10Apr

BBC News Site Redesign and User Feedback

You may or may not be aware that the BBC recently redesigned its news web site. I'm going to comment on the merits of the redesign (well, okay, I like it) — there's plenty of that going on elsewhere:

As a web designer, what's interesting to me are the reactions of users to a redesign that was no doubt well-researched and thought out by a team of talented web professionals (take a read through The Glass Wall (PDF 6.7MB) to learn more about their design process).

If you read through user comments, they appear to be largely negative. Therefore, the redesign was a disaster, right?

Well, let's not be too hasty.

Firstly, let's not forget that the online feedback makes for a pretty biased sample. It's a fact that people who feel strongly about something — especially if it's negative — are most likely to make their opinions heard.

What stood out to me in reading through the negative comments and feedback was the overwhelming desire to turn back the clock and return the site to its old design. Basically forget the whole redesign thing ever happened.

Funnily enough, this appears to be the very same reaction that many users had when the BBC News site went through its last redesign, back in 2003.

Comment on the 2008 redesign:

In terms of style, if the old look was the Times, it now looks like the Beano. I thought the old style had more gravitas.

Comment on the 2003 redesign:

Looking at it from the most basic level, nothing stands out and i don't know where to look first.

So, the 2003 design that many users want to return to is the same redesign that initially drew similar criticism to that which is being leveled at the new 2008 design.

It seems to me that perhaps people are reacting more to the fact that the design has changed rather than whether it is inherently better or worse.

E-commerce site redesigns have a similar problem in that sales may initially drop because visitors are unfamiliar with the new design.

So, what's a designer to do? Well, firstly realize that no matter how great your design, some (even many) people are going to hate it initially — and will do so vocally.

But also recognize that this reaction may be due largely to lack of familiarity with the new design more than anything.

Therefore, it's important to gather user feedback once users have had time to get used to the new design — say, after one and three months. This will likely be a truer test of whether the redesign has succeeded than relying on initial reactions.

Posted on: April 10, 2008 | 12 Comments

12 Comments Posted

Interesting article, especially linking the redesign in 2003 with the one now was a good idea. Very interesting and good to know for the future when you have to do a redesign yourself. Thanks!

1. Posted by Edwin on April 11, 2008

Nice review. I think it's particularly apt that you mention the fact that people want to turn the clock back to the old design, which in turn drew similar critcism back in 2003. I think it's just a characteristic of human nature (for the UK, at least) that we're not comfortable with change. We like what we know as it provides a sense of (albeit psychological) security. I expect the same will happen in a few years time after the next refresh, and so on. The phrase, 'Familiarity breeds contempt' has never seemed more redundant.
Thanks for the pointers.

2. Posted by Web Design UK on April 11, 2008

Nah, sorry. It obviously hasn't been tested properly, because otherwise it wouldn't have so many validation errors and be broken in so many browsers (it doesn't work properly in Opera or Safari, or iPhone Safari). That's one of the big things people are complaining about.

You've picked on some of the more meaningless comments while leaving aside the critiques that are actually correct, like the contrast ratio being so poor that it reduces accessability by making the text hard to read, or the fact the site's next to useless if not viewed full screen or on an device like an EeePC.

3. Posted by Andy L on April 11, 2008

I also wasn't sure I liked it at first but after a few days i've almost forgotten the old web design already.

I think most negative reactions are just because people dont like change.
The validation and other such bugs im sure will be ironed out soon as they rollout the changes over the entire website.

Personally i particularly like the new embedded video.
I think this is a big enhancement for the articles and also now stops the really annoying pop-up video players...

4. Posted by David on April 11, 2008

hi
I like the new design much better. interesting article, thank you

5. Posted by Dave on April 11, 2008

I think communication and letting your audience preview and test a new design is a very important step before rolling it out.

6. Posted by Hassan Hodges on April 11, 2008

I actually like the changes. I sure hope that they take care of the validation errors ASAP. And I'm sure that the vocal opposition to the new interface will gradually disappear.

Oh yeah, for my blog, I don't have problems at all with redesign. I just drag-and-drop widgets on my sidebars using www.i.ph 's sweet WYSWYG interface.

7. Posted by Ade on April 13, 2008

I think it's just the typical resistance to change. I liked the clock, it's part of the BBC brand, a company that goes into the new technologies without forgetting it great past.

Nice article.

Alex

8. Posted by Alexis Brion on April 14, 2008

Nice review and a very interesting article. :-)

9. Posted by web templates package on April 29, 2008

very nice thx , good reading:-)

10. Posted by mac flash on May 02, 2008

I really dislike the clock, its pointless, we all have pc clocks, but overall the redesign is nice, though I do think the movable content areas will confuse a lot of users.

11. Posted by Designbit on May 07, 2008

As a web designer, i'm pleased that the bbc and others are now optimising their sites to 1024×800 resolution. It indicates a shift in the industry and means I have a lot more pixels to play with!

design nottingham

12. Posted by branding nottingham on May 27, 2008