Redesigning GitLab's navigation • Hacker News Board

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#61

Post by svesselov » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 11:56 AM UTC

wolfgang42 wrote: post #29

My first thought on seeing this headline was "what, again?" Don't get me wrong, the new design looks great, but it feels like every six months they switch between having side navigation and putting everything on top. Every time they change there's a definite improvement, but you'd think they'd be able to come up with a design that works for at least a few years.

We are glad to hear you like the new design and feel that each change has been an improvement. We value iteration here at GitLab, making the smallest change possible and getting it out as quickly as possible. This allows us to ship, gather feedback, and readjust quickly. You can learn more about our process here: https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/values/#iteration

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#62

Post by kronos29296 » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 11:58 AM UTC

My main gripe with gitlab navigation is I can't see the languages split up (chart) quickly like in Github. Other than that since I am not a heavy user of the website (more on time on git than on website) I find no other problems. Also the redesign looks better than before. Hope they also introduce a dark theme. (would love to have this one)

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#63

Post by psimyn » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:13 PM UTC

pksadiq wrote: post #31

Hope, the design would be good. The issue I have faced so far is that the navigation (and several other features of GitLab site) doesn't work well when javascript is turned off. The equivalent features in Github works without javascript with no much issues. Hope this will be fixed.

Thanks for your feedback - I'd like to see some more things work without javascript as well.

For the navigation, the links and buttons all work. For more complex components like dropdowns and search we require JS. We have considered server rendering for new things, but for now it is quite high effort for comparatively low gain.

If there are specific actions that you are missing, please consider creating issues - https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/new

Issue about what to render without JS: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/32401

And I've made an issue to clarify that we require javascript here: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gitlab-docs/issues/120

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#64

Post by corobo » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:38 PM UTC

StanAngeloff wrote: post #59

Bromskloss wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For an open source project this is tolerable. I do wonder what enterprise users make of this constant UI change? That's interesting to think about. What is the difference between the two types of users? Is it that the open source project is in no hurry and can accept a delay due to interface hassles? Is it that enterprise users are less capable and need a stable environment to function?

From my exposure to enterprise users, they are usually the sort of environment where hundreds, if not thousands, of employees work. Can you imagine how one "angry" of UI changes person in a team of a dozen scales set against that? With open-source users, it's more decentralised IMHO.

From my exposure to enterprise users their Gitlab updates will be wedged in the middle of a 2 year change control process and will jump over many iterations of design changes

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#65

Post by delfinom » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:40 PM UTC

Karunamon wrote: post #6

Bloody hell, this looks like Bitbucket, but purple. Compare: Gitlab final prototype: https://about.gitlab.com/images/blogimages/redesigning-gitla... Bitbucket server: https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucket/files/304578655/5... The resemblance is uncanny.

Old bitbucket hilariously. Bitbucket is moving to a new UI

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#66

Post by sytse » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:43 PM UTC

beefsack wrote: post #27

zanny wrote: post #22

Since you are redesigning UI features, are there any plans for a site-native dark theme? Seeing as there already multiple code themes available, it seems within the context of the configurable UI part of the goal. There have been Stylish themes for gitlab in the past but they break a lot because gitlab is a very large website to try restyling from the outside. Solarized-dark with a white frame can be quite grating on…

All of my other code workflow (terminal and editor) is in a dark theme, having to switch to GitLab to review an MR can actually be quite uncomfortable to do because there's such a leap in contrast. The dark theme I use is Dracula[1], it's a really beautiful theme and if there was a way to view GitLab using it it'd be incredible. [1]: https://draculatheme.com/vim/

Did you know GitLab has themes? https://www.dropbox.com/s/p6b8yupsw4opsuu/Screenshot%202017-...

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#67

Post by sytse » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:44 PM UTC

vogt wrote: post #28

GitLab are one of the only companies I really look up to as a UXer. You guys just Do It Right. Thanks for being so transparent into your process and even sharing InVision prototypes. More companies should do this.

Thanks for the kind words vogt, we really appreciate it.

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#68

Post by sytse » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 12:46 PM UTC

scrollaway wrote: post #26

svesselov wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We are so glad to hear that!

I don't often use Gitlab, I just logged in this morning to update my 2FA and saw the new nav in the profile. Enabled it and instantly felt a lot more compelled to use the site. I'm a big fan of your guys' work but using Github for a variety of reasons (UI is a big reason why), so I really mean it when I say the improvement is noticeable. BTW, have you thought about talking to Zenhub to get a "Zenlab"? Given that Gitl…

We have not talked with them. I love the work of ZenHub. But our strategy would be to add the features to GitLab itself instead of running it in another application. Feel free to submit/upvote an issue for something you would love to see.

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#69

Post by TeMPOraL » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 1:04 PM UTC

corobo wrote: post #64

StanAngeloff wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From my exposure to enterprise users, they are usually the sort of environment where hundreds, if not thousands, of employees work. Can you imagine how one "angry" of UI changes person in a team of a dozen scales set against that? With open-source users, it's more decentralised IMHO.

From my exposure to enterprise users their Gitlab updates will be wedged in the middle of a 2 year change control process and will jump over many iterations of design changes

If they were clever, they could structure the release schedule so that the enterprise customers which started with top navigation will renew when the top navigation is current again, and those who started with side navigation will renew when side navigation is on the mainline... ;).

Re: Redesigning GitLab's navigation

#70

Post by jacobr » Tue, Jul 18, 2017, 1:07 PM UTC

dirtylowprofile wrote: post #57

romanovcode wrote: post #48

I think GitLab needs to hire more designers instead of programmers.

They need more programmers because until now they still experience down times, a lot!

Do they really? We're considering switching from self hosted CE to Gitlab.com EE. Reliability and speed is what we're concerned about regarding the switch.