Megan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ferrumaeternum) wrote2008-12-19 11:44 pm
ferrumaeternum) wrote2008-12-19 11:44 pm
Entry tags:
LiveJournal User Info page redesign
Why did LiveJournal have to mess with the user profile layouts again? The two previous designs they tested looked good, although for some strange reason, a lot of people complained about them. This one doesn’t even look remotely nice, and it sounds like this is the one that’s going to be here to stay. I know I’m not an expert when it comes to graphic design, but I think it was a mistake for the designer(s) to take to heart user feedback that’s coming from people who don’t know anything about what makes an attractive and practical design, given the purpose of the User Info page. I am also surprised that this layout’s composition is supposed to be the better of the three, especially when ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chasethestars is involved because she is a talented designer. I will be reposting this to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
lj_design because I’m not paying LiveJournal $20 a year for bad design.
Overall Design
The second beta had the best design overall, in my opinion. However, I’ll even take the first one over the latest. It was more symmetrical, which I feel is important for a User Info page. The larger gaps between sections gave the eye places to rest and kept everything fresh and minimal. The newest layout goes against widely accepted aesthetics of functional design.
The First Section
The boxed in section of the top gave it hierarchy over the rest of the information on the page. It was also convenient to be able to click the linked journal title or username to access the journal, which makes it easier for new and non-LJ users trying to access someone’s blog. The new layout doesn’t even offer an obvious link to view the journal. I also don’t think the way the user name is displayed as a header works well design-wise. The fact that it is lowercase and a lighter color than the other headers destroys the previous sense of importance the section had. The three columns also made it easier to read, in addition to having only the journal title, subtitle, and posting options in a larger, different colored font. The new profile’s text is way too compact between the subtitle, stats, and account type, and I don’t see the point in making the stats gray. And what happened to the search link? That whole right section throws the balance of the design completely off. I also don’t understand why the stats at the bottom are emphasized. I feel the overall design is poor when the text to the top left is so tight and you’re left with an empty space toward the right. The old layouts balanced negative space well.
Section Headers
The light blue backgrounds for the headers are too pale. It looked much cleaner when the headers for each section had bigger, thinner text, a simple, thin gray underline and no background. If the backgrounds had to stay, it would be nice to see a darker blue.
Content Organization
It made more sense to put the contact information and schools in the Basic Info section, rather than group them with LJ-specific interests. This way, there wouldn’t be the annoying huge chunk of negative space to the right in that section. Plus the interests are strong enough to stand as their own section. When the Beta 2 was being tested, some users complained that if they didn’t list schools or contact info, then there would be a white space instead. The easy solution to that would obviously be to at least list schools. If you’re so worried about people you know in real life finding your journal, make your entries friends only or private.
chasethestars is involved because she is a talented designer. I will be reposting this to lj_design because I’m not paying LiveJournal $20 a year for bad design.Overall Design
The second beta had the best design overall, in my opinion. However, I’ll even take the first one over the latest. It was more symmetrical, which I feel is important for a User Info page. The larger gaps between sections gave the eye places to rest and kept everything fresh and minimal. The newest layout goes against widely accepted aesthetics of functional design.
The First Section
The boxed in section of the top gave it hierarchy over the rest of the information on the page. It was also convenient to be able to click the linked journal title or username to access the journal, which makes it easier for new and non-LJ users trying to access someone’s blog. The new layout doesn’t even offer an obvious link to view the journal. I also don’t think the way the user name is displayed as a header works well design-wise. The fact that it is lowercase and a lighter color than the other headers destroys the previous sense of importance the section had. The three columns also made it easier to read, in addition to having only the journal title, subtitle, and posting options in a larger, different colored font. The new profile’s text is way too compact between the subtitle, stats, and account type, and I don’t see the point in making the stats gray. And what happened to the search link? That whole right section throws the balance of the design completely off. I also don’t understand why the stats at the bottom are emphasized. I feel the overall design is poor when the text to the top left is so tight and you’re left with an empty space toward the right. The old layouts balanced negative space well.
Section Headers
The light blue backgrounds for the headers are too pale. It looked much cleaner when the headers for each section had bigger, thinner text, a simple, thin gray underline and no background. If the backgrounds had to stay, it would be nice to see a darker blue.
Content Organization
It made more sense to put the contact information and schools in the Basic Info section, rather than group them with LJ-specific interests. This way, there wouldn’t be the annoying huge chunk of negative space to the right in that section. Plus the interests are strong enough to stand as their own section. When the Beta 2 was being tested, some users complained that if they didn’t list schools or contact info, then there would be a white space instead. The easy solution to that would obviously be to at least list schools. If you’re so worried about people you know in real life finding your journal, make your entries friends only or private.