Welcome to the new whathifi.com!

[MrReaper182]

All versions of Windows have be an embarrassment for MS, that's why I have always used linux. When you change the font for this site all the other sites you have open in tabes do not change. The font should of never be a problem in the first place. Get your act together What Hi-fi.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

i'v been using the site for a few hours now. some of the new features are good, the site needed a kick into the modern era. However the user exprerience and visual design are terrible - who signed this off??. The last site had a certain class about the way it looked and although it was a bit slow it was pleasing to look at and easy to navigate.

A hobbyists level of visual design and UX (user experience) design has been applied, it looks and feels very amateurish. There are too many 'calls to action (especially in the forum), the colours choices are very poor not allowing users to glance over information quickly to find what they are looking for. The site typography is extremley poor, probably it's biggest failing along with it's oversized and muddled imagery. The visual and UX design has been utterly overlooked - looks like the HTML guy was tasked with those responsibilities.

So not only do we have a hi-fi site that spends more time prattling on about smart phones than hi-fi but we also have a site that is visually confusing. BTW - I turned off my ad blocking software and WOW! - really??

I hope the health of the forums doesn't suffer as I think these are the what hi-fi site's best feature. Alternative (and more in depth) reviews can be found elsehere but the community on what hi-fi has been it's saving grace.

Apologies if this sounds harsh but having worked in the web design industry for the last 12 years as a visual and UX designer I can only say that the technical merits of the new site are lost due to poor design and very poor UX design. I hope you address these things. Good luck.

(btw - I have been a regular visitor for some years although I lost my login details and had to create a new account a couple of months ago)

well-summed feedback

 

[RodhasGibson]

Quite Like the new Site Layout etc,I'm one of those that Like Change [But only for the Better]so we shall see how this Pans Out.Logging in and Out seems weird though.

 

[mr_sneff]

The new look website is ghastly!!!

 

[hammill]

The WhatHifi site is a free ( if you discount looking at the adverts) site so it feels a bit ungrateful to complain, but the new site is much worse than the old one. How did it get signed off?

 

[plastic penguin]

Dear Andy and others with WHFI? S&V.

As I've huge experience in the printing industry, I'm going to make a fair appraisal of the new site.

I've spent most of this morning going thru the site with a fine-toothed comb, and here's my findings:

A) When log in on Google or Chrome it says "Log in successful. Will now be redirected." After two mins nothing happens. I have to click on the 'X' in the top right hand corner and go back into 'Forums' before I'm logged in.

B) Font sizes not only too big but inconsistent.

C) On the main 'Forum' pages it's ill-defined. You need to either underline each section, or add something to give it more breathing space.

D) Can't copy and paste links. All the sigs have vanished.

E) Too much space allocated for advertising. Do appreciate your main income is with adverts, but the area for typing any responses is greatly reduced. They seem too imposing.

F) The colours seem fine, if uninspiring.

G) It says 'Offline' before I've actually logged out.

To conclude, the new site doesn't hang together very well, and IMHO will need more than a few little tweaks to make good all the deficiencies.

 

[Andy Clough]

All fair points PP, and being fed back to our UX team. Nothing is set in stone and the site will improve as it beds in and we make further changes/upgrades.

Re signatures, unfortunately we couldn't migrate them all across to the new site so you'll have to go into your settings and add a new one.

 

[tino]

Andy... if you go the 'My Forum Posts' section of a user profile, the user's forum posts are listed in a format that is much more legible - the font sizes seem just about right - headings are smaller and the topic text is larger, the background is white and it fills the entire width. Much much better than the actual forum layout.

 

[Alec]

set in stone, might we be back in the old site soon?

 

[chrisr1718]

What a terrible re-design!!!

It has gone the same way as nearly all modern design web sites, MAKE EVERYTHING BIG!!

We're not blind or short sighted! Things are now so big you have to spend half your time scrolling up & down just to find something.

If it ain't broke......*dash1*

 

[chrisr1718]

Please, please, please *clapping*

 

[chrisr1718]

set in stone, might we be back in the old site soon?

Please, please, please *clapping*

 

[hybridauth_facebook_724622819]

* You're using masonry to lay out your homepage? Really? Who thought that was a good idea?

* The layout on a lot of pages is pathetic. http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys - is this really the best you can do?

* You've got bugs/poor design choices all over the place with layout. For example: http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/how-to-buy-best-soundbar-you - scroll down and the background suddenly looks silly, as it doesn't meet.

* Who wrote the templating & CSS for this? Have they ever built anything of scale before? It's a mess of badly implemented HTML4 and 5.

* 2007 called and they want their rounded corners back

Seriously. How long did you guys spend on this? A month? If you want a hand, give me a shout. I'd be happy to help.

 

[hybridauth_facebook_724622819]

It's sped up a bit now that some of the site has cached as I've visited certain bits. Although not definitive pingdom doesn't rate to well.

It will take a while for the servers to update and the site to cache, so performance will improve over the next few days.

Server updating to what? And seriously, the site will be cached already, it's just not been put together well. There's a difference. Cache warm-up should be done before launch anyways.

 

[Alec]

I didn't have to resize to post on my phone, so that was easier than before. It's easier to read people's posts on the desktop, but that makes no sense on a site very obviously optimized for mobile use. Anyway, it really needs work to prevent headaches on my tablet and my phone.

Othwerwise, I don't like the subject line thing - you really should have tried to steal good ideas - and I endorse almost all other criticisms.

 

[relocated]

Ok, my thoughts and experience of your new site.

Viewed on my 13" Mac Air it looks good and I don't understand the comments about font and background colour. Using Chrome BTW. Problem is that this site now looks too much like so many others but I don't hate it.

There is definitely no button or anything else where one can add their signature.

I have just used my Windows Phone [8] and the site is an almost completely useless jumble with stuff ghosting over other content. Not useable AT ALL.

When I logged in, the site removed the login box that you type into, so you don't know where you are or what to do next. I took a chance that I'd typed in all the digits, hit return and it took me back to the name and password boxes. When I began typing into the password box it promptly disappeared, so again I had to guess that I was getting things right [as I had been distracted mid type].

I hope my views are constructive, perhaps even informative, because [whatever its shortcomings] I have found WHF... to be a valuable source of information and entertainment that I wish to remain as a regular goto for me. ATM I'm not so sure, particularly given the Windows Phone [IE?] disaster.

 

[Andy Clough]

Just to keep everyone in the loop, I've had a catch-up with our dev team this morning and we'll be implementing a number of improvements to the site sometime next week, but as that will involve a code change we won't be able to do that today. I've made reducing the size of the font and buttons a top priority, we're also looking at re-instating the search box on Forums and sorting out the problem with the signature settings box. I've also asked for the 'Trusted authenticated user' setting to be re-instated so regular posters don't have to fill in the Captcha box when posting on the Forums.

 

[nopiano]

Just to keep everyone in the loop, I've had a catch-up with our dev team this morning and we'll be implementing a number of improvements to the site sometime next week, but as that will involve a code change we won't be able to do that today. I've made reducing the size of the font and buttons a top priority, we're also looking at re-instating the search box on Forums and sorting out the problem with the signature settings box. I've also asked for the 'Trusted authenticated user' setting to be re-instated so regular posters don't have to fill in the Captcha box when posting on the Forums.

Thanks for the update, Andy. Cetainly the font thing is awry. Having reduced the zoom for an hour or so looking here I went back to Google and everything was tiny; ditto eBay and Wikipedia, who surely are a bit more familiar with what is workable/desirable than your design people?

I realise the change thing is fraught. I hated the BBC redesign but have got used to it now, and can see why it is more compatible with tablets and phones. Maybe the WHF site should have stayed in beta for a bit longer. I'd have liked to copy my sig before it was wiped out! And Autocar is much smaller all round, which seems odd given you are all Haymarket.

 

[chrisr1718]

Just to keep everyone in the loop, I've had a catch-up with our dev team this morning and we'll be implementing a number of improvements to the site sometime next week, but as that will involve a code change we won't be able to do that today. I've made reducing the size of the font and buttons a top priority, we're also looking at re-instating the search box on Forums and sorting out the problem with the signature settings box. I've also asked for the 'Trusted authenticated user' setting to be re-instated so regular posters don't have to fill in the Captcha box when posting on the Forums.

Thanks for the update, Andy. Cetainly the font thing is awry. Having reduced the zoom for an hour or so looking here I went back to Google and everything was tiny; ditto eBay and Wikipedia, who surely are a bit more familiar with what is workable/desirable than your design people?

I realise the change thing is fraught. I hated the BBC redesign but have got used to it now, and can see why it is more compatible with tablets and phones. Maybe the WHF site should have stayed in beta for a bit longer. I'd have liked to copy my sig before it was wiped out! And Autocar is much smaller all round, which seems odd given you are all Haymarket.

A beta version, running in parallel, would have been the best solution. You could've then got constructive feedback on likes and dislikes on different aspects of the site i.e forums, reviews, homepage, news etc. The 'Trusted authenticated user' problem would have been sorted, those that wanted could have copied their signatues across etc. Thats why so many sites do beta version but have the old site still available.

Why not do the same?

 

[Alec]

the poor visibility of the text within posts?

I've had no trouble logging in. I must be so trusted.

 

[Andy Clough]

Thanks for the update, Andy. Cetainly the font thing is awry. Having reduced the zoom for an hour or so looking here I went back to Google and everything was tiny; ditto eBay and Wikipedia, who surely are a bit more familiar with what is workable/desirable than your design people?

I realise the change thing is fraught. I hated the BBC redesign but have got used to it now, and can see why it is more compatible with tablets and phones. Maybe the WHF site should have stayed in beta for a bit longer. I'd have liked to copy my sig before it was wiped out! And Autocar is much smaller all round, which seems odd given you are all Haymarket.

A beta version, running in parallel, would have been the best solution. You could've then got constructive feedback on likes and dislikes on different aspects of the site i.e forums, reviews, homepage, news etc. The 'Trusted authenticated user' problem would have been sorted, those that wanted could have copied their signatues across etc. Thats why so many sites do beta version but have the old site still available.

Why not do the same?

We did exactly that, running a Beta version along the old site for several weeks. It also went out to our VIP Club members. All the log-in details were posted on my Forum thread, and anyone could go in and send us a Feedback form. Most of the Feedback we had during Beta was generally positive, but it seems only now are most people joining in.

Still, we can – and will – make further improvements as we go along. At some point with any new site you have to take the plunge and go live, and deal with any issues that then arise. As I've said already, this is only phase 1 and we'll have a rolling programme of improvements/upgrades over the next few months.

 

[chrisr1718]

Just gone to update my settings and can't find my 'Country of Origin'?

Obviously England is no longer a country. *sad*

 

[professorhat]

Just gone to update my settings and can't find my 'Country of Origin'?

Obviously England is no longer a country. *sad*

Clearly it's going to be the United Kingdom *fool*

 

[chrisr1718]

Just to keep everyone in the loop, I've had a catch-up with our dev team this morning and we'll be implementing a number of improvements to the site sometime next week, but as that will involve a code change we won't be able to do that today. I've made reducing the size of the font and buttons a top priority, we're also looking at re-instating the search box on Forums and sorting out the problem with the signature settings box. I've also asked for the 'Trusted authenticated user' setting to be re-instated so regular posters don't have to fill in the Captcha box when posting on the Forums.

Thanks for the update, Andy. Cetainly the font thing is awry. Having reduced the zoom for an hour or so looking here I went back to Google and everything was tiny; ditto eBay and Wikipedia, who surely are a bit more familiar with what is workable/desirable than your design people?

I realise the change thing is fraught. I hated the BBC redesign but have got used to it now, and can see why it is more compatible with tablets and phones. Maybe the WHF site should have stayed in beta for a bit longer. I'd have liked to copy my sig before it was wiped out! And Autocar is much smaller all round, which seems odd given you are all Haymarket.

A beta version, running in parallel, would have been the best solution. You could've then got constructive feedback on likes and dislikes on different aspects of the site i.e forums, reviews, homepage, news etc. The 'Trusted authenticated user' problem would have been sorted, those that wanted could have copied their signatues across etc. Thats why so many sites do beta version but have the old site still available.

Why not do the same?

We did exactly that, running a Beta version along the old site for several weeks. It also went out to our VIP Club members. All the log-in details were posted on my Forum thread, and anyone could go in and send us a Feedback form. Most of the Feedback we had during Beta was generally positive, but it seems only now are most people joining in.

Still, we can – and will – make further improvements as we go along. At some point with any new site you have to take the plunge and go live, and deal with any issues that then arise. As I've said already, this is only phase 1 and we'll have a rolling programme of improvements/upgrades over the next few months.

Must have missed that. Will wait for the new updates and enhancements.

Hopefully you're not going to mess about with the magazine format anytime soon. Now that really would do my head in.

 

[KiwiMoto]

Can you please have an 'old site' tab for a while so we can go in and get our signatures back?

I have so many components listed on mine I use it as a reference to know what I've got....serious!