New BBC homepage

[tezzutezzu]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/beta/

edit: more details and comments on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2007/12/a_lick_of_paint_for_the_bbc_ho.html

[simplistik]

O.M.G. that's horrible. Sorry but they tried to hard to be trendy and failed big IMO. Looks big and gaudy and almost looks like a failed Wordpress layout.

Not only that the markup is putrid. If you have 150 lines of IE conditionals it's time to either rethink the layout OR get a new markup guy. The javascript animations are choppy as hell for a slide down effect.

I read the blog and their ideology about how they want to approach it is ok... but I think they need to work on their execution.

[Pasquale]

Looks like kubrick got into a car accident.

[Templarian]

Wish they had CNN's design team.

This new design is worse than the current version.

[glosrfc]

That is a truly revolting colour scheme. The headings/fonts seem far too big and it doesn't resize to fit the browser, Oh, and not only do I have to scroll horizontally to see the animated Flash clock but it needs to be clicked to be activated...hahaha

From the blog..."a desire to get away from the tired and monotonous blue base colour " So they've replaced it with...ummm...another monotonous shade of blue?

[Pasquale]

Comment:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2007/12/a_lick_of_paint_for_the_bbc_ho.html

[ditt0]

Looks like an awful job. Besides their uninspired choice of colors, trying to mix news with the concept of widgets is a very bad idea usability wise. I'm not going on the bbc site to set up my homepage, although that's what you would primarily understand from all the customization options that pop in your eyes. When I go to their site I want news and delivered fast. I do not have time to play around with badly coded drags that screw up the content, I don't want by mistake to drag the wrong block and then to have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for my news. I don't care about that dude playing the guitar over there for more than half of the page horizontally, while the news are scrambled in a corner. And the clock...To me it feels like they didn't know what to put in that place so they settled for a clock.

[DDD]

wow I just dont know where to begin.

[Seb Hughes]

They copied Adobe's new site and failed badly. They should visit COLOURlovers.

[RabBell]

When I'm dealing with a page with a lot of links I always use the current BBC site as an example. Although it might not be to every ones taste I like the way the old page separates over 30-50 links into easily readable sections and like I say is my example of how a lot of links doesn't need to be confusing.

Their new beta page, I have to say though, is a huge...HUGE...step backwards for me. It's ugly, trying to be trendy and failing (I actually think their existing page is trendy enough), colours are wrong, layouts ugly. And I'll never understand why some sites add clocks...I use Windows, I have a clock in the bottom right of my screen. Even if I used a Mac getting the correct time isn't that difficult so why, why add clocks to websites?

Bad bad BBC, hang head in shame :(

[k77]

I think they need to take a step back and focus on improving the search engine of the original site. BBC is the biggest and best website in the world. Its immense load of detail and context is amazing. This is to say the least. This new page looks like this kids work who talks to me on MSN!!

[wes_design]

When I'm dealing with a page with a lot of links I always use the current BBC site as an example. Although it might not be to every ones taste I like the way the old page separates over 30-50 links into easily readable sections and like I say is my example of how a lot of links doesn't need to be confusing.

Their new beta page, I have to say though, is a huge...HUGE...step backwards for me. It's ugly, trying to be trendy and failing (I actually think their existing page is trendy enough), colours are wrong, layouts ugly. And I'll never understand why some sites add clocks...I use Windows, I have a clock in the bottom right of my screen. Even if I used a Mac getting the correct time isn't that difficult so why, why add clocks to websites?

Bad bad BBC, hang head in shame :(

I won't say anything about the design but I love the head designer's comments, it really shows what he was thinking granted he doesn't seem so enthusiastic at first. It might be his stiff upper lip, but from what I read he seems that he is American.

Also .. the clocks where put in for the users...


Nostalgia: the new homepage also manages to incorporate eccentricity alongside innovation, and integrates a BBC 1 analogue clock (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2007/11/step_back_in_time_1.html) in the top right corner. This feature was initially punted as a bit of fun, but feedback revealed that users find this icon, a homage to the "golden days" of analogue programming, bizarrely reassuring.

I guess people that believe in world news also believe in clocks.

[RichardG]

The main colour they've chosen is pretty horrible, but other than that I quite like it.

I've always found the BBC site a bit cluttered so I like being able to get rid of sections I'm not interested in and move them around.

It's not particularly original, and looks similar to a lot of other sites around, but I think it looks cleaner than their current site. They're excepting comments so hopefully they'll sort out the colours.

[hybrid101]

oh wtf just happened:|

if this seems to be the case, i'm losing my live updates on footie, and will stick with their RSS feed. i miss the red:(

[Mik3]

Yikes! Not very well polished... :/

[Loyx]

That modules layout.... I dont like it... xD It seems a joomla

[Jeff Wheeler]

Awful. It’s a huge step backwards — their current site is pretty great, and this is just a mess.

[Esherido]

Quote one of my chats with Stuart on Groove:
it looks like a loony got a hold of the font sizes

[dentricrio]

bah its big brash and 'dad trying to be cool' stlye. It will date very quickly.

[glosrfc]

They went ahead and implemented the changes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/

And yes, it looks just as hideous as the beta version. One particularly stunning feature is the way that text doesn't align correctly on the top row of the buttons. Good to see that they've also retained the requirement to scroll the page horizontally - that will assist anyone already suffering from RSI! Ensuring that some text is cut off is also a cunning ploy as seen upper-right with the Display Options link as well as the bottom line of text in the BBC Living box...what is Healthv Livino?

[Templarian]

I actually think it looks pretty nice and better than the Beta when it was first shown.

And I don't see what you mean about the align for the top row of buttons.

[glosrfc]

This is what I mean...see how the Customise text doesn't fit on the button? And how the D at the top bleeds into the border?

[Jeff Wheeler]

It does look far better, but it's still butt ugly. :P

[pixelSnobbery]

OMG!!! My manager at work (Who is about as technically-minded as a goldfish) just asked me if we could redesign our website to look more like the bbc's new homepage!!!!

:jailbreak

[icio]

I actually really like it :(

[sekasi]

Colors are a bit goofey, but I kinda like the new layout.

[RabBell]

It reminds me of a 40 year old guy going out to buy a ferrari...

Gotta keep up with the young guys kinda thing. This is what the rest are doing, so rather than create a look of our own (because I think they should have, they're the BBC for gawds sake) they've copied/mimiced what every other web2.0 site is doing.

Didn't think they'd just jump on the bandwagon. Thought they'd be...dare I say it...creative. (And bringing back a clock they used 20 years ago doesn't count, it just means 20 years ago they were creative).

[landonRinek]

Well I guess they joined the trend crowd, now it looks like every other site out there: modules, rounded corners, interactive features. Why an Analog clock I don't know.

[Iamthejuggler]

OMG!!! My manager at work (Who is about as technically-minded as a goldfish) just asked me if we could redesign our website to look more like the bbc's new homepage!!!!

:jailbreak

.................

Do I know you? Because so did ours and we're in london too. spooky :)

[biznuge]

^ I already had this conversation about the beta site in late january... :sigh:

took a while to explain this would be a total nightmare in a liquid layout site, and finally won the powers that be around to opt for a tab based system...

*PHEW*

oh, and my department just got asked to build an internal expedia...

Srsly...:tb:

[wes_design]

This is what I mean...see how the Customise text doesn't fit on the button? And how the D at the top bleeds into the border?

I notice that's a trend with these new web 2.0 conversion sites(sites that weren't really using div tags and circle glossy motifs before; trying out for the first time )

If you look at the disney site it also fails

[biznuge]

I don't necessary feel it's as offensive as the average poster here appears to think. I know it does have a few teething troubles, (which I'm not sure of, since it spent a good 3-4 months in supposed "beta") but I think I do think it goes some way to giving users a more personalised experience.

I just read an article in the new dot net magazine in work about the dev cycle of this thing, and there was a lot of talk of "ownership" and "personalised" experience, which, although buzz wordy, does make more sense than a static site for such a big organaziation as the Beeb.

Although then I suppose the counter argument for that would be, if you use a site enough you generally know what your route through that site will be to get to the information you use most, so not really sure how this would affect any user base really.

I guess this kind of change in the use of a site isn't yet at a stage where people want to adopt having any kind of "personal" experience, since we've spent the last fifteen years or so stuck in a pattern of always knowing where info is on sites we use lots, so it may take some time before this kind of dynamic content distribution is common place, and taken for granted by everyone, but I disagree that there was no need to change their homepage. Even dinosaurs move with the times... :wt:

[glosrfc]

I've no qualms about them changing it...it just makes me vomit when I see what they've changed it to!

[biznuge]

hahahahhahah

it really, really doesn't offend me that badly.

lol



it's hardly the 2012 olympic logo, or the new lothian and borders £120k re-brand is it. Check out the article in http://www.netmag.co.uk/zine/latest-issue/issue-174

sorry coul;dn't find a better link to the actual article, but there's a nice feature in the re about PRON 2.0 which has some fairly exciting imagery in, to say the least... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Babysitters.....:love:

[wes_design]

I've no qualms about them changing it...it just makes me vomit when I see what they've changed it to!


and to clarify my argument I want to state I like the sight, what I don't like is that the designer team and the coding team are not on the same page.

A designer can design a motif which is in a layout that maps the viewer's eyes to the information needed the make sure that their design can allow a dynamic flow of text or at least explain to their coder that the design will break after 5 lines of text and a second design motif is needed.

A coder can code a module and then a webpage so that is matches the design and is user friendly for the user. They must understand how the design is made and where to slice it up and implement the data into it. IF they have a problem they have to go back to the designer and explain to them that the design is not doable.


Granted I have let out many people, but I can't stand it when a company that I want to look up to fails! I know they are dinosaurs and it is hard for them to move, but still.
If you have a nice design and great coding simple little mistakes like this shouldn't happen.

Though with bad content management personal at the helm we see these mistakes pop off and no one notices...except for a whiny voice like mine on the internet.:*(

[biznuge]

http://www.farstyle.com/general/the-new-bbc-homepage-nice-but-broken/

[glosrfc]

Oh dear..now the news page has had a facelift :(
http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Why do they have to enlarge the page so it no longer fits my browser width? And it's now twice as long which means more scrolling up and down to find stuff probably because of the enormous search bar at the top of the page and the inch-high (and, in my view, redundant) News banner underneath.

[Templarian]

I didn't think it looked to bad and it fits on common monitor widths. I don't know anyone at work that uses less than 1280 now-a-days.

I agree they should delete out the top banners, or at least one of them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/

[glosrfc]

I'm using 1280 x 1024 on a 19" monitor and it still doesn't fit properly

The older version was a much better fit and there seemed to be much less wasted whitespace:
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:vtK0RVQXCx8J:news.bbc.co.uk/+bbc+news&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk

[biznuge]

Don't really mind this too much...

I totally agree with the main banner stuff at the top of the page though. think they could lose the red header banner altogether, drop the height of the main black bar maybe, then re-arrange those three elements (logo/access/search) into something a bit nice.

The elements that make up the actual body of this page, reek of a liquid layout, and I'm not entirely sure why they've opted for a fixed 974 width...

Right hand column kinda bleeds inot the main page body for me. I'd prefer a slightly off color background there, to draw my attention to the main body of the page.

Seems very busy once you get halfway down the page, but then I guess this is a gateway to a hell of a lot of different business critical services, and as such there'll be a hell of a lot of upper management meetings about how many millions of items should be on this page.... :drool:


:2c: s'ok...

[built_by]

It sort of looks void of all life.

[pixelSnobbery]

It's funny, everyone that I work with (And none of them are particularly technically-savvy) thinks the site is really really really good. It's only people from the web design community that thinks it sucks.

I admit that the site's got a few problems, but its normal people that they're trying to appeal to, not us horrible lot! ;)

[pallzoltan]

i like the page very much to be honest, its not all crowded like the old one... i think its easier to read through and find your target in this layout...

4.5 stars

great work:thumb:

[Jeff Wheeler]

I rather like the new one; it easily fits in my browser, and it actually looks surprisingly good.