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 use the desktop site on kindle fire or phone and probably would do the same if it changed. It looks straightforward enough- But I like it as it is now

[scorpiojo]

(I don't have any problems when using my iPad.)

[mushroom25]

whatever format the new site adopts, could you pleeeeeaaaase ensure that those who provide your ads don't infest them with long running scripts that keep crashing the site for those who have no option but to use IExplore. thanks.

[AB Editor]

mushroom25 - we can try our best, but we're also trying that now, which doesn't bode well!

[Gromit]

Mobile version.

Because the the question and answers indent with the avatar, the result holding the phone in the vertical position is that nearly half the screen is blank, while the text is in a narrow and very long verticle column.

On the existing mobile site, the avatar is smaller allowing for a wider text column. On the existing site (it may be my settings) I can see 34 characters in the column holding the phone vertically. On the redesign screen grabs, there are about 20 characters. The existing site question and answers are easier to read than the redesign, so I think that is a step backwards.

[Tilly2]

I like the new design. It looks fresh and sharp. It will take some getting used to, though. We all like our comfort zone.

[Svejk]

Regardless of the device I'm using, I always use ABmobile (apart from when I need to give best answers or vote in your polls) and I like it just fine the way it is.
I tend to go with the majority in these things. (not that I have any choice)

[wolf63]

I'm off out so haven't read it all properly yet - are the topics supposed to be at the rhs? Will we be able to upload tons of cat pics?

[Gromit]

The desktop version is very good and a lot tidier.
You didn't do yourself any favours using a mockup ad in a green banner, that threw me for a second, I thought you had changed the colours.

I would not put the Need Help? First, or even high up. I would start with recent posts.

[sandyRoe]

If it's not broke why fix it?
It looks OK to me.

[whiskeryron]

Looks good Ed, well done & keep up the good work. All the best, Ron.

[Ric.ror]

I dare say we will all get used to it and, I don't doubt the changes have all been very thoroughly thought through. I might like a spell check though if that's possible

[hc4361]

ABEd has already answered that, SandyRoe. It is broke because AB has thousands of mobile phone and tablet users that struggle to use the site and don't stick around.

I like the mobile site, though

[hc4361]

Ric.ror - I have a spell checker in AB, maybe the browser provides it.

[hc4361]

Ab Editor, you are a very brave man. People do not like change, they will grumble and whinge for a few days and then have difficulty remembering what the old site was like :D

[Gromit]

One of the main bugbears using the existing mobile site is that some tap zones are very close together, particularly trying to tap the

1 2 3 4 Next Last

That makes navigation very fiddly.
It would be better if you could had a lot more space between the links. There is plenty of room to do that, and it would not matter that it also had more space on the Desktop and Tablet versions.

[Quoi]

As a desktop user I suggest we opt out so we can keep what we have and maintain control of it instead of letting all these mobile and tablet users dictate what we see.
Any chance of a referendum?

[DTCwordfan]

Okay by me

Bloody hell, AOG has been active on these pages of yours this morning....!

[dannyk13]

Quoi has a good point.

[pixie374]

That is true, hc :-). Changing my mind, looking again,I would use the tablet version , but maybe very slightly bigger text-and I don't like the categories covering the latest posts, so you can only see one or the other.