Comments on Python Redesign

[Fernando Perez]

Tim Parkin wrote:

> Perhaps the people who have commented on the site should realise it's a
> proposal and a work in progress. As constructive comments go the only
> feedback I have gathered is that the fonts are too small and the
> contrast is
> a little low. I've adjusted contrast on key elements and also increased
> the
> font size. These pages are here :
> 
> http://pollenation.net/assets/public/python-main-2.html
> http://pollenation.net/assets/public/python-interior-2.html

A few suggestions:

- several (including myself) were thrown off-course by the fact that the posted
'site' was really just a screenshot, not really a live mockup (the word mockup
tends to be used for junk-filled, but otherwise structurally valid sites rather
than a graphical screenshot).  I suggest you make an actual html mockup so that
everyone can actually test how fonts scale in their own browsers.  Viewing
_any_ screenshot in my laptop's 1600x1200 screen is painful, because the fonts
are microscopic.  But a real html (even if the text it's filled with is junk),
I can judge:  I have my font sizes set in mozilla for readability, and it will
be immediately obvious whether there are layout assumptions in the site which
break at these resolutions.

I am sure you'll get far better feedback with such a mockup site being
accessible for the community to view.

- I'm not sure I fall for the double-colored 'python' word. The two tones
generate a mental split 'py-thon', which is, at least to me, rather unpleasant. 
Keep in mind that many things in the python community have a py pre/post-pended
which would be more reasonable to break: pyexpect, scipy, numpy,... In all
those cases, the separated 'py' tends to associate the 'python' part with the
rest (expect, scientific computing, numerical work, etc).  

But 'thon' is nothing by itself, so the split is useless, and creates an
artificial an unnecessary disruption in the reading flow.  It feels like a
clear case of graphical glitz done for its own sake, not at the service of
function.

Ant that is the ONE principle that the site should respect: ANY graphical
enhancement should always serve, never sacrifice, function.

- Contrast: even the newer screenshots feel very low contrast.  Blue on grey
isn't particularly readable.  But perhaps when I view the real html with normal
font sizes, it will look better.  That's why you really need to post a readable
html site, not a png:  it's almost impossible for anyone but you to properly
judge the site with graphical screenshots.


- More content:  why limit the front page to have so little in it?  It feels
like it was designed to fit 100% into an 800x600 window.  I personally feel
that a techincal website is ok with having the front page include some more
stuff further down.  I can use my scroll wheel to go down, but I hate having to
click for separate pages for everything.  I know it's a fine line, and you
don't want the main page to be overly long, but I feel that the current mockup
is unnecessarily short.


And if you feel like people are being overly harsh, don't worry.  It's usenet
after all :)  But also keep in mind that you're proposing touching the _main_
python.org website, so don't expect the entire community just to go with
whatever you propose.  In case you are new to this environment, go read some of
the discussions on PEP-308 for a feel of how hot things can get when you want
to touch core things.

In the end, this is actually a good thing:  it means that any idea which finally
survives the beating will be pretty good.  Think of a very harsh, very
darwinian selection system :)

Best regards, and good luck with the work.

Fernando.