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I feel like we are looking at different sites here. At least for me, the first screenfull of python.org is dominated by a picture of some code and the text 'Py

by shubb 13y ago

I feel like we are looking at different sites here. At least for me, the first screenfull of python.org is dominated by a picture of some code and the text 'Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more effectively', very similar to Ruby.org. From there, the python site is dominated by links to get a new Python programmer started, while the Ruby site is dominated by a blog feed that talks about recent events. So the Python front page serves a new programmer, while the Ruby frontpage is more about being the center of a comunity. Given Python is often a first programming language, while Ruby has a very tight community, I think that difference is sort of natural.

goblin89 13y ago
We disagree and that's OK. Still, since I suspect we're indeed looking at the same site, I'm going to clarify what I mean. Clear and concise summary “Python is a programming language…” is down below near the fold of my screen, and it uses subdued gray-colored text on blue background. Meanwhile, much attention (via color contrast and positioning) is given to code samples. Code samples are aimed at those who don't yet speak Python, so they are poorly readable ‘by default’. I personally wouldn't throw them at user right away as they start skimming the page, placing short intro text higher in visual hierarchy. (I'd also try making samples more readable.) Then there's search box. It is quite high in visual hierarchy, since it's the only plain white-colored object (and a sizable rectangle at that) among the shades of blue and occasional yellow above the fold. Meanwhile, it's not (I'm sure) going to be used by the majority of users. I would say the visual hierarchy is not perfect and there's some visual clutter. Also a problem are redundant links. How many are there that lead to documentation or, say, download page? You don't know it, but your brain (or at least brain of someone who's new to the site) evaluates all of them before choosing which one to click. Of course, most of us are used to interacting with worse designs, and prior design of python.org had its own (maybe more significant) problems. Nevertheless, I think the landing page could be designed to cause less cognitive strain on the user.
- shubb 13y ago
  >> I suspect we're indeed looking at the same site, Ah, but we weren't. I'd like to apologize - I didn't mean that to sound sassy. When I was viewing the site earlier, I was doing it on a high resolution widescreen monitor, rotated 90 degrees so that the page was very, very tall. On the python page, I had pretty much the whole page visible, and it was all useful stuff. On the Ruby page, about 70% of my screen was dominated with the blog feed. So, the way the pages looked to me was actually quite different, and about the only other people getting the experience I was are tablet users reading the site in portrait. In the weird portrait view, the python site is better than the ruby site. The way normal people look at it, the ruby site is better.
  - goblin89 13y ago
    I get your point now. In my case it's a 1280x800 landscape screen, minus menu bar and window chrome. When I zoom out to 75% the visual hierarchy improves somewhat (though font size becomes too small, and some of my points still stand).

by shubb 13y ago

goblin89 13y ago

We disagree and that's OK. Still, since I suspect we're indeed looking at the same site, I'm going to clarify what I mean. Clear and concise summary “Python is a programming language…” is down below near the fold of my screen, and it uses subdued gray-colored text on blue background. Meanwhile, much attention (via color contrast and positioning) is given to code samples. Code samples are aimed at those who don't yet speak Python, so they are poorly readable ‘by default’. I personally wouldn't throw them at user right away as they start skimming the page, placing short intro text higher in visual hierarchy. (I'd also try making samples more readable.) Then there's search box. It is quite high in visual hierarchy, since it's the only plain white-colored object (and a sizable rectangle at that) among the shades of blue and occasional yellow above the fold. Meanwhile, it's not (I'm sure) going to be used by the majority of users. I would say the visual hierarchy is not perfect and there's some visual clutter. Also a problem are redundant links. How many are there that lead to documentation or, say, download page? You don't know it, but your brain (or at least brain of someone who's new to the site) evaluates all of them before choosing which one to click. Of course, most of us are used to interacting with worse designs, and prior design of python.org had its own (maybe more significant) problems. Nevertheless, I think the landing page could be designed to cause less cognitive strain on the user.

shubb 13y ago
>> I suspect we're indeed looking at the same site, Ah, but we weren't. I'd like to apologize - I didn't mean that to sound sassy. When I was viewing the site earlier, I was doing it on a high resolution widescreen monitor, rotated 90 degrees so that the page was very, very tall. On the python page, I had pretty much the whole page visible, and it was all useful stuff. On the Ruby page, about 70% of my screen was dominated with the blog feed. So, the way the pages looked to me was actually quite different, and about the only other people getting the experience I was are tablet users reading the site in portrait. In the weird portrait view, the python site is better than the ruby site. The way normal people look at it, the ruby site is better.
- goblin89 13y ago
  I get your point now. In my case it's a 1280x800 landscape screen, minus menu bar and window chrome. When I zoom out to 75% the visual hierarchy improves somewhat (though font size becomes too small, and some of my points still stand).