New look
. . . compared with a screenshot of the old design
Old look
Tip: Click on either screenshot for a bigger view.
Am I missing something? I've now searched the homepage twice, but can't find an editor's note, acknowledging and explaining what surely is a change for readers in the site's suddenly unfamiliar appearance. [Updated at 2:02 p.m. ET: The Star is soliciting reaction from readers on the paper's Facebook page.]
The Star is the second daily to adopt the new site format, which was the subject of months of work that (reportedly) cost millions of dollars, under an effort code-named "Project Odyssey." A version of this redesign is apparently headed for other Gannett papers.
Can please someone provide a schedule of other launch dates? Post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
This is concerning because it is so bad, that it wasn't worth the cost of the make over. For example, the rookie behind Project Odyssey is Kevin Poortinga. Kevin was the kid in charge of Indy's website prior to leaving to join the Porduct Innovation Lab under Josh Resnik about 2 years ago. If this is the design and output from the guy who is biased towed Indy to begin with, I have to imagine the rest will get even worse.
ReplyDeleteI do not see anything new here. And if the price was $8 million as one blog poster said it was, then someone (actually an entire department) needs to be fired TODAY!
Nice chunk of real estate given to the weather, which I can get at, oh, 15 jillion other places on the web. I hope that someone's high schooler coded this layout for free. I'd hate to think that we paid real money for this.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Indy. I have the Indy Star's website set as my homepage when I first access the web, so I was stunned when I saw the Star's redesign this morning at home. So, I clicked over to you and saw you're were on top of this story. Let me say I'm not an Gannett employee, but I work in Indy media (electronic) and use the Star website many times during the day. (The way electronic media used the printed paper for years). The new site looks too antiseptic for my tastes, but since I'm in the 55-64 demographic I'm not the target audience these web design upgrades have in mind. Like you, Jim, I was surprised that there is no explanation (as of 8:15am) on the site explaining to users the changes, why it happened and the benefits. Given that the site is probably the most clicked thru media site in this market, such an explanation should have been Job One. So imagine my surprise when I started reading my printed paper in the car (if young people can text while driving, I can read a printed newspaper while driving), I was surprised to see a full page house ad for the web redesign. The ad is on the back of the "C" section (Sports). And the headline reads "News Updates without the clutter @ indystar.com". The ad goes on to explain the changes. The subhead was written by some overly cutesy copywriter. "We've tidied up indystar.com so you can quickly locate breaking news, sports headlines, our oh-so-popular (!!!) photo galleries, or the latest opinions of our columnists and bloggers".
Forgive the old style reporting, but I only got a high school diploma in computer literacy, so I don't know how to scan and send you this house ad. Antyway, that's the initial news from Indy. And the opinion of this Star subscriber on this change, I don't feel it and I think they'll be getting lots of e-mails and pushback from this.
Again, Jim thanks for being here and letting your readers, including the folks at Gannett who have to deal with this mess, hear from those of us who pay the bills.
I don't think that most GCI papers are using the Indy Star's "old look." Indy was one of the very few sites that took the original 3-carousel template and adapted it to its own needs, definitely improving it.
ReplyDeleteMost of the community papers are still using the original cluttered, butt-ugly template.
As for the "new look," Indy certainly dressed up that elementary design much better than poor little Newark did.
But it is still as appallingly average as average can be.
As for reader reaction, the Indy Star wants you to go to "facebook" to comment on this latest breakthrough in digitally-delivered information and multi-media, platform-agnostic content.
The real problem with the Gannett web sites is that the local sites have no control over the look and feel. For the smaller sites, they are hosted by GMTI and templates are controlled by the DPC.
ReplyDeleteI used to work for Gannett and you had to jump through numerous hoops to get anything approved. The DPC does not want anyone to know how the Publicus(CMS) works.
I work for a media company and we use Publicus. I have access to the entire template(s) for our site(s). I developed very robust templates with valid XHTML in about a month.
If these template designs cost over a couple thousand dollars than Gannett is pi$$ing it away.
I also don't think that Publicus is the best solution. It is slow and on the administrative side, you have to jump through numerous hoops to get sites to work correctly.
I don't get why this project was reportedly so expensive? It's not exactly different. If they do this to my local Gannett paper's site I guess I'll get used to it, but I don't think it's imaginative.
ReplyDeleteBravo, Craig. Bravo. You must now think that you're qualified to be the CEO of google.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe home page, at any rate, is no better. I prefer the headline type face in the old version. And the weather is much too large.
ReplyDeleteJim, there's a story posted now among the top headlines called: "IndyStar.com's new look: less clutter, easier to use"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.indystar.com/article/20100916/NEWS/9160475/New-IndyStar-com-less-clutter-easier-to-use?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com
Anyone else get those two horizontal gray lines in the story that make the article appear ... well, cluttered?
Following is an edited version of a comment posted by Anonymous@10:07 p.m.:
ReplyDeleteThe following people should be fired by Gannett:
[XXXXX]
[XXXXX]
[XXXXX]
WHEN [XXXXX] shows up at the office he shows up at 10 or 11am and then leaves by 4pm!!!!
[XXXXX] gets paid full-time, but pretends to work a full week, but she apparently is now allowed to work at home two days a week according to Gracia. Special treatment for [XXXXX] since she is now Gracia's little spy.
[XXXXX] is a basket case. Super nice guy, but he is lost. He just wants to go home and with his partner. Poor guy has no direction.
Again, Indy's "new" website is many things, but creative, innovative, user-friendly, interactive, eye-friendly and local content-driven it is NOT.
ReplyDeleteAnd the person who called it "poor little Newark" was on the mark. So right. It is one of those poor quality and worse managed Ohio Gannett papers.
They are amazingly lucky that Gannett pays little attention to them. Not such good luck for the readers in their communities.
Jim: why bother to post this edited comment? Without names it is impossible to judge whether any of this is true (like, if you knew one of them and knew it was bullshit). All it does is add yet another bit of negavity to the company. It accuses - very anonymously - of the company president of having a spy. Accuses, one is left to assume, an executive of not working much. I say publish it all, and let us figure it out, or publish none of it.
ReplyDeleteJim - How does putting in XXXXX fix the problem? You're still allowing people to post unsubstantiated rumors and outright lies. Remember when journalists had to have two sources before something was printed/posted? That's the only thing I miss about the "good 'ol days". As far as XXXXX goes, I have never worked with/for a better individual, both from a personal and professional standpoint. Shame on you for allowing people to post personal 'hate' attacks in such a manner. I'm very disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThe old Indianapolis design was good, but I like this one better. Maybe it's because I'm younger than the rest of you, but I find the lack of extraneous crap refreshing.
ReplyDeleteNow just get rid of all the damn popunders.
I'd have to agree with 1:25. This is not the place for personal attacks based on lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI prefer to read comments that critique Gannett's policies, rather than slander it's personnel.
Well, other than Craig that is. ;-)
11:31 said: "I also don't think that Publicus is the best solution. It is slow and on the administrative side, you have to jump through numerous hoops to get sites to work correctly."
ReplyDeleteI have to agree completely. I often wonder whey Gannett didnt build their own solution and build an honest web tech R&D team. I guess they tried a half ass atempt with GMTI. However, they are awful.
New design looks fine to me. However, I wonder if Gannett is willing to push resources towards the digital side. Isn't Indianapolis holding back content from their website now?
ReplyDeleteAccording to a colleague in Indy, the 'print-only' program has produced zero results thus far and has been abandoned.
ReplyDeleteI just saw this today. I'm surprised there hasn't been more reaction to it. Looks pretty freaking good to me. I was never that keen on the GO4 look.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I missed this post! (I must have been working) Anyhow, I checked out Indianapolis and Newark today and I like what I see. To be honest, I think it's REALLY good. How soon does this roll out, and is there a broadcast version as well?
ReplyDeleteThis is a good thing but it seems like the star deletes comments that they do not agree with. It does not have to be in violation of terms of service. Readers and poster are getting tired of if you don't agree with us your post will be deleted. I have even seen stories changed and comments of the story completely deleted. I wish somebody would start a real newspaper in Indianapolis.
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