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Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

tonsky.me

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Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#191

Post by rajangdavis »

I don't really like the end result of all of the changes; it seems a lot busier than the current UI.

Maybe I am just really used to the current UI, but I don't really feel like I need to see the codebase, last N number of commits, and language statistics all at the same time. I prefer the current set up in that the language stats are incredibly minimalistic and the current list of commits are viewable if you click on commits.

I also think putting the navigation all one line is a bit cumbersome in that you would have to scan all of the links horizontally. I feel as though this makes it harder to find which link I need to click on.

I do like that flat design on some of the buttons but overall, I feel like the redesign is difficult to take in.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#193

Post by fxfan »

deep-root wrote: post #160
userbinator wrote: post #84

But maybe it’s time to fresh it up a little? Get rid of gradients, dirty washed-out colors, unnecessary separators, add a little more air. No, no, no , NO!!!11 I've had it with these "sea of floating text on an expanse of white" redesigns, seeing yet another one follow this mindless trend just disgusts me thoroughly. The lines, subtle gradients, and other affordances of the old design serve to organise and direct you…

Can't tell if the irony is lost that both GitHub UI mocks are by the same designer, Nikita Prokopov.[1][2] [1] Windows UI satire https://twitter.com/nikitonsky/status/1003593821723267072?s=... [2] Honest redesign http://tonsky.me/blog/github-redesign/

Can some UI expert chime in what it is about the windows style redesign that makes everything so absolutely clear and easy to find? I can find everything literally at a glance?

It's not sexy, quite the opposite but god does it run electricity through my fingers. I feel like i would use the shit out of it.

Is it association and familiarity with the old windows UI or does it follow human nature better?

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#194

Post by yuchi »

fxfan wrote: post #193
deep-root wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't tell if the irony is lost that both GitHub UI mocks are by the same designer, Nikita Prokopov.[1][2] [1] Windows UI satire https://twitter.com/nikitonsky/status/1003593821723267072?s=... [2] Honest redesign http://tonsky.me/blog/github-redesign/

Can some UI expert chime in what it is about the windows style redesign that makes everything so absolutely clear and easy to find? I can find everything literally at a glance? It's not sexy, quite the opposite but god does it run electricity through my fingers. I feel like i would use the shit out of it. Is it association and familiarity with the old windows UI or does it follow human nature better?

This is most probably the result of the UI making you resurface good memories of your past.

Anyway the old Win UI was extremely clear in creating visual hierarchies, when not too many layers were on the screen — modern UI tends to be optimized for a way larger amount of layers, or the opposite, a hyper reduced hierarchy complexity (not the ergonomic / perceived complexity)

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#195

Post by fxfan »

yuchi wrote: post #194
fxfan wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can some UI expert chime in what it is about the windows style redesign that makes everything so absolutely clear and easy to find? I can find everything literally at a glance? It's not sexy, quite the opposite but god does it run electricity through my fingers. I feel like i would use the shit out of it. Is it association and familiarity with the old windows UI or does it follow human nature better?

This is most probably the result of the UI making you resurface good memories of your past. Anyway the old Win UI was extremely clear in creating visual hierarchies, when not too many layers were on the screen — modern UI tends to be optimized for a way larger amount of layers, or the opposite, a hyper reduced hierarchy complexity (not the ergonomic / perceived complexity)

Thanks.

I'd love to see a breakdown of what creates this clarity, like how the OP has for every element type.

I know it might seem like an exaggeration but I was physically invigorated by it.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#196

Post by gyvastis »

hateful wrote: post #131

You should make a browser extension to add css/js to apply your changes so people can try it and/or permanently change it just for them. Even better if you add a bunch of options to turn them on or off (like if you want to move everything, but keep the old design).

I second this.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#197

Post by pembrook »

fxfan wrote: post #193
deep-root wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't tell if the irony is lost that both GitHub UI mocks are by the same designer, Nikita Prokopov.[1][2] [1] Windows UI satire https://twitter.com/nikitonsky/status/1003593821723267072?s=... [2] Honest redesign http://tonsky.me/blog/github-redesign/

Can some UI expert chime in what it is about the windows style redesign that makes everything so absolutely clear and easy to find? I can find everything literally at a glance? It's not sexy, quite the opposite but god does it run electricity through my fingers. I feel like i would use the shit out of it. Is it association and familiarity with the old windows UI or does it follow human nature better?

It's called nostalgia. It's emotional, not rational.

Ask any 16 year old (like my son), who came of age having no context for what the windows 95 UI even looked like. Shocker, he vastly prefers flat interfaces, ie. like the design of Notion.

The problem I see in this github redesign has nothing to do with the fact that it's flat. It's tougher to use because it's just bad design. The three columns make it insanely dense in terms of information (eliminates any hierarchy) and adds in weird red underlines (which typically mean "error") for no reason. Also the button styles are all inconsistent in the final version.

The first part of the article was great, the second part he started going off the reservation. I think he's strong in terms of a UX thinking but lacks the skills of visual designer who would better implement his thinking visually.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#198

Post by dwaite »

I disagree with the commentary in step 1 that people hate hierarchies. They hate arbitrary, overly complex, and/or ambiguous ontologies.

For example, dividing a public library into fiction and non-fiction is something that provides arguable value (although some might argue which books should be on which side). Trying to figure out where something exists by the rules of the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress or any of the many other classification systems out there can be maddening without experience.

Rather than starting with collapsing items, I believe it would be far more useful if there was consideration for how people use and intuit GitHub, and create the items from there.

For example: there are organizations and people who have projects, and projects contain facets like a code repository, issues, releases, and so on.

For example: the code repository contains branches which contain commits. Some commits are tagged, but all contain a file hierarchy. But since users care so much about the files, Github renders by default the latest commit in the project-default branch (such as master).

So perhaps a better view for files would be to make code itself navigable by breadcrumbs - top view is branches and tags, a branch/tag view winds up taking you to a commit history, and a commit takes you to the file view. You just default to a place inside the breadcrumbs when you go to the root of a project and select to view code.

Step 8 seems to be where it finally broke down for me. The file view lost a lot of information that people rely on and want, without consideration for why they rely on it, or how they can get it back if they need it.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#199

Post by KhalPanda »

I liked most of the changes, but it lost me with the final redesign. Three columns without much separating whitespace is quite jarring to follow. Maybe that would work better on a larger screen with some padding between the columns.

Fun exercise, anyway.

Re: Redesigning GitHub Repository Page

#200

Post by debaserab2 » 

    Problem 3: Vanity counters 
    This is the “vanity menu”:
    The thing with vanity metrics is that there should be just one. One metrics is simple to understand and focus. Two or three split attention, making everything weaker.
Each one of these metrics is important to me - I judge a project by the numbers in each of these, and they have very different importance depending on the size of the repo. Please don't "simplify" this.
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