This is the BBC releasing sub-standard alpha software on the public and I (a BBC fan) will not be an alpha tester. It's no longer my Home page, this is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ aaaaah that's better.
Definitely it's more pleasing on the eye, but what I miss about the old Homepage, and what I haven't seen anywhere else, is the flexibility to drag and drop all the sections wherever you wanted them on the page, and to customise nearly all of those sections to your own liking.
I wonder whether it would be feasible to retain the old Homepage and call it "Homepage Classic" while renaming the new one to "Homepage for people who need to look at pictures" or simply "Homepage for Dummies"
Ha ha just seen the new site - oh dear, what a mess! Assuming money was spent instigating this change.
They must have been paid lots to force themselves to make what the BBC wanted because I don't know any self respecting web designer who would be happy with that.
Well bloody awful I say , whilst I have no objection to the Licence Fee I would love to know how much of our money has been wasted on that pasty effort
I can't believe they've removed the customisable part of the home page. This allowed all your preferred content to be displayed on one page as opposed to all this scrolling nonsense we're now left with.
Seems like tablet users dictate what the rest of us now see on the web:mad:
but as i said earlier, that was one of the reasons they made the changes.
they found that most people who used the site didn't really use the home page, they just went straight to the sections they did use.
the idea now is to make the homepage a bit more browsable to help people have a look and maybe find stuff they wouldn't normally look at.
and in that respect, i think it works very well...
It depends on how you use it.
When I turn my pc on in the morning, the BBC home page would have everything I needed on 1 page, only requiring 1 click to read an article from the sections that I was interested in.
I simply don't have time to faff about clicking & scrolling & clicking & scrolling just to see if there are any articles in the sections that I am interested in that I might want to read. Perhaps I am in a minority in the way that I used the website, but it was quick, customisable & neatly laid out.
Perhaps for people who have plenty of time on their hands & who want to browse the website for anything that might interest them, then that's fine, but that's not how I use it, and from today won't be using it any more.
I agree it depends on how you use it - but the reckoned that most people weren't really using it that way. most people who don't browse were just going to the news and sport directly.
The comments page on the BBC site about it is hilarious. The best part is the way they asked for feedback during the "beta" phase, got plenty, then appear to have ignored it completely. The arrogance of the BBC is, at times, breath-taking.
I know, I know, all the people who don't like it are luddites, living in their caves, and the handful who do are visionairies.
i really liked the customization of the old site, all there to see in one glance, now im going to have to spend ages trolling through stuff i dont want to see
i hate scrolling left and right it makes my hand and arm hurt bad.
Mice scroll up and down dont they.
Im afraid i wont be using this page now, have for many many years.
I notice that when you resize the browser smaller, the left button is gone
people say it could be for tablets or phones, but bbc site always changes to mobile on there and cant use this new pages
people say it could be for tablets or phones, but bbc site always changes to mobile on there and cant use this new pages
True, I can't access the normal BBC homepage from my android phone, it keeps jumping automatically to the annoying mobile version. The only way to view the full BBC site on it is to avoid the home page altogether which makes this design decision even more baffling.
I cannot see anything wrong with it. True it is different but people do not like or accept change. I neither like it or dislike it, everything is accessible on the new site as the old site that is all that matters to me. I am just going by viewing it on a desktop computer as I have not got andoid phones, I-phones and the like, I do not use a phone to look at webpages just as a telephone.
They must have been paid lots to force themselves to make what the BBC wanted because I don't know any self respecting web designer who would be happy with that.
did I mention that I've designed web sites in my time?
i really liked the customization of the old site, all there to see in one glance, now im going to have to spend ages trolling through stuff i dont want to see
i hate scrolling left and right it makes my hand and arm hurt bad.
or you could just bookmark the pages you tend to visit a lot.
to be fair i haven't seen it on an iPad, but the use of carousels like this on websites are pretty common, and an efficient means of providing as much content above the fold.
looking at it in FF, at 3x zoom, the only place it breaks is the largest panel on the top left, if the headline runs to three lines.
it difficult enough making sure everything looks ok across all the main browsers, without having to factor in enlarging text.
whilst that's not an excuse, if you enlarge text by default, do you find it breaks often?
well, to be fair, they obviously can't do everything that everyone suggests. so its hardly a pointless exercise just because they don't do the things you want them to do.
Iain
Don't have problems with breaking text with any other website I have come across to date - just this abomination.
From what I have read the overwhelming feedback to the Beeb was the new Homepage wasn't popular so not simply a case of what "I" wanted them to do.
Don't have problems with breaking text with any other website I have come across to date - just this abomination.
you say that, but it doesn't look like much text does break - the only thing i can see is the main story top left of the main section, and only if it runs to three lines.
i'm not entirely convinced breaking text due to enlarging is at all unique to that page.
try enlarging the text of this page a couple of times for example:
From what I have read the overwhelming feedback to the Beeb was the new Homepage wasn't popular so not simply a case of what "I" wanted them to do.
what have you read?
i think there's always going to be an element of more people complaining about things, than people praising things, and i suspect a lot of the complaints here are just people don't like change.
wasn't it the same when the last redesign came along?
I honestly don't believe that for 'a lot of people' it's anything to do with not liking change. Some maybe, but I'm sure the majority will not be those who don't like change, but actually genuinely dislike the new homepage. Being honest, who can blame them? People have made very valid points as to why it's (to put it politely) terrible. I have no problem with change, whether it's the BBC site or any other, or change generally in life as long as it's a POSITIVE change, and I honestly don't believe this is a positive change. I'd be more than happy to praise the new homepage if I felt it was a positive change, but I'm afraid that quite frankly, I consider it to be an unbelievably negative change. People can live with and accept positive change. For many, me included, this is anything but a positive change. I appreciate you're trying to basically stick up for the BBC and say how good a change it is, and I have no problem with that, and I respect your opinion, but I just can't agree with what you say about it.
I honestly don't believe that for 'a lot of people' it's anything to do with not liking change. Some maybe, but I'm sure the majority will not be those who don't like change, but actually genuinely dislike the new homepage. Being honest, who can blame them? People have made very valid points as to why it's (to put it politely) terrible. I have no problem with change, whether it's the BBC site or any other, or change generally in life as long as it's a POSITIVE change, and I honestly don't believe this is a positive change. I'd be more than happy to praise the new homepage if I felt it was a positive change, but I'm afraid that quite frankly, I consider it to be an unbelievably negative change. People can live with and accept positive change. For many, me included, this is anything but a positive change. I appreciate you're trying to basically stick up for the BBC and say how good a change it is, and I have no problem with that, and I respect your opinion, but I just can't agree with what you say about it.
sure - its absolutely horses for courses, and in this thread i very much have my web designer hat on.
the impression i get though is that whilst many of those who used the old homepage don't like the new homepage, the actual number of people who did use the old homepage make up a minority of people who used the site as a whole.
so the object of the exercise was to create a homepage that would engage more of the site's entire audience. and the trouble with the old homepage was that most people didn't tend to use it, they just went straight to the pages they tended to use. (i know i do)
the feeling was that a homepage that encouraged people to browse and discover other stuff would be better than a page that just served up the stuff people used anyway.
so i've put forward perfectly valid reasons why i think its an improvement - so no need to reduce it to 'sticking up for the BBC'
the trouble a site like the BBC has is that there's so much content on the site, its a challenge to make as much of that accessible from the homepage, and keep as much of that 'above the fold'. (although that's perhaps become less of an issue as it maybe once was).
i think there's always going to be an element of more people complaining about things, than people praising things, and i suspect a lot of the complaints here are just people don't like change.
wasn't it the same when the last redesign came along?
the impression i get though is that whilst many of those who used the old homepage don't like the new homepage, the actual number of people who did use the old homepage make up a minority of people who used the site as a whole.
Comments
I wonder whether it would be feasible to retain the old Homepage and call it "Homepage Classic" while renaming the new one to "Homepage for people who need to look at pictures" or simply "Homepage for Dummies"
They must have been paid lots to force themselves to make what the BBC wanted because I don't know any self respecting web designer who would be happy with that.
Seems like tablet users dictate what the rest of us now see on the web:mad:
When I turn my pc on in the morning, the BBC home page would have everything I needed on 1 page, only requiring 1 click to read an article from the sections that I was interested in.
I simply don't have time to faff about clicking & scrolling & clicking & scrolling just to see if there are any articles in the sections that I am interested in that I might want to read. Perhaps I am in a minority in the way that I used the website, but it was quick, customisable & neatly laid out.
Perhaps for people who have plenty of time on their hands & who want to browse the website for anything that might interest them, then that's fine, but that's not how I use it, and from today won't be using it any more.
Iain
I know, I know, all the people who don't like it are luddites, living in their caves, and the handful who do are visionairies.
i hate scrolling left and right it makes my hand and arm hurt bad.
Mice scroll up and down dont they.
Im afraid i wont be using this page now, have for many many years.
I notice that when you resize the browser smaller, the left button is gone
people say it could be for tablets or phones, but bbc site always changes to mobile on there and cant use this new pages
True, I can't access the normal BBC homepage from my android phone, it keeps jumping automatically to the annoying mobile version. The only way to view the full BBC site on it is to avoid the home page altogether which makes this design decision even more baffling.
did I mention that I've designed web sites in my time?
Iain
or you could just bookmark the pages you tend to visit a lot.
Iain
Its a horrid web page. They must have paid so much they had to go with it.
Judging by opinions on here they shouldn't have gone past beta. I cant believe feedback was so positive enough to go ahead.
Awful - designed by and for designers with thier ipads horrid horrid horrid
Don't have problems with breaking text with any other website I have come across to date - just this abomination.
From what I have read the overwhelming feedback to the Beeb was the new Homepage wasn't popular so not simply a case of what "I" wanted them to do.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/beta/
you say that, but it doesn't look like much text does break - the only thing i can see is the main story top left of the main section, and only if it runs to three lines.
i'm not entirely convinced breaking text due to enlarging is at all unique to that page.
try enlarging the text of this page a couple of times for example:
www.digitalspy.co.uk and see what happens.
what have you read?
i think there's always going to be an element of more people complaining about things, than people praising things, and i suspect a lot of the complaints here are just people don't like change.
wasn't it the same when the last redesign came along?
Iain
sure - its absolutely horses for courses, and in this thread i very much have my web designer hat on.
the impression i get though is that whilst many of those who used the old homepage don't like the new homepage, the actual number of people who did use the old homepage make up a minority of people who used the site as a whole.
so the object of the exercise was to create a homepage that would engage more of the site's entire audience. and the trouble with the old homepage was that most people didn't tend to use it, they just went straight to the pages they tended to use. (i know i do)
the feeling was that a homepage that encouraged people to browse and discover other stuff would be better than a page that just served up the stuff people used anyway.
so i've put forward perfectly valid reasons why i think its an improvement - so no need to reduce it to 'sticking up for the BBC'
the trouble a site like the BBC has is that there's so much content on the site, its a challenge to make as much of that accessible from the homepage, and keep as much of that 'above the fold'. (although that's perhaps become less of an issue as it maybe once was).
Iain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcintern...ge_launch.html
Not far off 100% dislike, even after a few days when people have had a chance to get used to the new design.
Do you have *any* evidence to back this up?
a blog article a while ago about why they were changing it.
link
79% of people arriving at the homepage then go to either the news or sport page.
70% of people arriving at the news section go directly there.
Iain
The BBC website looks similar to the new MSN site and You Tube seems to have changed.
All 3 are becoming content partners this month, are the changes just coincidental or is there some kind of conformity on the web in progress ?
I read that some ex BBC employee's have gone over to MSN maybe this is the reason for the similarity.
EDIT You Tube and the BBC are becoming content partners with Microsoft not each other.
the link doesn't work....
Iain