[icerabbit]

I'm one of those maccentral linkers too /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Maybe, just thinking out loud, the maccentral addicts could be served the new macworld page with headlines first or tabbed? And the general public gets the new default one /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[the0ne]

The look is much more modern and clean but the one big issue is that you only see adds "above the fold" Which makes macworld look like one of those cheesy cyber squater pages. If it would be possible to add more stories to the first thing someone sees, it would go a long way to making macworld appear more legitimate.

[romzburg]

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Because let's be honest, if you're someone who comes to Macworld.com once every two weeks or once a month, a list of the items posted in the last six hours isn't very useful or friendly.

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If you only come every 2 weeks or month, then you have no real expectations about using the site.
The list of what's been posted recently is in no way user UNfriendly, either.
When people show up every two weeks or once a month, why are they here? And how did they get here? Was it a google search? If so, they are probably not on the home page, they are on an archived article page.
If they just show up once every 2 weeks by using a bookmark because they specifically want to see this site, well, what do they want to see? They want to search the site for information? Ok, you have all your links to hardware and topics at top, and then they can use the search box. How does a recently posted list affect this? Not at all.
I honestly don't understand what you mean by saying the list is "not exactly user-friendly" for the "once every 2 weeks or month" visitor.
How does he use your site? What does he want when he comes here?
How do I use your site? What do I want when I come here?

[bigpics]

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...Small non-bold headlines, advert density up, additional type faces introduced: All 3 are BIG usability don'ts...
...the single list of the latest 3-4 days of stories [is] the most efficient way to get mac news. ... Without the ability to see all the headlines for the past several days at a quick glance in type large enough to read, I sincerely doubt you can compete for my screen time.
...other sites that understand that to sell ads you gotta provide the content the way people read it.
....When you make people pay more effort for the same or less benefit, they spend less time on your site.
...This "cram more in" style of web design may be popular for ecommerce right now, but should never be applied to NEWS...

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This all echoes my previous post, but I have one more practical suggestion for returning more screen real estate to news without effecting your revenue stream:
All that dark blue to the right of the MacWorld logo is only taking up space, and there is enough room to put all the black and grey buttons and the search box to the right of the logo while still leaving it enough space to be its own design element. Or, if that looks too crowded, put the search box in a slightly reorganized "topics" line to isolate the logo more.
But whatever, my number one suggestion is the same one echoed most often here: News is the number one reason I come to MacWorld, and it should be the first thing that grabs the eye, the most accessible, the clearest, the easiest to access.
And my number two is that you don't cheapen the look of your site with a sense that the predominant element is screaming, flashing pitches which obscure the fact that we come first for unbiased, useful information, not be sold things. As I said, when ads are done in the clean, low-key, unobtrusive oh-by-the-way-you-might-be-interested-in-this style they are on GMail, they actually do more to engage me and garner a click than if they're a blaring annoyance I have to scroll past and avert my eyes from to find the content buried in less prominent space among them.
And along that line, once I click on a story (the reason I'm there), if the story contained all the ads you want, graphical or otherwise, on the right side (not above the fold -- I NEVER, EVER respond to banners, except to be miffed that I have to scroll past their cheapening, coarsening look) -- and especially if they're mostly context-sensitive ads that relate to the story, that's fine with me, and better click bait to boot. PS: Banner ads are why FlashBlock is the first extension I add to every install of FireFox.
I'll also note something you already know, and which is probably related to your decision to reboot: there's not only a growing Mac community, there's a growing Mac web press, and many sites old and new are growing in depth and breadth of what amounts to competing coverage. And of those I visit, IMHO, and noted because I'm fond of MacWorld (issue number one is carefully stored away in my tech collectibles), your beta in its current form is the noisiest, most visually confusing, typographically mixed and disorienting of the lot.
Whatever, I'm sure you'll make a few useful changes between beta one and release

[JakeB]

Aw, Jesus, guys, there's so much --- clutter. Your eye roams the homepage, and there's content, then a big ad, then content, nope, that's another ad, wait, there's some content down there.
Cluttered. Like way too many other websites.
Guys, seriously, is it too late to clean things up a little? It's very -- unMac-like.

[hexor]

I would like it if the red squares next to the news titles were slightly smaller. My eyes keep being attracted to those squares rather than the titles of the news stories.

[DonC]

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Because let's be honest, if you're someone who comes to Macworld.com once every two weeks or once a month, a list of the items posted in the last six hours isn't very useful or friendly.

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If you only come every 2 weeks or month, then you have no real expectations about using the site.
The list of what's been posted recently is in no way user UNfriendly, either.
When people show up every two weeks or once a month, why are they here? And how did they get here? Was it a google search? If so, they are probably not on the home page, they are on an archived article page.
If they just show up once every 2 weeks by using a bookmark because they specifically want to see this site, well, what do they want to see? They want to search the site for information? Ok, you have all your links to hardware and topics at top, and then they can use the search box. How does a recently posted list affect this? Not at all.

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Why would somebody care about people visitting a site every two weeks when the majority visits every day ? Why do you want to send away those who come every day and pay your revenue (read: pageviews for the adds) when you can keep those few who come every now and then ???
Would be interesting to know how many page hits which parts of MacWorld AND MacCentral are getting (read: which online behaviour generates most trafic) - and then there should be a design to suit these needs. My guess is 2 types of behaviours form the majority: quick news gathering on the last few days and focused research on a specific topic. Those who come by now and then are more likely to read the paper magazine.
Now - the new design in my eyes feels like a "paper magazine". I this really your audience here ?
P.S.: Please, sell us information and news. We will be happy to give you even more page hits than today. Don't sell us adds, because in this case we will be gone.

[macwilf]

I post my comment here, although you have a forum dedicated to it. Read a post by one Bob Olson there, and he said what was most important.Still, I am going to add my two re's worth...
First of all, I've of course gotten used to the cosy, warm reds here, but yes, the site begins to look a little dated, so a redesign isn't bad. The menubars are more "Maclike" with more advanced CSS in play and the blue colour palette isn't bad, but I question the light green icons... I am not sure if they go well along with the blue in the main theme. It is also something about the impression they give; is it a tad Windozy? Vista in play? I don't know. To me, they kind of fall out of the whole design.
I am not sure what to do about them, but as Olson mentioned; they're probably too big. You may consider something more saturated when it comes to colours.
The overall impression is a bit too chaotic, I'm afraid and it has to do with the typography, as Olson mentioned. Those headlines in italics didn't fit in well. Change those. I'd say you should stick with two fonts; one for headlines and one for the main text. And those two must go along with each other.
Would it be possible to make the ads differ more from the articles? The way it is now, it was hard to tell what was what at a first glance.
An old rule in newspapers in Europe, at least, is that ads shouldn't look like news text and vice versa. If it does, it needs a special byline which states that this is actullay an ad.
I think it is necessary from a designer's point of view as well. You live by advertisements, but readers look after the articles. Therefore, it should be easy to distinguish between the two types of content.
Well, just some words from one who has been working for newspapers for more than 20 years altogether - as an illustrator and cartoonist, though, but one can't avoid learning something about typography as well /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Good luck!

[maineguy]

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I hope you don't feel that you've addressed our concerns with this option.

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If we thought we'd addressed your concerns, we'd have launched the site without a public beta. You don't do public betas if you feel that you're done with all your work and you're not interested in hearing what people have to say.

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Ok Jason, here goes...
Personally, I didn't have any concerns with the Macworld site. Looking at the new site, I still don't have any concerns! I think the new layout is quite nice, and whatever differences there are in navigating it I will get used to in a couple of minutes. I guess the question I have is, does the new site give Macworld any advantages, either in efficiency in updating stories or increasing ad revenue? Change for no reason seems, um, like change for no reason... a lot of work for what?
Either way, I am perfectly happy with the old, and I will be perfectly happy with the new! I appreciate the news site you have, and the look and feel won't change that for me. You won't get rid of me with either site!!
Good luck!!!

[maineguy]

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I came accross a very nice video recently, which shows my feelings on the new site design. The old MacCentral design was the original iPod package, right now we are in between, the new design is the Microsofted final design of the package.
Enjoy "What if Microsoft designed the iPod package"

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That is too funny! Where do people find the time???

[murphtall]

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Gotta say that I think I prefer the "current" look to the beta.

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I hafta agree. the beta look is not as appealing as the current look IMHO.`
KM

[IVIIVIi4ck3y27]

I like the new layout a lot. I think it looks far more modern and less clunky than the old site. It feels more 2008 than 1998 in terms of the aesthetic and layout. I dig that.
With that said I do kind of agree that the layout, being different, throws a lot of us for a loop and even if we might "knee-jerk" and complain due to lack of familiarity (a lot of people hate change), I still think there are some usability quibbles that were very prominently addressed. Even if it looks more 2008 I guess we'll have to see if it operates at 2008 or 2028 in terms of being able to adjust and alter the layout to suit the end-user. If that's offered and we can somehow change the default page order of the site; i.e. login and make "Daily News" the front page or make "Top Headlines" (i.e. the Magazine) the front page based on preferences... I give you a major thumbs up on the "Waycool" factor.
I, like others, prefer to see the latest items on the front page and have often come in from MacCentral where the News end of the site was prominent and in your face. I do think having the news items higher up and in more prominent text would be an improvement to the new layout. Maybe adding the option of having flexible formatting for fonts would help? At least maybe make the News item links bold so they're easier to read and provide greater contrast. As it stands, on some monitors... they're not very legible nor do they stand out like they should.
I like the general plan... just think a few improvements will greatly improve usability. Keep plugging guys.

[iSunfish]

Two criteria for comparison before I even opened the beta site:
1) Is the content I visit for more easily accessible in the new site? (I'm not talking about site navigation--I'm talking about the design of the front page, i.e., am I going to have to scroll to get what I want?)
It isn't. The headlines are displayed further down the page than in the current design, presumably to make room for advertising and other content I didn't come to see. My use of Macworld.com stems from the fact that they took over MacCentral. I visit for news. I want my news "above the fold" (to use a newspaper term). Make me scroll, and you give me a reason to look for another, easier to use site.
2) Is the text easier to read than that on the current site?
IMO, no. The story text is smaller, and the contrast is lower due to the use of a colored background for the stories. Headlines do not pop out at me the way they do in the current design. The story comments also provide a lot less info, like which comments are in response to the story, and which are in response to other comments.
So far, my reaction is not positive.
2.5