MSNBC.com is offering users preview screen grabs of its upcoming redesign, set to debut later this month. Here’s the new home page.
Editors can choose from a ton of flexible layout options for the cover section.
Further down the page, users will be able to collapse, expand and move section modules to their liking. Also, notice the “topics” organization.
This is the “explore” box with tabs for personalized news, video, photos and “participate,” which includes content from FirstPerson, the message boards and iPredict. Also notice the bigger plug for FirstPerson content submissions.
“It’s been several years since we significantly shook up the look of our home page,” writes Jennifer Sizemore, MSNBC.com’s editor in chief, on AlphaChannel, a blog dedicated to the redesign. “We have tested and retested all kinds of solutions and what we’re preparing to roll out is dramatically different from where we began, thanks to your feedback.”
Your impressions so far?
Adds Don Day: The site will also work better for non IE-users. In fact, the new Safari/Mac friendly navigation is already live on MSNBC.com.
Adds MSNBC.com’s Jim Ray in comments: We’re all working hard over here to get this thing out the door. Be sure to clear your cache and refresh the homepage in a week (fingers crossed) to see all the new toys. We’re hoping to use the Alpha Channel blog not just for the redesign but to catalog other new features and projects that we roll out in the future, so be sure to keep an eye on that one, too.
Adds MSNBC.com’s Rex Sorgatz in comments: The thing I’d like to point out about this design is how it’s not at all what we’ve come to expect in recent redesigns. It’s not gray/blue on white, the look that has steamrolled itself through news sites ever since NYT started it. Obviously, there’s no reason to be critical of those designs, but hasn’t that look become a little… safe? I like that we’re taking a risk here. (Also, I can only say “we†for another week. I’m leaving msnbc.com soon, trying out some new stuff.)