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Many of you had concerns regarding the new design, so let's try to fix all these issues together and come with a better design for this community!

So first, let's list what we need to fix:

Color scheme

  • The design reflects more wordpress.com than wordpress.org
  • The site looks like se.drupal Q/A design

To avoid that we can:

  • update the blue in the header to a dark grey (the one from wordpress.org)
  • update other light blue grays to grays that match wordpress.org ones

Logo

  • remove the W: We can't remove the mark, it's a convention and it's used throughout the network (mobile app, hot network questions, profile...)
  • Update it to make it look a bit more like the wordpress.org one (color, shape)

Typography

Some people asked to update the typography but unfortunately we can't have a custom font on our network because it'd cause performances issues. All of our sites use default computer fonts (and if one don't, it'll be fixed ASAP).

New look

Header

For the active navigation item, I'm using the blue that wordpress.org uses for the "download" button in the header.

Nav active

Add the Japanese mascot Wapuu

We have a convention to use this kind of artwork in some special pages (404, error, captcha), so we can use it here. I don't think we can use it on the background as Wordpress lean toward a clean look.

404 page: regular Wapuu hanging on to wordpress

404

Catpcha page: robot Wapuu (because captcha is here to trap robot)

captcha

Error page: Wapuu with burning wordpress ("something wrong is going on")

error

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  • 6
    For what it's worth, I think the new design look great.
    – SinisterBeard
    Nov 9, 2015 at 12:22
  • 5
    Nice, this is much better than the wordpress.com look, thanks for you help on this!
    – Howdy_McGee Mod
    Nov 9, 2015 at 14:47
  • 5
    This looks so much better. Whatever issues are left (logo .....) tnx for all your work to make this place nicer then the old design.
    – Mark Kaplun
    Nov 9, 2015 at 18:09
  • 1
    I'm going to be honest, I don't mind the logo and quite like the favicon. While we aren't WordPress we do deal with WordPress Development which is WordPress. I like the new design 100%.
    – Howdy_McGee Mod
    Nov 11, 2015 at 1:14
  • 2
    The dark header/colour scheme is much better. It doesn't feel as clinical as the wordpress.com inspired design which to be honest has lost the charm of the original site we had.
    – Adam
    Nov 11, 2015 at 11:28
  • 1
    wondering if there's a logic behind the left and right panel switch. if has user action, hints stay in right, if not, wapuu goes to the right?
    – pcarvalho
    Nov 12, 2015 at 4:36

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
19

Thank you for listening to feedback and working with us to iterate on it.

My feedback on this version.

Colors

Much better fit (or rather not-wordpress-com anymore, which was main issue :)

I think shade of header is a little too dark. WP org doesn't have toolbar on top like SE, it blends with it (needs divider line?). I think Tom had used a lighter shade in his tweaks.

Typography

Default fonts are just fine. Overall it is improvement on previous design, especially after using it for a bit.

Wapuus

Great. You even went further with it, the use of robot one is hilarious! :)

Logo

Still not sold. It doesn't have to be nod to official WP logo. More so I'd prefer it not to be. The WP choice of abbreviation does not quite fit in first place. We are not WordPress project or even part of it.

The previous logo had just used W, though leafy background is tied in with previous design bit too much.

old logo

I would say that it should be one of:

  • W (previous logo)
  • WPSE (staple reference to site, though 4 letters is bulky)
  • WD (for new Development name, though not in practical use so far).

The simple option would be to keep the old W logo. Maybe with minor tweaks (get rid of background or tweak it to tie in with new design).

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  • 6
    +1 for logo, and indeed, it's a lighter shade I pulled from the .org design handbook, otherwise everything else is good, I know some people who'll be ecstatic over the Wapuu changes
    – Tom J Nowell Mod
    Nov 9, 2015 at 12:24
  • 1
    If we can't agree on the logo, we'd remove the mark from the logo and keep the old favicon without the background.
    – Stéphane
    Nov 9, 2015 at 16:59
  • 4
    @StéphaneMartin not quite following "remove the mark from the logo"? What from what? Do you mean keep the old W without leafy background bits? I'd be very fine with that. :)
    – Rarst
    Nov 9, 2015 at 18:12
  • why the leafs? it looks pretty but it seems its just a distraction.
    – pcarvalho
    Nov 12, 2015 at 4:34
  • 1
    @peteroak previous design had more elements like that, to be honest in most contexts they were barely notiecable in logo because of low contrast :) could easily lose them and just keep the W
    – Rarst
    Nov 12, 2015 at 9:37
  • @Rarst i like just the W, it has a strong connection with the WordPress brand, so i believe its easily understood. Maybe you can play around with it to add the SE?
    – pcarvalho
    Nov 13, 2015 at 4:51
  • About the logo. I could try my hand at it, but only if it's still a subject open to discussion / new proposals.
    – tao
    Nov 29, 2015 at 22:32
5

Thanks a lot for the work on the new design with focus on speed and clarity. Thanks again for sharing and iterate with us.

Logo

I see no benefits with this new logo. WPSE is not a WordPress project and I think, it is important to see that fast and clear. The community here is string and his name is WPSE. The common ground in my feeling is only the W in the name and that should be see at the top. Back to the old logo please.

Wapuu

Also here, I see no benefits. Yes, currently a lot of people in the community love it. But I think a lot of users of WPSE must ask about this Wapuu, what is that, which goal. They can't the background, the bridge to the WordCamp part.

Short

I mean, the WPSE-WordPress community should represent yourself, do not hide behind the WP Community and his pats. WPSE represent the community, is currently shure a string part of the community and I think, you should see it.

Design

Only a small hint from my view. It would be helpful, if the black header include the user information and search should be fixed, short access to his functions.

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