A few weeks ago I said we were about to launch the new look MoneySavingExpert.com and I wanted every to have a final look before it went live (see the note about it– although you can’t now see that version of the site, as it’s been taken down).
Well I read the feedback very carefully and most people really liked it. Yet a few comments really stuck out for me, such as “it looks a bit commercial”, “it looks like moneysupermarket” and “it looks like it’s advertising.” I tried showing the site to people who’d never used it, and whereas with the current site they immediately know it’s an editorial site about helping people take companies on and beat the system (and even with the clunkyness can see what it does), they weren’t so sure when looking at the new one.
So overall, while I know the new site was prettier and more functional, the feeling had changed and while existing users wouldn’t mind, it may put newbie MoneySavers off. After a sleepless night or two I told the MSE Towers team that I didn’t think we could go forward with it and would have to look again. Luckily, most of the new underlying code was done, so the changes we’re now making are far more cosmetic.
The idea of the new version is very much to keep the editorial feel and strength of the current site, but in a less cluttered and more modern style and with better navigation. So I thought I’d give you a sneaky peak (below) of the new new-look moneysavingexpert.com though there’s a way to go yet, much to be filled in (including the whole right hand side; don’t worry the stats section everybody likes will be there). We’ve also decided to scrap the fixed 800 x 600 width and go for a 1024 x 768 basic screen size (yet retaining functionality for users on 800 x 600) and increase the size of the ‘Forum’ button (which will be tweaked a little bigger than in the prototype below).
THE DESIGN PROTOTYPE OF THE NEW SITE IS BELOW
THERE ARE MANY FONT, COLOUR, LAYOUT CHANGES TO COME.
