Website Redesign: Justin Rondeau on Ghostery

TL;DR

Justin Rondeau critiques Ghostery's homepage redesign.

Transcript

hello and welcome to another edition of website redesign critiques my name is Justin Rondo and I the director of optimization at digital marketer and today we're going to be looking at a massive redesign on ghost's homepage all right and as you all know if you've seen this before uh we do break this down into five criteria and if you're new to this... Read More

Key Insights

• Justin Rondeau evaluates Ghostery's homepage redesign by assessing five criteria: clarity, readability, appearance, on-site experience, and navigation.
• The homepage serves as a 'you are here' map, guiding users to their desired destinations effectively.
• The new design focuses on a single call-to-action: 'install Ghostery,' contrasting with the older, more complex version.
• The older version had a broader focus, appealing to enterprise users with features like demos and testimonials.
• The new variant wins in clarity and navigation by simplifying the user's decision-making process to a yes/no question.
• Readability and appearance favor the older variant due to its more polished and content-rich design.
• The new design is more streamlined but might benefit from a bit more content to avoid being too bare-bones.
• Despite some drawbacks, the new variant is deemed superior for its unified call-to-action and improved navigation.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the five criteria used to evaluate the redesign?

The five criteria used to evaluate the redesign are clarity, readability, appearance, on-site experience, and navigation. These criteria help determine the effectiveness of the homepage in guiding users, presenting information clearly, and ensuring a pleasant overall user experience.

Q: How does the new design differ from the old one?

The new design differs from the old one by focusing on a single call-to-action: 'install Ghostery.' It simplifies the user's decision-making process to a yes/no question, in contrast to the older version, which offered more features like demos and testimonials targeting enterprise users.

Q: Why does the new variant win in clarity and navigation?

The new variant wins in clarity and navigation because it simplifies the user's decision-making process to a straightforward yes/no question. This streamlined approach reduces complexity and guides users more effectively, making the navigation experience more intuitive and less cluttered.

Q: What are the drawbacks of the new design?

The new design's main drawbacks are its lack of content richness and its overly simplified approach. While it effectively unifies the call-to-action, it might benefit from additional content to avoid being too bare-bones, ensuring users have enough information to make informed decisions.

Q: How does the older version appeal to enterprise users?

The older version appeals to enterprise users by offering features like requested demos and testimonials. It provides broader content that includes social proof and customer-level information, making it more suitable for users seeking comprehensive solutions beyond just installing the application.

Q: What makes the older version more readable?

The older version is more readable due to its use of contrasting colors and a more polished design. It presents information in a clearer, more organized manner, making it easier for users to consume content and navigate through the page effectively.

Q: Why is the appearance of the older variant preferred?

The appearance of the older variant is preferred because it looks more polished and aesthetically pleasing. It has a tighter design with more visual cues, making it more appealing and engaging for users, in contrast to the simpler, more minimalistic new design.

Q: What improvements could the new design incorporate?

The new design could incorporate improvements by adding more content to provide users with additional information. While its streamlined approach is effective, a bit more content would help avoid being too bare-bones, ensuring users have enough context to understand the product's full capabilities and benefits.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Justin Rondeau critiques Ghostery's homepage redesign, focusing on clarity, readability, appearance, on-site experience, and navigation. The new design simplifies the user experience with a single call-to-action but lacks some content richness.

• The older homepage version offers broader appeal with enterprise features like demos and testimonials. However, the new variant wins in clarity and navigation by simplifying user decisions to a yes/no question.

• Despite readability and appearance favoring the older version, the new design is considered superior for its unified call-to-action and streamlined navigation, though it could benefit from additional content.