Last month we shared an early prototype of our new homepage design. Today, we have a new version plus the main pages from each section for your review. Using your feedback, our design team has been busy improving the design.What exactly did we change? Lots of things, including but not limited to:
Added more color ( lots of you thought the original design was, shall we say, “bland” )
On the Causes & News page moved Causes block to the top
Home page, made the spotlight panel “more inviting”
Made the “MyCare2” tab easier to find
Added emphasis on members and member activity in the Community tab
Added more evidence of members’ impact
Added more to the Favorites and quick links menus
There are some other fun changes we’re making, including adding Froggy back in the mix, but we wouldn’t want to reveal all our surprises before launch!
The Newest Version: We’d now love to get your feedback on this new version.As a reminder, in an earlier post ( “The Time is Now” ) I talked about our goal to expand our appeal to mainstream America (and other nations) so that we can effect change more rapidly. In order to do that, we are improving our design to: 1. Help people understand what we do: First time visitors often find our homepage overwhelming and confusing. Even many longtime members don’t realize we have petitions, healthy & green content, e-cards, and so much more.
2. Freshen our design to appeal to a wider spectrum of people. Our current design is over 2 years old and frankly looks out of date.
3. Organize the content to make it easier to find and use. Add new content to enrich the experience.
...and do this all without hurting the experience for our existing members. With that said, here is the new version for your review. Note:Most of the links do NOT work, and the content is NOT real.These are drafts. Nothing is set in stone yet. We value your feedback and will make changes as appropriate. Six key pages:
In particular, we’d like to get feedback these six pages:
1.Causes & News 2.Healthy & Green Living 3.Take Action 4.Community 5.Ecards 6.ThePetitionSite
Please submit your comments directly to our survey so we can put it to best use:
Friday June 27, 2008, 6:27 pm
To my stick in the mud mind, I am pleasantly surprised as to how much I like the new pages. I still miss the frog, but the pages are less cluttered looking and have a better feel of professional management. They somehow look ...calmer...to me. I like them.
Saturday June 28, 2008, 12:50 am
I do love it! It's much better than the previous version. More colour, more warmth, more approachability. Brilliant! And I'm especially happy with this sentence: "There are some other fun changes were making, including adding Froggy back in the mix..." Thanks Randy! WTG! :)
Sunday June 29, 2008, 4:43 pm
Much better but the section featuring a sample of the over 8 million members should be visible near the top of the page. Right now, you have to scroll down to see them and for the casual surfer, the home page still doesn't give a sense that it's an interactive site with many members. Also, it's more difficult to get to the groups; two clicks instead of one and if no one ever clicked on the "Community" tab, no one would know they existed.
Remember the 'casual' web surfer and how important it is to be able to get their attention right away. The last 'new' design didn't make Care2 look like the place it really is. To be honest, it looked like a small place on the web devoted mostly to healthy cooking recipes. Nothing wrong with that but if I had never been to Care2 before, I never would have continued further into the site based on what I had seen in the earlier version of the re-design because I never saw anything that indicated that this place has a huge community of interesting people, the main reason I'm here now.
I'm glad to see more colour and personality has been added back in.
Monday June 30, 2008, 7:52 am
I love Care2 & most of its members, I hope the redesign does not frustrate surfers from finding the groups. I did fill out the survey so hope you are able to blend the corporate desires with functionality. *no* to the pastel butterflies!
Monday June 30, 2008, 7:53 pm
I still think the petition site should be the first thing to show, that is what drew me into your site many years ago. Please...................................put back the frog. Butterflies? At night when I try to sleep in this awful state called FL. I listen to the frogs that came when I built a small pond in my yard. They are so peaceful, come in so many variations, and are just a part of nature that is as old as time. Please keep the frog.
Sincerely,
Bunnyhuggerct@care2.com
Tuesday July 1, 2008, 3:03 pm
At my age, "change" means having to relearn the layout and navigating it. So I guess I resist change. On the other hand, as change goes, the Care2 changes are all positive, so far. Keep up the good work.
Wednesday July 2, 2008, 5:59 am
The emphasis of the green section seems to be pointing to only ONE Care2 group.. Is there a way to spread the featured green news and special front page stories around to all of the green groups here on Care2, and point to them specifically, rather than just emphasizing the one? It feels rather like a monopoly of one, rather than a diverse community of many green groups.
Also, is there a way to use the skills of green group hosts or owners as the green 'experts' inside Care2, rather than bringing in outsiders who often do not even have a Care2 profile and do not belong to any green Care2 group?
The downside of the current direction is that it takes away from the community feeling and promotes only ONE group, rather than spreading the love around to all Care2 groups who are trying to grow and gain members. If this is your intent, leave it as is.
Also, the last time I did a search for green groups using the Google search box, my green group does not even show up in that search...
Only the smallest green groups show up, and that is certainly not what is really here on Care2.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 2:02 am
I really like it! It's a light, clean design. I particularly like the Community section - the 'Good things happening now' window is a great idea! Kudos!
Thursday July 3, 2008, 5:33 am
Looks good, but what I think you need to change are the pictures/ads on the home page in the box where the ads/pictures change (i dont know what to call it) where you advertise "be healthy naturally" and "soup or salad" "chi dreams" and etc. They have been for a while and i always just glance over it thinking there is nothing new. I think that part is a little stale, they are awesome ads, but old. everything else from what i see looks good.... i really like the update you made to the email a little while ago.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 5:46 am
It now looks a lot more professional. The first time I entered this site it didn't look very welcoming but I stayed anyway. I would've stayed for sure if I would've entered it right now.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 7:47 am
A lot better. Not cluttered and certainly more professional-looking. Most of the time, I hate change, but this is actually a good un.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 7:51 am
*LOVE* your fab. site..congrats! Thank you for the daily reminders to 'click'...very helpful! Thank YOU for helping US to help OTHERS!!
Thursday July 3, 2008, 8:00 am
I like the site so far, it would be nice if the kudos worked better so that people could see that they are making a difference, people love rewards and this is possibly one of the easiest you can offer.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 8:20 am
I have not been happy with the email account since the latest version. I just hope the bugs or whatever get worked out again this time.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 10:41 am
I like it, and I am very happy froggy is still in the Logo. survey done. Thank you...Much Love and Peace...Namaste, Dar
Thursday July 3, 2008, 10:53 am
This is a fabulous site, but one thing I DO NOT LIKE AT ALL....why do I have to look upmy password and input it every time I want to vote, make a comment, go to a blog......most sites do not make you do this...it takes too much time and aggravates me...I did it today only to ask you to please make the "inner site" more accessible.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 12:17 pm
Keep in mind that not all of us cannot afford broadband. Some of us--myself included--still run on dial-up with no intentions to "upgrade" anytime soon. According to my FasterFox plugin, the new site took 191.312 seconds (over 3 minutes) to load.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 12:27 pm
I am still very impartial to the current site, as I have been a member for nearly 5 years now. It is organzied nicely, but I don't really like the new Care2 logo, I miss the frog too much. Change may be good, but at the same time, some members are very satisfied with the current site. Good ideas though, I do find the information is organized nicely. I am a member who is on the site every day and I must say that I do love the current site very much the way it is.
I think it's imperative to make available a section for comments, questions and such - like a forum - for all the Care2 members to participate in, regardless of their "network", groups and such.
If such a forum exists... it obviously isn't visible enough.
Thursday July 3, 2008, 6:06 pm
Overall i like the new design...its cleaner, more user friendly . but like most all new pc items you just don't know how you really like it until you use it. the overall looks are good displays of what Care 2 is all about. i did like the idea of a butterfly as logo the meaning is much like but froggy is ok too. suggestion more non carton e cards. overall it looks quite good. Fix email it isn't working....the folders do not open.
Monday July 7, 2008, 5:51 am
It is getting harder and harder to "take action." Today, for instance, there is no link to click to do today's action. "Click here to take action" should be large and impossible to miss. Please also note whether a "comment" is necessary to get counted as having taken the action to "learn more about."
Monday July 7, 2008, 8:49 am
I love the new look but are you going to change this page...
http://www.care2.com/news/members
I notice that people who have never posted news stories are in this list!!
Why is that??
Monday July 7, 2008, 11:37 am
I've taken the poll and added my comments. A lot of this change should have happened after you decided what you were doing with the GROUPS. We have all of that to deal with, bugs in the system, and please BRING BACK THE FROG!
Wednesday July 9, 2008, 7:42 am
You do all that and you still can't update my friend count! When I send a green star, "I have 159 friends" yet on my friend page I have 207!!!
Wednesday July 9, 2008, 1:22 pm
The new site looks great so far.
I like the quick links section. Hopefully it will make the sites I visit most often easier to find.
By the way-I LOVE THE BUTTERFIES! I think they go with the theme of making a difference better than the frog does.
Speaking of which,I'm not too crazy about having a frog as my profile picture and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Thursday July 10, 2008, 11:51 am
Would you PLEASE fix the mail problems before you spend time and energy on appearances. I cannot get mail from the list I moderate ... and you are changing a "look" ... *rolls eyes* ThnX
Thursday July 10, 2008, 4:49 pm
From a web designers perspective, the functionality of the site is easy, the pages load quick, it's very modern, I like all of the use with the roll-over buttons, and it's very organized. I look forward to when it's released!! A site such as this deserves to be handled with care and I think the new site designs proves just that!
Friday July 11, 2008, 11:09 am
I really dislike the new logo with the butterflies; it reminds me of something I'd find in a kindergarten classroom. Then again, I am rather fond of the frog.
Monday July 14, 2008, 11:18 am
I like your site, but hate the fact that you have a to run a header of someone who runs for president no matter who he or she is. i would hope this isn't a site that backs presidential candidates.
Thursday July 24, 2008, 2:54 am
I think the new site looks good! I do have a request though, or question--why is the Care 2 Community--Care 2 Expressives no longer accepting
members? Is there any way to make it bigger perhaps? I would be more than willing to pay for
membership. I'm in graphic arts, and they are extremely popular these days. Is it possible to
get my name on a waiting list perhaps?
Leigh
manndel@gmail.com
Thursday July 24, 2008, 2:37 pm
Minimize The Clicks Needed to Navigate Care2
I am in the process of developing web pages for my church and for a new business. The first considerations the web design professional mentioned to me were.
First, keep the page simple and easy to read.
Second, minimize the clicks the reader needs to make in navigating my pages.
It takes a lot of clicks to navigate on Care2. For example, someone sends me a petition request. When I click on the petition, my page changes, then it changes twice more as I sign it, and yet again with the annoying request for me to "Tell a Friend" about the petition. After all of that, I want to go back to my original page. NOT EASY TO DO!
So why can't the Care2 designers and engineers simply have the petition open in a new window? That seems like very basic business and web design. Then when I want to go back to where I was, it's right there, waiting for me in its own window.
The same is true in Care2 Share Network. If I am browsing My Share Network and decide to open a share, then make a comment on that share, it is a real pain to navigate back to where I was. Why can't Care2's designers and engineers open the share in a new window.
Same again when I respond to a Care2 Poll. Have it open in a new window.
Also would be nice to bring back the Quick Links.
Please Care2, begin to think how to make navigating around Care2 as easy and as simple as possible.
Friday July 25, 2008, 7:47 am
I liked it a lot. The only thing to fix is the e-mail. It just works properly with Explorer and with other browsers, it doesn't work in the same way. The web site is getting cool and it was nice to remind when I joined here about almost ten years.
Saturday July 26, 2008, 1:43 pm
Provide means for hosts/co-hosts to "tag" threads in the group.
Then display the list of tags on the group home page.
When a member clicks on a tag, display a list (hyper-links) of all group threads with that tag (even archived threads).
Many groups, over time, will develop multiple threads on the same or similar topics, either whole or in part. Allowing hosts to tag the threads will allow group members to quickly find all group information on a specific topic.
Sunday July 27, 2008, 4:06 pm
The Find Singles@Care2 page offers only limited searching options: e.g. Gender, Country, State, and Metropolitan Area. It might be nice to be able to also sort by Age and by Interests.
Wednesday July 30, 2008, 3:51 am
It is much easier to access personal data, such as homepage, etc. with the older version. Everything is available with one click on the Care2 homepage, (at the top). I find that you have to click on Community in order to even access your homepage. It seems to me that things are not as easily accessible with the new version. I also think the older version 'looks' much better. Hope you will keep personal info easier to access.
Sunday August 3, 2008, 2:42 pm
Provide a means to "Note" shares, in Care2 Share Network, just as Care2 News Articles are "Noted". Then members who post shares will have an idea which of their shares are being read and which are not.
Sunday August 3, 2008, 3:42 pm
The Find Members in Your State is nice, but Florida is a big state. Even the cities have lists of members several, or dozens, of pages long.
It might be nice to allow to further sort by interests of members in the state.
Sunday August 3, 2008, 4:11 pm
In one of the Pull Down Menus at the top of every page, please provide a direct link the Care2 Share Network. Right now one can select his/her own network or his/her own Sharebook. However, there is no link to the main Care2 Share page. Thanks.
Sunday August 3, 2008, 4:53 pm
Provide means for members to set their own permanent default font and text size for posting in Groups and Shares and for composing Network Messages. Right now a member must set the font and size each and every time.
Sunday August 10, 2008, 10:23 am
Finally, after many tries, I was able to view the new Care2 Page. Ina nutshell, I like the look but give it a grad of D, or even D-, for ease of navigation and use. The convenient Pull-down menus are gone and the Care2 functional areas are not well defined. My guess is that it will take a minimum of 40% more clicks to navigate, even after one learns the page.
I have seen the traffic in Care2 groups drop off substantially with the change to the new format and all of the glitches that should never have been there. With the new Care2 Page, is it possible that volume may drop off even more?
Wednesday August 20, 2008, 11:41 am
The reduction in members you can send messages to (from 25 to 10) seems to be a hindrance to promoting activism and ease of sharing rather than an improvement. I see change for the sake of business, not for the sake of improving site usage. Like my cell phone i would appreciate it if it did its main job well rather than be all things to all users. Ciao : )
Monday August 25, 2008, 12:09 pm
Am I the only one who really objects to the tree frog being replaced by butterflies? I loved the frogs... bring back the frogs!
male, age 42
married, 2 children
San Mateo, CA, USA
RANDY'S SHARES
Oct 8
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(2 comments
|
discussions
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—
Here’s a unique
opportunity to help one
of Care2’s
deserving nonprofit
partners get up to $1.5
million to combat hunger.
The International
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fantastic organization
that is among the five
finalists in the Ameri... more
Oct 2
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(4 comments
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discussions
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—
“We can judge the
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said Immanuel Kant.
I think he'd also have
said there are lots of
big hearts on Care2
judging from the
fantastic comments being
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shelter contest.
Last week,... more
Sep 22
Blog: Visualizing Global Warming
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discussions
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—
I recently spent the
weekend in
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Mountain National Park.
We climbed
high into the mountains
and enjoyed spectacular
views of snow capped
mountains and verdant
forests stretching as far
as we could see.
As we... more
Sep 10
Blog: Sarah Palin
(54 comments
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discussions
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—
The mere mention of her
name is sending many
Care2 members into a
frenzy. Some love
Sarah Palin and others...
well, best to just jump
in and see for yourself.
The Care2 News Network
(C2NN) has been abuzz
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as... more
Message: Todays Petiton Post & Some FWD'd Petitions by Angel H.
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Ban Snares In
ScotlandWith Halloween
Approaching...Tell
Candymaker Mars Inc. to
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Message: Please Forward and Note / Prop2 is Urgent! by Angel H.
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—
Please Forward and Note /
Prop2 is Urgent!
Hi Everyone! Thank
you so much to everyone
who read, forwarded, and
noted our story on Prop2.
We desperately need this
story to remain active as
this is the most
important thing we can
accom... more
Blog: Familiars by Angel H.
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"By the pricking of my
thumb, something Wicked,
this way comes..." --
William Shakespeare. They
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when you call, or just at
the exact time when you
are in need of them--and
their services. They can
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with... more
Blog: PSYCHIC ABILITY by Angel H.
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TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD
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ABILITY1. Psi ability is
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Blog: THE TECHNOLOGICAL APPARATUS OF TOTALITARIANISM by Team O.
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—
http://www.policestatepla
nning.com/chapter_12_.htm
Informant: Dorothee
Krienhttp://freepage.twod
ay.net/search?q=totalitar
ianismhttp://freepage.two
day.net/search?q=police+s
tate
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Blog: Paulson is making financial crisis worse by Team O.
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—
http://www.ufppc.org/cont
ent/view/7970/http://free
page.twoday.net/search?q=
Paulsonhttp://freepage.tw
oday.net/search?q=financi
al+crisis
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Blog: Burn all, steal all and kill all by Team O.
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— The Power Elite Playbook:
Burn All, Steal All, Kill
All!
by Deanna Spingola
Burn all, steal all and
kill all was the official
policy of
JapanÂs
imperialistic military
and paramilitary groups
like the Black Ocean and
Black Dragon
societies.... more
Blog: Bank stock purchase pushed; 'no' to protectionism by HM S.
(0 comments
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— WASHINGTON -- Treasury
Secretary Henry Paulson
told international
leaders on Sunday that
isolationism and
protectionism could
worsen the spreading
financial crisis. With a
new trading week dawning,
U.S. lawmakers urged
quick action by the Bush
adminis... more