've ever had a site run as slowly as this one is right now. I'm typing and the words are taking over a second to appear, and I keep getting Mac's famous spinning beach ball of doom whenever I visit or click on anything. All my other usual sites are running just fine. This shit will definitely keep me away.
This is actually most likely a result of some scripts and other tweaks we're still doing on both the front-end and back-end. As for the speed, I'm typing on a PC and have no issue, but, again, it may be a matter of scripts right now.
Ah, I see there's threaded comments now (which is a very good thing). I'd be willing to bet any issue with speed on a Mac is related to this. It seems whenever sites switch from regular to threaded comments they act funny on Macs for a while.
The reason people keep saying the ads are more pervasive is the result of two very easily fixable problems:
1) Not enough whitespace
2) The default font size is too small
One exacerbates the other -- the font size is the same as it used to be, but with less whitespace, the ads loom that much larger. It's a little disappointing that instead of making everything larger, everything is now smaller.
There are also margin and line height issues that will hopefully be addressed.
Also, not a fan at all of nested comments, but that's a personal preference. (I'm referring to their typical visual representation, not the concept.) I just hope you guys planned for when these nests inevitably go ten levels deep.
Those issues may be addressed with the continuing tweaks and improvements.
Here are specific things I don't like:
1. The list of other -ists rolls, so that if I happen to click Los Angeles at just the wrong moment, I wind up going to London. Also, there's always one -ist left off the roll, and I have to wait for it to pop back at the top. Why does the damned thing have to move? Is this just so your web designer can feel cool?
2. Your logo is tiny, and its placement leaves a really weird patch of white (beige?) space at the top of the page.
3. The flickr photos at the top of the screen with the randomly interspersed repetitive piece of chicagoist logo all look very low-res and crappy, not to mention redundant. Their only purpose is to take up space and provide web designers with an element that makes them think they're cool.
4. What happened to recent comments? Most recommended stories? Latest tips? Most commented stories? All that stuff that used to be on the left of the screen? I found those interesting and useful. I know you're trying to be all sleek-looking, but I think you've reduced the access points into the chicagoist community.
5. I'm with Slaphappy on the replacement of the word "comment" with the little icon. I hate having to work out what symbol is what when before I could just read.
6. The comments section as a whole seems far more clunky to me.It feels like it will take up far more space, for one thing. It would be interesting to see what one of those 100-comment posts looks like. I also tend to hate comments sections that subdivide the discourse into replies directed at comments diverging into isolated threads. It just gets visually annoying, and you'll wind up with 15 separate threads going on at once. Who wants to keep up with that crap?
Most of all, though, I hate the urge to change everything up for no reason. I know all you computer people can never resist an opportunity to move the furniture around, but it doesn't improve the overall site. It just makes it more complicated for a little while, until you people get bored and change it again.
Thanks. We'll be taking a look at the concerns and sending them to the home office in NYC and hopefully we'll be able to address most of them as we continue tweaking.
1. The list of other -ists rolls, so that if I happen to click Los Angeles at just the wrong moment, I wind up going to London. Also, there's always one -ist left off the roll, and I have to wait for it to pop back at the top. Why does the damned thing have to move? Is this just so your web designer can feel cool?
You're exactly right about this one. I've fallen into this trap myself -- shoehorning a cool effect into a feature that doesn't need it and won't benefit from it.
2. Your logo is tiny, and its placement leaves a really weird patch of white (beige?) space at the top of the page.
It's not so much that the logo is tiny, it's that the spacing sucks.
3. The flickr photos at the top of the screen with the randomly interspersed repetitive piece of chicagoist logo all look very low-res and crappy, not to mention redundant. Their only purpose is to take up space and provide web designers with an element that makes them think they're cool.
This idea doesn't work because it's become commonplace for users to expect advertisements to be in that location on the page.
4. What happened to recent comments? Most recommended stories? Latest tips? Most commented stories? All that stuff that used to be on the left of the screen? I found those interesting and useful. I know you're trying to be all sleek-looking, but I think you've reduced the access points into the chicagoist community.
This is the heart of the matter, especially when it comes to a redesign. Navigation is king, and if your users can't figure out where to go to access the content they're accustomed to after a redesign, you failed.
6. The comments section as a whole seems far more clunky to me.It feels like it will take up far more space, for one thing. It would be interesting to see what one of those 100-comment posts looks like. I also tend to hate comments sections that subdivide the discourse into replies directed at comments diverging into isolated threads. It just gets visually annoying, and you'll wind up with 15 separate threads going on at once. Who wants to keep up with that crap?
I also noticed that the comments don't take up the full width of the container. Why?
Most of all, though, I hate the urge to change everything up for no reason. I know all you computer people can never resist an opportunity to move the furniture around, but it doesn't improve the overall site. It just makes it more complicated for a little while, until you people get bored and change it again.
Well, there might have been ad placements to consider, though I'm not seeing that right now. And it's not a terrible idea to refresh your site periodically without totally abandoning the original branding -- from that perspective, they actually accomplished their goal.
One last thing that I figured out but couldn't initially put my finger on -- the default font color is pure black! ARGH!!! This is cardinal sin #1 because black is way too harsh for body copy, especially when the line height (1.2) is set so low. It's like a thumb in the eye.
thanks for articulating some of this. i liked (?) the banner ad at the top .. i actually paid attention to those ads. i really didn't click through, but i definitely noticed them ... you can tell your advertisers their message/s were getting through. i know where to go if i need a cool lesbian realtor on the northside, for instance.
i don't like that a big ad separates the comments from the post (was it always like that?).
i definitely feel like the font is much smaller than it was on the old page ... again, i could be wrong, but that's what it *feels* like. i also feel like the whole page is too smushed (which definitely is not like being smussed) in this narrow space. i need room!! i'm a little bit claustrophobic.
i definitely like to see the most recent comments along with the most popular posts on the sidebar. it's something i look to with great frequency. i don't know about anyone else, but i definitely say these things because i enjoy the site and i just want to be able to navigate it well.
Most recent comments and most popular posts still are on the left-hand bar. Is this not showing up for everyone? It keeps getting mentioned. ..
I get none of that stuff. I have nothing on the left side of the screen except that purplish-pinkish-beige color (what color IS that, anyway?) below the word "full." I take it there's supposed to be something there?
For reference, I'm on a Comcastrated PC.
Hm. Maybe you are having a caching issue, though i am on a PC too (forced, not by choice!) and can see it.
Hmmm ... I just hopped on from Firefox on the same machine I was using before and everything looks completely different. (Honestly, it doesn't look nearly so ugly ... it's much closer to the old look than what I was getting). So the problem, at least on my machine, lies with Internet Explorer.
ahhh.. ie, how i hate thee. i should have mentioned i was using firefox.
This leads me to ask the powers that be whether they're going to fix their IE problem, which based on comments others have made here and on other -ists isn't just me, or if they're just going to wait for everyone to jump on Firefox. I personally don't like Firefox, and don't want to have to use it for just this one site.
not that my opinion matters on this, but this is way fugly. like a lot of other folks have mentioned, there is too much going on in too little of space. everything seems crammed together for the sake of getting more content on one page. i understand redesigns and the need to improve, but i think this is a digression. the site was way cleaner and easier to navigate and comprehend before. not a big fan of the pictures crammed at the top ... and I agree that moveable type is not the best program to use for blogs. it's limited and has given designers way too many options to fuck up a perfectly good and clean site. too many bells and whistles can be a bad thing.
PS: The home link at the bottom is broken. It should point to $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'], instead it points to "index.php".
Yay! I'm number 2 on the list of Top People With the Mose Free Time On Their... er, Top Users!
You should change the name of that link to "Get A Life
I like the nested comments, although it could get obnoxious if they get more than a few levels deep and get really skinny.
I don't like the weirdness of the rollover menus, or the big honking ad separating post and comments.
Other than that, it looks all right. (I'm sort of on board with the "comments" icon vs text, too -- it took me a few minutes to figure out which icon was for what.)
p.s. I liked Crystal Pepsi.
... what? I did!
good:
- listing all the 'ist sites in the dropdown menu
- putting categories (news, arts & events, etc) on top
- consistent color scheme within each 'ist site
- nested comments
not so much:
- rollover & dropdown on the 'ist site list is funky
- not enough contrast between title & body (you can scan the titles more easily in the old design)
- body type is too small and/or need more spacing
but overall, i don't think it's bad like some people say. different, yes. fugly, no.
good:
- listing all the 'ist sites in the dropdown menu
- putting categories (news, arts & events, etc) on top
- consistent color scheme within each 'ist site
- nested comments
not so much:
- rollover & dropdown on the 'ist site list is funky
- not enough contrast between title & body (you can scan the titles more easily in the old design)
- body type is too small and/or need more spacing
but overall, i don't think it's bad like some people say. different, yes. fugly, no.
I don't know what it is, but I can't get the FULL/SUMMARY views to work in IE7. The Javascript doesn't do anything, it just sits there like a piece of regular text. Firefox doesn't have a problem though. I don't have any special security settings going on. I don't have a problem with other sites, like AJAXy google, etc...
When the same ad is visible in three places on the screen, I can tell this redesign was not done for the readers' benefit. "Articles" included in the stream that are nothing more than advertisements, (regardless of their attribution to Sponsor) are not an improvement.
It appears to be less content overall, but site staff will have the stats on that. Looks like the result is Tribunifying the site, unfortunately.
yeah ... don't you really want a Samsung Omnia now!? I totally don't want one of those.
My only real beef is that you allow Samsung Omnia to use the same banner in 4 positions on the page, and one of them loops to infinity.
Generally, when an advertiser purchases all the inventory on a page, they will not run the same banner in all placements, so maybe this beef is more directed at Samsung or their agency.
However, it is generally part of a site's creative specifications that ads cannot loop endlessly, as it creates a bad user experience. I have a fairly modern computer, and it was noticeably working while 3 of the ads were animating.
IMO, I would recommend revising your specs, or calling Samsung on violating them.
Geez....maybe I am actually getting old. The font is just a little too small for my liking. Can those large font books be in my future?
I liked the old site a little better but some very good suggestions have been made already. I look forward to seeing how things shake out.
Count me in the "don't like it" column. I find it much harder to read.
It was great before. Please make it closer to what it was.
(On a positive note, I do like the threaded comments.)