4 ms·

User redesigns are the main killers of websites. Consider the following examples: Digg, MySpace, Reddit, Slashdot, Facebook, Dropbox, and Typeform. These projec

User redesigns are the main killers of websites. Consider the following examples: Digg, MySpace, Reddit, Slashdot, Facebook, Dropbox, and Typeform. These projects, among others, ultimately failed due to a misconception that they had a design problem or a desire to keep their design department occupied. Instead of following a clear vision, these projects were sacrificed in an attempt to please all users. HN should refrain from undergoing any major redesigns and instead focus on making minor adjustments. It is worth noting that some HN users frequently suggest redesigns, believing that it would improve the forum. However, I must emphasize that if HN were to heed all user suggestions, it would risk becoming a desolate space within a few months. In support of this notion, one could say that a Volvo is akin to a Porsche designed by a committee.

bob1029 3y ago
> HN should refrain from undergoing any major redesigns and instead focus on making minor adjustments. I think HN should stay exactly the way it is. I know we all hate things like clicking for more comments at the bottom of popular posts, but this is like an antibody for the kind of user who wouldn't stop with that suggestion.
tourist2d 3y ago
It's hard to take you comment serious when you categorise Facebook and Dropbox as failed projects.
- jkaplowitz 3y ago
  I think they were indeed being sarcastic or satirical.
- meerita 3y ago
  Dropbox went from good user experience and design style to bizarre current-thing design style back then. It backfired so bad people fleed from the platform. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15393684 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15393684
placesalt 3y ago
Slashdot attempted a redesign, but there was a revolt (the slashcott) where everybody refused to discuss anything except for their dislike of the redesign, and - after a week or so - the site relented and didn't go ahead with the change. The real cause of the decline of slashdot, in my opinion, was the corporate buyout and departure of CmdrTaco, Hemos, and the rest. For what it's worth, the site is still going, there's usually at least 1 story with >100 comments on the first page, at least when I've taken a look.
- meerita 3y ago
  I remember that too, in the end they re-styled a bit more and still produced the opposite effect.
TeMPOraL 3y ago
Redesigns don't happen for the sake of redesign. I don't know about Typeform, but in other cases - and especially for Facebook, Reddit and Dropbox - redesign always servers to deliver the next level of monetization squeeze/user abuse. The redesign may be most tangible thing to complain about, so it gets the lion share of attention, but in my experience is, when people complain that something about the new redesign is "stupid", they fail to realize it's the opposite - its intentional. It's meant to force a particular way of using the service. Attention economy makes money by friction. It's like putting water wheels on a river - as long as you don't dam it completely, you can extract just a little more value by stuffing yet another wheel downstream, until the flow is close to stopping dead.
- meerita 3y ago
  Dropbox redesign just downgraded the good UX they had in favor of hipster design style.
  - TeMPOraL 3y ago
    Do you mean the website uglification around when they launched "Dropbox Paper" or whatever that thing was called, or the earlier redesign towards toy-like appearance, that happened around the time they also dropped the Public folder? Because that last bit - dropping the Public folder - was when Dropbox lost a good chunk of its value to end users.
    - meerita 3y ago
      The design was not the sole factor contributing to the decline of the product company. The removal of the public folder and other product decisions significantly expedited the company's decline.
dreamcompiler 3y ago
The key difference is HN doesn't sell ads, so there's no incentive to "improve" anything. I hope this stays true forever.

bob1029 3y ago

> HN should refrain from undergoing any major redesigns and instead focus on making minor adjustments. I think HN should stay exactly the way it is. I know we all hate things like clicking for more comments at the bottom of popular posts, but this is like an antibody for the kind of user who wouldn't stop with that suggestion.

tourist2d 3y ago

It's hard to take you comment serious when you categorise Facebook and Dropbox as failed projects.

jkaplowitz 3y ago
I think they were indeed being sarcastic or satirical.
meerita 3y ago
Dropbox went from good user experience and design style to bizarre current-thing design style back then. It backfired so bad people fleed from the platform. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15393684 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15393684

placesalt 3y ago

Slashdot attempted a redesign, but there was a revolt (the slashcott) where everybody refused to discuss anything except for their dislike of the redesign, and - after a week or so - the site relented and didn't go ahead with the change. The real cause of the decline of slashdot, in my opinion, was the corporate buyout and departure of CmdrTaco, Hemos, and the rest. For what it's worth, the site is still going, there's usually at least 1 story with >100 comments on the first page, at least when I've taken a look.

meerita 3y ago
I remember that too, in the end they re-styled a bit more and still produced the opposite effect.

TeMPOraL 3y ago

Redesigns don't happen for the sake of redesign. I don't know about Typeform, but in other cases - and especially for Facebook, Reddit and Dropbox - redesign always servers to deliver the next level of monetization squeeze/user abuse. The redesign may be most tangible thing to complain about, so it gets the lion share of attention, but in my experience is, when people complain that something about the new redesign is "stupid", they fail to realize it's the opposite - its intentional. It's meant to force a particular way of using the service. Attention economy makes money by friction. It's like putting water wheels on a river - as long as you don't dam it completely, you can extract just a little more value by stuffing yet another wheel downstream, until the flow is close to stopping dead.

meerita 3y ago
Dropbox redesign just downgraded the good UX they had in favor of hipster design style.
- TeMPOraL 3y ago
  Do you mean the website uglification around when they launched "Dropbox Paper" or whatever that thing was called, or the earlier redesign towards toy-like appearance, that happened around the time they also dropped the Public folder? Because that last bit - dropping the Public folder - was when Dropbox lost a good chunk of its value to end users.
  - meerita 3y ago
    The design was not the sole factor contributing to the decline of the product company. The removal of the public folder and other product decisions significantly expedited the company's decline.

dreamcompiler 3y ago

The key difference is HN doesn't sell ads, so there's no incentive to "improve" anything. I hope this stays true forever.