IMO.
Iām only half joking when I say, as a less-IT-skilled Picard user and MusicBrainz contributor, that the major problem with the graphic design of the current page is that it misleads people such as myself into thinking that MusicBrainz is already functioning in a very user friendly manner. (It is not.)
The mock-ups take that deceiving appearance steps further. They look great. They will have more ālow tech-literatacyā people wasting hours battling with the current UI of MusicBrainz. IMO.
I suggest that a ānew user surveyā be conducted.
That new users to Picard are offered entry into a āuser experience surveyā.
And that this offer is shut down after 35 new users join the survey.
These new users are then asked the 1st batch of questions such as;
What are your expectations of Picard?,
How have you prepared to begin to use Picard?,
What is your desired outcome (from using Picard)?,
Do you know where to get assistance with using Picard?
One week later the 2nd batch of questions is asked:
How are you going with using Picard?
What is working well/making sense/intuitive?
What is not working well/not making sense/counter-intuitive?
Ect, etc.
Results gathered are then fed-back into user training/UI design of Picard.
Then similar survey of new MusicBrainz contributors.
With again results being fed-back into user training/UI design.
(Though surveying MusicBrainz first and then Picard second would have the advantage of preventing a wave of enthusiastic, low IT-skilled Picard users attempting, and failing to suceed on MusicBrainz. From this point of view a wave of successful low IT-tech-skilled converts does seem much valuable than earlier wider successful-uptake of Picard.)
Iād be interested in being part of such a project.
I definitely partly agree with @mmirG but also think that the first step might be tidying up the UI in a very basic manner (as it looks like is happening!)
Hopefully simplifying things down and having some cleaner layouts will then later make it easier to change and add/remove things later on, when someone has time/funds to take an extensive look at the user experience issues and then do the corresponding overhaul.
Basically, I think itās a good start
I know this isnāt always that welcome, but thought Iād mention that if you feel like you ever want another designer to have some input @caroline-g please do post stuff! Page 2 off the mockup is looking nice btw (though hopefully the search bar and the logo at the top swap places in prominence), would be awesome to keep site elements to a total minimum (which perhaps wont be the most modern, but also wont age badly, fingers crossed, since it will have to look good until MBs next visual overhaul in the year 3400 hehe) and have everything nice and clean, like that mockup is aiming for! Really nice to see some visual stuff happening around here
