The Escapist Redesign
- Thread starter Nasrin
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It looks pretty good! For an Apple products/Organic food news site.
Personally I despise it. I know there are a lot of effort that went into it, with all the custom fonts that you embed and all.
But some part of the old design is still there, this forum for example.
It looks "template-y", it felt like you just bought a template and then apply it to the site, without any research that this design will fit the demographics/contents of the site.
I mentioned Apple products before, and what I meant is that the layout fits this kind of website better: http://www.tuaw.com/, where it is filled by crazy Apple fans that claims things like the sharp edges of a macbook pro is very comfortable or that interacting with a PC will automatically spawn a blue screen.
I know it is just a matter of time before I get used to it, but finding links at home is somewhat harder and the space is not used to its full extent (for example, there are no short description of what an article is about anymore).
The old one is good, it has a character in it, and yes it might not be shiny, and people in Starbucks with silver/white PCs (yes, I am hostile towards Apple) will sneer at it, but it is good. It works, it is efficient, and most importantly, it felt like a gaming website directed towards gamers.
On a closing note, I am a wannabe web developer. I am still in Uni and are still learning the tricks of the trade.
tl;dr
PS: This will probably get me a warning/ban, but honestly you guys could bring back (or at least get a few more episodes of) Extra Credits/Lisa Foiles/other beloved contributors with the money you used to develop a new layout right?
Personally I despise it. I know there are a lot of effort that went into it, with all the custom fonts that you embed and all.
But some part of the old design is still there, this forum for example.
It looks "template-y", it felt like you just bought a template and then apply it to the site, without any research that this design will fit the demographics/contents of the site.
I mentioned Apple products before, and what I meant is that the layout fits this kind of website better: http://www.tuaw.com/, where it is filled by crazy Apple fans that claims things like the sharp edges of a macbook pro is very comfortable or that interacting with a PC will automatically spawn a blue screen.
I know it is just a matter of time before I get used to it, but finding links at home is somewhat harder and the space is not used to its full extent (for example, there are no short description of what an article is about anymore).
The old one is good, it has a character in it, and yes it might not be shiny, and people in Starbucks with silver/white PCs (yes, I am hostile towards Apple) will sneer at it, but it is good. It works, it is efficient, and most importantly, it felt like a gaming website directed towards gamers.
On a closing note, I am a wannabe web developer. I am still in Uni and are still learning the tricks of the trade.
tl;dr
PS: This will probably get me a warning/ban, but honestly you guys could bring back (or at least get a few more episodes of) Extra Credits/Lisa Foiles/other beloved contributors with the money you used to develop a new layout right?
Why were all the video links removed from the side bar? I used to be able to see all the latest episodes right on the side bar and either go to a show's index page or go directly to that show's latest episode. Now it's a longer process where I have to mouse over the top bar, click a show, load that show's index page, click on the latest episode, load that page, then finally play the episode.
This is the opposite of what a website redesign is for. You're supposed to be removing clicks, not adding them! The new layout is a step back, I don't like it at all. Is The Escapist really so desperate for page views they're willing to make things more of a pain for their audience or was this just a huge mistake on behalf of whoever was in charge of the redesign?
This is the opposite of what a website redesign is for. You're supposed to be removing clicks, not adding them! The new layout is a step back, I don't like it at all. Is The Escapist really so desperate for page views they're willing to make things more of a pain for their audience or was this just a huge mistake on behalf of whoever was in charge of the redesign?
I've only taken a brief look, but I don't think the front page is attractive at all, it's a bit dull and looks cluttered (although that might be me not used to where everything is).
I much prefer the old look at the moment. The menus at the top are nice though.
I much prefer the old look at the moment. The menus at the top are nice though.
I'm not a fan of this. At all.
Aside from the bleak, cold color palette and ugly design it's been made a lot less convenient.
The bars to the various sections of the site that ran down the side have all been removed, making it circuitous to get where you want to go. I wanted to see the newest "Big Picture" today and rather than just clicking on the bar on the side I had to click "videos" then a random Big Picture episode that was featured for some reason, then the main Big Picture section from the video, and finally the video I wanted to go to. This is bad design, and if there's an easier way it seems to be hiding.
Also, I'm not kidding about bleak, cold, ugly design. The grayish off-white just feels so bleak and uncaring. There's a lot to be said for aesthetics and this just feels like a downgrade from the nice blue that we had beforehand.
Furthermore, the site is running painfully slow. I don't know if anyone else is having that problem, but I'm sitting here running Google Chrome with two tabs open. The escapist tab is taking five minutes to load. The one to my Yahoo account is instantaneous and quick, so I know it's not just me here.
Overall, accessibility, speed, and user-friendliness have all been reduced so I have to ask... why? Why fix what wasn't broke? This seems like something you may want to switch back. There is nothing good I can find about this change. In fact, aside from a new look and reduced user-friendliness... I can't see anything that HAS been upgraded, so this makes it even worse than when people try to update DeviantArt.
Aside from the bleak, cold color palette and ugly design it's been made a lot less convenient.
The bars to the various sections of the site that ran down the side have all been removed, making it circuitous to get where you want to go. I wanted to see the newest "Big Picture" today and rather than just clicking on the bar on the side I had to click "videos" then a random Big Picture episode that was featured for some reason, then the main Big Picture section from the video, and finally the video I wanted to go to. This is bad design, and if there's an easier way it seems to be hiding.
Also, I'm not kidding about bleak, cold, ugly design. The grayish off-white just feels so bleak and uncaring. There's a lot to be said for aesthetics and this just feels like a downgrade from the nice blue that we had beforehand.
Furthermore, the site is running painfully slow. I don't know if anyone else is having that problem, but I'm sitting here running Google Chrome with two tabs open. The escapist tab is taking five minutes to load. The one to my Yahoo account is instantaneous and quick, so I know it's not just me here.
Overall, accessibility, speed, and user-friendliness have all been reduced so I have to ask... why? Why fix what wasn't broke? This seems like something you may want to switch back. There is nothing good I can find about this change. In fact, aside from a new look and reduced user-friendliness... I can't see anything that HAS been upgraded, so this makes it even worse than when people try to update DeviantArt.
This. Aside from the lack of the sidebar, I quite like the new look, but please bring back the sidebar so that I can quickly find the things I use the site for.arch4non said:
I also think it feels very white and empty and colorless. Just a very boring look. And I miss the side-tab with all the videos.
Also is it just for me, or is there anyone else for whom the page loads terribly slowly since the design change? It just feels unpleasant to browse.
Also is it just for me, or is there anyone else for whom the page loads terribly slowly since the design change? It just feels unpleasant to browse.
to be fair this isn't close to as shiny as the old escapist layout was
what I do notice however, is an obvious lack of sponsor spamming
The day's been saved indeed
what I do notice however, is an obvious lack of sponsor spamming
The day's been saved indeed
Not just you, I am having ridiculously long load times on this site (and only this site) since the revamp, however I noticed a post above that said that it's just a kink from the switchover, I expect it ought to be worked out within a few days.angorianka said:
Regardless of the new functionality of the website, it would be really nice if you and the rest of the Escapist team to the almost unanimous and constructive advice from the community and changed or darkened the glaring whiteness of teh background. It's really, honestly is overwhelming in it's brightness.Nasrin said:
Really, that's my only complaint. The rest of it I know will eventually become normalized to me and it will probably be fine. However, if the white stays, I don't imagine I will visit as often as I used to.
I will add though, that other websites that have added substantive amounts of white background have become tolerable to me simply because, well, one has no choice. Kotaku is a good example. I still don't really like their redesign, but in comparing it to the new Escapist, there are similar amounts of white space.
I've had two headaches from this bland white crap already. Why did you change the original beatiful design that gave the escapist it's own unique feel to this empty boring thing that so many other popular websites use already?
I can adjust to many things but this isn't one of them. I'll only come for Yahtzee if it stays like this.
I can adjust to many things but this isn't one of them. I'll only come for Yahtzee if it stays like this.
