It’s not often that I am compelled to fill out on an online survey, but having just experienced the new look BBC homepage I was immediately spurred into voicing my considerable concerns to the corporation.
Firstly I must impress that in general, I am a staunch fan of the BBC. I think that they provide an exceptional service and they constantly lead the way in innovation and quality of media broadcasting. The BBC homepage has been the home page of my work and personal computer for at least the last five years purely because it is the simplest, most attractive and most user friendly way to digest the major information of the day.
Unfortunately the new beta BBC homepage is not.
I can understand why the BBC feel that they constantly need to innovate. There is exceptional pressure on them to push the boundaries of media communication and constantly deliver a higher level of service to their users. They are also at the forefront of web technology with an incredible team of technicians and experts on hand to take advantage of the constant leaps foeward within the industry. All this offers the BBC teams an ever-expanding array of new techniques to try out and experiment with. However, just because all this technology is available does not mean that anyone should pursue a policy of innovation for the sake of innovation. Unfortunately, that is just what the BBC appear to have done with the latest beta homepage release.
The ‘success’ of the new home page can only be compared to the existing site and that is what we will use for our comparison. The new site, whilst undeniably an attractive static page, is a big step backwards in usability. The beauty of the current BBC homepage is that it allows you to digest a huge quantity of information easily and simply. The page hierarchy is excellent and the eye flows through the information on the screen in a logical and intelligent way. The new beta homepage is incredibly cluttered. The boundaries between all types of information blur into one, so instead of being able to quickly grasp the latest headlines or sports results, information is lost in a melee of images and ever-competing headlines.
Without doubt there far more advanced features on the new beta site compared with the current version… AJAX windows built upon AJAX windows, advanced rollovers, collapsible menus, in-page loaded content, silky smooth animations… all of this inevitably designed to make using the site a more pleasurable experience and offer the user more in-page choice. Whilst these are admirable goals, there is such a thing as overkill and the new design seems to have forgotten all the elements that make the current BBC homepage such a success – Namely user-led design, intelligent organisation of data, intuitive customisation and superb usability. No-one is saying that the job the BBC web team have is easy, but surely there must be someone else who realises that this beta version just doesn’t cut it?
In short, the new beta BBC homepage is a fail. It’s a disappointing example of evolution for the sake of it and certainly not the kind of homepage that will be held up by millions of users around the world as a bastion of good web design as the current one is. The only positive I can see is that the homepage is a beta version so there is still time to rethink. If this does get rolled out, then I will certainly be visiting the BBC a lot less often, because the first thing I will do is change the homepage on every computer I own to iGoogle – the same goes for the rest of the BML office. I can’t say any more than that…
Please add your comments below and let us know what you think…
New beta BBC homepage:
Existing BBC homepage:
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OK. You’re a creative company. How would you improve what they currently have? And please don’t say it’s fine the way it is. Everything can be made better.
Hi Bert,
Well, in my honest opinion I DO think the current website is fine the way it is. Especially when you remember that the BBC is funded by the public purse. I would rather see them investing money in better programming and better ways of delivering online, or mobile content than reinventing the wheel.
On the BBC blog (which you can read here) they cite the major reasons for the redesign to be a gradual downward trend in user numbers since 2008 and too narrow a focus, resulting in a skewed demographic of users. I would argue that the reasons for their fall in users could well be due to the rise in competing media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Google along with other new services. As for a skewed demographic, I cannot see how the current site layout can be held accountable for that. Surely this is more down to the output of BBC content and who it appeals to, than any favouritism from sections of the population to it’s user interfaces?
Getting back to the original point, I think they could certainly improve the current home page design… The top featured news bar could certainly be improved visually… They could experiment with variable width widgets so you can set wider column widths for the content that really matters to you…. They could improve each widgt to make more in depth content available in-page rather than clicking though (i.e. having a five day weather forecast viewable by scrolling rather than visiting the weather site)… They could fine tune the text hierarchy to make each module slightly more defined from those around it (possibly allowing user to set the size of headlines?)… Definitely look at improving the colour schemes or adding textures to give the page a little more depth…
Just a few very quick inital thoughts, but you can see there is definitely plenty of scope to improve upon what they have.
Totally agree, the new one is pretty, but functionless and confusing. I have personalised the old one to exactly my requirements, which is easy to do and makes it a perfect browser homepage.
Maybe the new one could be merged with the old, as the top bar on the old one does look a little tired, but the use of widgets really is what sets it apart from other websites (ok, so others have widgets, but I really don’t want my news from MSN/CNN/ other tabloid styles of news)
I must say that I do prefer the old version. Maybe it’s simply because I’ve gotten used to it, or due to the customisation options. The beta version looks nice but it’s much more complicated and works slowly. Not sure if BBC can call it an improvement.
Firstly, I just want to say I’m rather surprised that another design change is in the makings. The current site hasn’t long been up and running and now it’s being changed again?
That said, and it would seem that I may be the first to think this, but I rather like the new design. On first glance, it confused me greatly, simply due to the fact that I was used to the boxed layout of the current site. On further inspection and once I got over the dreaded change, the functionality, layout and overall feel of the design works and flows really well, possibly being that illusive step forward. I say possibly as it’s hard to improve on their previous site and only time will tell if this new layout actually clicks with the general public.
Sure, there are definitely things that could be changed on the Beta version, and certainly things I would look to improve upon, but as redesigns go, this is an interesting and positive step that will need a bit of getting used to, but isn’t as bad as it may first have seemed.
I’m confused, the version i see of the BBC website is neither of those, even if I follow the beta link. Could you guys be getting a UK only version. I’m in Melbourne and the version I see is is like a hybrid of the two.
Hi Damien,
Unfortunately, I think the beta version is only available to UK audiences at the minute so you’ll have to wait til it’s gets rolled out before you can make up your mind. I’m not sure why you cannot see the current home page though as I thought this was a global homepage? Perhaps, not as I guess this would cause problems with iplayer content and rights issues.
Thanks for posting,
David
Hi David,
I’m viewing the site from the US and the homepage seems different from what’s posted here as well. I guess the Beta version can be viewed in certain countries only. I’m also a BBC fan and find their site one of the simplest and easiest to navigate. One worth emulating, really.
Hi David,
I have to say I completely agree with you and similar to Nick’s comment, I don’t see why they can’t combine the best of both the old and new designs and provide a carousel at the top by default for new (and less experienced / customisation focused) users, but like everything else on the old (great) page, allow for customisation so that users can remove this if they want to, and/or do their customisation and organisation of the rest of the news below this.
I’m one of the people (one of the few by the sounds of what James Thornett is saying) who absolutely organises the information so I get exactly what I want – and there doesn’t seem any reason or justification for taking that functionality away……
I emailed them about 10 days ago saying exactly the same – really glad you’re making these points too and let’s just hope they see sense before it’s too late!
It looks a bit like a amateur web designer who has discovered how to install extensions for their CMS.
In relation to your comment about the BBC and other company’s that are “cool” or “hip” there does seem to be a need to constantly evolve, but as in this case its not for the best. I agree the beta is a FAIL but as are so many content heavy monster bsuiness. After all the websites for these types of business should be about supplying information, promoting prorammes/events and also developing a loyalty.
What i am finding is that they are getting more and more difficult to navigate.
Its down to the fact that its hard to priorities what message they want to get across and as a result they just put everything they can on each page.
Less is more people!
I have been on the BBC website (I’m based in the UK) and cannot find how to get up this new Beta site. I really hope that they have scrapped it in that case, as the current homepage is the best that they have done yet and the screenshot you provides does seem to take it in an entirely different direction.
At the moment, the best thing is the ability to customise and have exactly what you want on the homepage and it would appear that your screenshot slightly detracts from that.
Please don’t change it BBC (if you can hear me from your long empty corridors!)
In my own point of view, I prefer to have the old one compared to a new one. I found no reasons why they need to change the old one where in fact, its been a user friend to all. Sometimes, we need to stick on the things we have used to. Anyway, thank you for sharing your post.
I agree with everything David writes in his article, and have made the same points myself to the Beeb after they invited comments on their new design. One is met with a splash of images, all in similar-sized blocks, creating confusion about what is actually being presented to you. I just don’t know what I’m looking at! Furthermore, I don’t want to have to use a carousel on a home page … it sort of no longer becomes a home page if you have to do that. I have the existing BBC home page as the default opener on my browser because it presents me with everything I want (news, sport and business top stories, weather, the markets, a quick way to get to TV and Radio listings) and frequently engages me with interesting features that I’m not necessarily looking for. The new home page is a disaster – the epitome of bad design because it just doesn’t work as a home page! What a tragedy.
I have to say that I disagree. I really like the new design, it really speaks to modern design trends. The fonts are great and the simple color on the white background is very elegant.
The boxed content is not very difficult to navigate through. The headers jump out at the reader and allow you to skip content that you are not interested in.
I prefer the old version as well. But, we’ll get used to it. And eventually we’ll be talking about how we prefer the old (which is currently the new) version to a version they’ve just updated to.
This happens to almost every blog or site I visit. I’m always highly annoyed when they make major changes. But eventually I get used to it, only to get highly annoyed when they change it again. :)
Never ending cycle.
It seems lots of larger sites are revamping their sites and it’s usually not for the better. It seems every time for main usages I have to click more than the last site.
In a similar vein, the Radio Times web site has undergone a change which will completely destroy one of the simplest, most fundamental things the previous site provided: a chronologically ordered list of favourite programmes broadcast today. Instead they want to provide a jumbled ‘WATCH’ list which includes RADIO. Says it all, really. Compare: http://www.radiotimes.com with old.radiotimes.com
The site still says the old site will be discontinued on 30 September. 2012?
Frankly, I don’t care about the underlying technologies implemented. I just want something which works.
I totally agree with all your comments. Can you suggest any other sites that I could use to replace the old BBC site. I certainly shall not uise the new one
I like the new design direction (the overall theme) however I do believe it could do with some work. Will be interested to see where it heads in the near future.
I wholly agree with other correspondents’ negative views of the new BBC homepage. Good design is not just about exploiting new technology for its own sake. It is about the attractiveness of the site and its ease of use for the end user. I draw an analogy between this and urban planning where the aim now is for people to ‘flow through’ new built development in a way that feels natural and inclusive. The new BBC website is cluttered, uninviting and to an extent intimidating in the manner of poor urban design from past years. I am not resistant to change. But if the new site is not radically altered, I for one am reluctantly off to the Channel 4 news web site. The CH 4 news programme itself is already streets ahead of the superficial BBC news bulletins and a change of default website would be a natural progression.
New BBC page is a web designer’s ego trip. Full of ‘junk design’ just because the designer wants to show of what he can do. All good for the designer but leaves the site useless for the user. Since the site went live it hasn’t worked at all in Opera browser which would suggest the code is not standards compliant. It is also not accessible for the elderly, disabled and those who suffer migraines etc. (the garish contrast of the brilliant white background not good for those who are light sensitive). It has been like this since it launched and is still not fixed. Really amateur approach by not fully testing the pages before they went live. The new design, as the main entry point and first impression, is not a good look for the BBC and may have seriously damaged their reputation for quality and high standards.
I agree that the new BBC design is disappointing, but what I find amazing is how quickly internet users adapt to new layouts; look at Facebook for example. I am sure within a week or two people will have forgotten how the BBC homepage used to look. However, it seems the internal pages still have the original layout for the time being which is good.
Disappoiting. Very chav, appears to have low expectations of its users. trying too hard to be ……..what exactly?
I understand the need to be a bit modern, but in my eyes it’s a little to brash for their identity. Yes you get used to new designs but I use BBC regularly and still I’m not used to it. I just dont know where to look as everything is in your face.
The older layout was easy on the eye and readable for the info you were looking for. Snappy and quick :)
Anyhow… let’s see how it pans out and if they pull the plug!
I really like the new design, The fonts are great and the simple color on the white background is very elegant
It does feel quite crowded and difficult to browse initially. But overall I prefer the look if you know what I mean. Definitely needs some work though.
They recently did the Sports website didn’t they? What do you think about that?
Great discussion! I loved the functionality of the old site, but did feel that the design was beginning to look a little tired. The new design in my opinion looks a lot fresher, but the jury’s still out on whether the user experience has moved on or not. Maybe it’s like when your supermarket changes it’s the aisles around… predictably everyone has a moan even if the new layout is better! We don’t always like change.
I wonder what the BBCs next version will be, at least they’ve got lots to build on
SORRY CANT STAND THE NEW BETA! HOMEPAGE, FAR TOO CLINICAL & BORING! THIS IS NOT AN ADVANCEMENT!
Please bring back the previous one with the daily colour change, i really liked using it…. sorry but if it aint broke dont try & fix it…… regards bbc … andy b.
I can only agree with so many of the previous comments.
The new home page is a giant step backwards. It is so user unfriendly and leaves me unable to access many of the pages I previously enjoyed.
Why make changes that leave the regular user feeling lost? I’ve stopped using the BBC as my main. Home page.. Philip
i prefered the old look, it was cleaner, slicker and easy on the eye.
Ronan.