Would You Like To See The Answerbank Redesign?

[AB Editor]

Hello!

As you know, we're working on redesigning the site so that it works on every device - i.e. it works on mobile, tablet and your laptop/desktop PC.

We're also taking the opportunity to tidy up some stuff, like reducing the number of categories, swapping the sizes of adverts to more commonly used sizes (this should mean the ads get better).

To make sure everyone feels as consulted as possible, I'd like to show you where the designs are currently settled. If you have any good ideas for the layout, design, colours, fonts etc, please provide your feedback here.

What I would really like to know is, do you understand it, just by looking at it?

I'll post different versions of the homepage first, with a small description. You should be able to click the images to make them pop open in a new browser tab.

The thread will be closed while I sort out these images as answers, and will reopen shortly afterwards.

Homepage: Desktop // Tablet // Mobile

Homepage & Menu: Desktop // Tablet // Mobile

Question Pages: Desktop // Tablet // Mobile

OTHER NEW DESKTOP PAGES:

New Desktop Search

New My Profile

New Category Page

New Article Page

[pixie374]

I don't know if this is and AB thing or a kindle thing- but at the moment, my kindle doesn't recognise direct YouTube links from here, such as on mamya's threads. I would have to copy the link and click "web search" or it just goes blank and says "no title"....?

[netibiza]

Blimey takes all my time to scroll through all that new gumf . It works fine for me on phone, tablet, laptop and desktop . I vote no. Look what happened to Friends Reunited when they changed the format, we all got confused and it sank without trace!

[-SharonA-]

Yes Pixie, this is annoying on the kindle isn't it?!? Like Mamya's song thread at night, it is pure guessing as to the songs put up and I have to get to a pc.

[pixie374]

Sharon, if you highlight the link and choose "web search", it will find it, but won't play directly from here. A few do, but not from YouTube.

[Quoi]

did gromit mention a change in the technology used from the old site to the new site(the post about the colours)? if thats the case - what was the current site written with compared to what you are using for the new site?

[Gromit]

Quoi,

The designs for the new site are pictures, not a working webpage. Colours in webpages use one colour format (hex codes) and colours in photo use a different format (RGB). Which could account for the slight variation in the red between this site, and the picture of the new.

The new site will be a 'Responsive Design'. You can read more about that here

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design

[theprof]

Hope you're not going to make any changes to the Science category Ed. Science was relegated to a sub-category some time ago on AB and it didn't take long to get restored.

To my mind, the category functions well as it covers all scientific disciplines under one heading without the need to divide it up into chemistry, biology, physics etc.

I don't know what I'd do with myself without it!

[Khandro]

Ed. I haven't read through all this, but would it be possible to make an extension to the 'Latest Posts' box, particularly because frequently all 6 can be crosswords.
Could it not have an arrow to direct you to see, say the last 20 or so, or maybe those over the last hour?
Just a thought.

[Maydup]

Good idea, I sometimes touch latest posts expecting it to scroll down and it doesn't of course.

[Gromit]

Clicking on the Homepage and Recent Answers give you a list of the 20 most recent posts. Just as easy as clicking on the right hand column and getting an expanded menu.

[Gromit]

Just noticed the RSS feed.
You missed that boat about 10 years ago. I don't know anyone who uses them any more. If you do introduce it, better to put the symbol with the social media logos than in such a prominent pisition.

[AB Editor]

Some of you are very forgiving in your misgivings :)

We've had the RSS since the 2009 rework Gromit. I still use a reader, but not for AB :)

I'll go another back of some of the other pages in a separate thread. Thanks everyone for their feedback, we are listening.

[trt]

What about an edit button to last a few minutes, so we can check what we wrote to make sure it makes sense, and of course spelling?

[jno]

if you need to check spelling, there's always the few minutes before you post

[Gromit]

I still think the RSS symbol is in the wrong place and too prominent for something most readers are unaware of.

[mallyh]

oh my poor brain can't take all this technology stuff. lol

[AB Editor]

I've popped the links up here for the moment, I will put a new thread together soon.

[bibblebub]

I've suggested this before so here goes again - for latest posts have 2 panels, one for all topics (i.e. as at present) and a new one just for the currently selected topic.

[THEMOTLEY1]

Do you ^ mean something like 'subscribe'

[AB Editor]

We're just focusing on layout/design in this release Bibblebub, I do like the idea though.