I think it's fine really. I wouldn't say it's an improvement over the previous version, but it's not worse either. Took a bit getting used to, but I can still find my way around the repo.
Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
461–470 of 590 posts
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#462The commit message not being shown anymore and the CI status badges not showing up kinda suck. Otherwise, as a repo maintainer I don't really see much other benefit.
As a user, I do appreciate releases being just... there on the front page. That's really about it though. Everything else sorta just feels the same.
Also, I don't mind using the right side for more information but... can we just left-justify the whole page instead of centering it? It'd provide way more space for info on the right and wouldn't... just be completely empty on the left.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#463Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't forget: * Added dark mode
I think dark mode was a harbinger of dumbed down UI. Instead of spending time on one good UI, designers and developers were forced to make 2 mediocre ones instead. Plus dark mode is easier if you remove all detail and depth from control elements.
But designers and developed don't support one UI, or even two. They support anywhere between three (desktop, mobile, tablet) and effectively infinite (all resolutions between and around those + dark modes + apps which use the same data + all different browsers). UIs can't be very good one on platform without either making each platform's UI separate or sacrificing functionality on other platforms.
New GitHub looks alright on low resolutions, but looks kinda awful on big screens. This is the opposite problem old GitHub had.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#464it's bad.
- information is scatter everywhere - release is a lot hard to find - UX is bad on wide screen. I use a 32:9 49" monitor and it's pretty bad.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#465I don't like change. I don't like the circular avatars - I don't need the place I store my code to feel like a social network. But the worst change for me is that the 'Languages' section is now below the fold. Now I have to scroll to find out if I should ignore the latest compiler, package manager or system tool because it was written in JavaScript. Edit: Gah! I only noticed this by directly comparing old and new, bu…
Agreed. Language color bar is one of the most iconic and useful design of GitHub IMO (not sure if GitHub invented it though, since GitLab has it too). It's a shame it gets moved.
I completely agree with you that the stats and language bar were iconic and quintessential of GitHub. It is a massive shame that it's effectively been removed.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#466The design before was targeting developers with a "for work" feel. From a vcs perspective and ci/cd perspective it showed the important stuff. The new file browser is especially bad - being Tritanopia color blind the lack of lines and the folders physically hurt my eyes. But To be honest we all know what this re-design is for. Microsoft pushing Azure Pipelines ( github actions ). The previous github interface was not…
What is an action? And is there really much risk of us using Azure? My code, like most I suspect, runs on linux/unixy things and probably doesn't even build on Windows.
The risk is determined by us the developers. Actions means "Github Actions - re-branded Microsoft ci/cd tools).
Microsoft uses partners to sell their offerings. Many of these have used cross-selling with the arguments of all eggs in the same basket and buying from one vendor "more secure and safe" for decades. Tools like Github and Some of the best and most creative developers not using Visual Studio threatened this method of selling. (the IDE runs and deploys "solutions" to Azure directly - very effective walled garden ).
The free thinking and creative developers had started to break organisations free from the microsoft "safe basket" and the push towards AWS and GCP was hurtful to the bottom line. To counter this a strategy was formulated.
Microsoft rebranded as the good guys. With an image of participating and actively supporting opensource. First they tried with pushing .NETcore. Then they gave us VS Code. Then they aquired Github. And now the cross-selling is back in the game.
The arguments of "one vendor" and "one basket" is thrown in your face again - when dealing with procurement people and internal organisation politics.
"We argue Microsoft as the better option here - we in procurement have a good relationship with Partner X who have helped us with Office365 for years". "They told us you already have The Github from Microsoft. And our Code already lives in Azure. You in IT really need to motivate why a different vendor is required for all this cloud stuff".
And the herd of sheeps are slowly returning to the garden.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#467Like with every redesign everyone will eventually get used to it and completely forget how the old one looked. When the next redesign happens everyone will rage the same way and say they want the "old" design back.
Wrong, this redesign is awkward. If it was a good design, then people wouldn't complain about it. However, it really is a step backwards.
This happens with every redesign so no, your assumption that complaints automatically means it's a bad design is wrong. Just wait and see. It won't be long until everyone (including you) have completely forgot about the old design.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#468Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If it was a good design, then people wouldn't complain about it. In that case, I submit that good design doesn't exist. I've never seen a major redesign that wasn't widely complained about.
So you're going to ignore all criticism when you make a huge redesign? There are valid complaints about this. I rarely complain about website design, and this time I am compelled to criticize it.
The difference is that it's about a service you use a lot so you automatically get conservative and defensive about the design. This is no different than people joining groups on Facebook "WE DEMAND THE OLD DESIGN BACK" every time they do a redesign.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#469I have a single major problem with all of their new layouts. They place content at extreme ends of the screen, completely stretched out like a rubber band with No Man's Land in the middle. In this case, the top half is stretched and the bottom half is centred. Completely inconsistent and tiring for your eyes darting around corners of the screen. Example: https://twitter.com/JahedDEV/status/1275532988772683776 I don't…
They should really just get rid of the column entirely, it's a bad idea in my opinion. Before I could simply scan a page from top to bottom and I wouldnt miss anything. I understand why there is an instinct to put non-essential information to the side but really, the better design decision in my opinion is to make a decision for the user: Either this info is necessary or it isnt. If it is, it deserves a place at the front. If it isnt, get rid of it entirely and put it behind a link. For example the contributors list in my opinion is truly not necessary except somewhere deep in settings. Reading what the latest commit message is, is basically always interesting to me. Yet they hide that and I have to click a tiny button to show it. The language info for a repo is now hidden very far below everything else even though that information is the first thing I look at when I see a repo. It's just that basic and interesting to get a feel of what's inside a repo. The about text for a repo is kind of the same, now they squish it into the side column into a much harder to read textbox. The about text is arguably the most important first information of a repo.
Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on new GitHub layout?
#470I submitted feedback over it but, aside from the over-reliance on rounded corners, and making pills and buttons hard to separate, the single worst change is that you can't see the latest commit status from the repo screen. Instead, you get the commit hash, and have to click a tiny ellipsis button to get the commit message and the status indicator. When I'm browsing on github and not using git directly, the commit sho…
Also you used to be able to hover over a commit and see the full commit message. That doesn't seem to work anymore. Overall, seems like change for the sake of change. Boo.
That absolutely does still work. Used it a few times today.