New version of FS Home screen

Dennis J Yancey

Sure seems like a lot of wasted real estate on the screen . . .

User15808348348545134406

User15808348348545134406

I'm okay with the open spaces because I don't like screens that are too busy, but my ordinance ready button is gone. I realized they put the widgets up of what we've been doing recently, but I wish they would keep ordinance ready there.

Nevermind, I realized I had the temple ordinance button turned off. Once I turned it on it was back

Dennis J Yancey

I also am a supporter of simple and not too busy - but it doesnt have to be one or the other.

for example - why force people to scroll down- thats one of my pet peeves is when a system forces the user to scroll down - and yet doesnt use the real estate on the home screen that they could. Making good use of the screen doesnt mean it has to be overly busy.

On a related subject
I dont know for sure - but I really get the impression that when FamilySearch screen designers do what they do - they are putting a lot of weight on how things look and are placed on a small smart device display - to the detriment of how things look on a full computer screen.
Yes it must be true that as ubiquitous as the cell phone is - that there may be more cell phone users than full screen computer users . . . But in my mind the real powers users of FamilySearch are full screen computer users and the smart device users are more simple, quick actions - such as Ordinance Ready as an example.

Truth is I really avoid the cell phone for most of genealogical work - I just find the a full screen computer so much more efficient than a tiny cell phone display.

BUT Yet I get the impression FS has one set of code for both computers and smart devices - that simply tries to adjust itself to screen size - sometimes it works and some times it seems the computer version is being impacted negatively by the design that tries to handle both.

Just my impression.

Mary T Wilson

Thank you for your feedback @Dennis J Yancey and @User15808348348545134406. We appreciate the time you took to add screenshots for us and provide your opinion. Many changes are made to address world-wide user community needs coupled with technology challenges.

C Rundall Norton

This is a nice idea, but I still would like to be able to readily see the things people have added to my ancestors pages.

rmkoehler

I agree with all the points previously mentioned. I do not care for this new page. It is less useful compared with the excellent options previously available. The space was used more efficiently in the previous layout. PLEASE -“If it’s not broken, please don’t change something just because you can”.

Dennis J Yancey

rmkoehler:

You didnt specifically mention what "excellent options" you wish would be back. Giving precise details is hugely more benefiicial that just saying you like it the way it was before.
Let FS know what specifically you feel is missing.

Dennis J Yancey

@Mary T Wilson

I do feel that it would be greatly beneficial if FS designers/engineers would kind of give a very short description of the driving factors that went into this re-design.

I mean, so many users, like the ones above, seem to feel that FS is just making changes "because they can"
I realize that things like changing technology, changing underling architecture, changes in software tools and standards, trying to merge code between computer users and smart device users - and various other factors can necessitate change - even when us end users dont see the real need for the change.

Helping us understand why FS felt the need to redesign I think is helpful Users to understand that FS engineers are just making changes because they need something to do or are fixing that which "wasnt broke" to begin with . . . but that so often seems to be the feeling among so many.

Gordon Collett

Looking at this issue, I see that the new homepage is adaptive to various devices in that if I narrow my screen, first the widgets start getting narrower then the homepage flips to a single column instead of two. At the narrowest I can shrink my browser window to, I see:

…

My laptop screen does not have room for a full sized three column view, but I agree it would be great if the screen was adaptive upward instead of just downward since my desktop screen has room for almost everything and it would be great to be able to see everything at once as in this mock-up where everything is the same size as on the current view of the new homepage:

Dennis J Yancey

yeh it adapts . . .
my point is when you have a screen designed so that a single set of code - trys to adapt to different screen sizes and features - it usually ends up being more optimal for one and less optimal on the other.
Since there are probably more people using cell phone because they are so ubiquitious - my impression is FS is prioritizing the look on a cell phone - at the mercy of those power users who are using a full computer screen - versus the many users doing simple tasks on a cell phone.
Personally I think the two environments are different enough that there should be two sets of code - even though I totally understand that means more work to maintain code.

I just feel a cell phone and a full computer screen - and how people use each differently is divergent enough that one set of code- just doesn't cut it.

Mary T Wilson

Thanks for the suggestion @Dennis J Yancey - I agree it would help to explain the reasons these changes are necessary and I will pass that on as a suggestion.

Thanks too @Gordon Collett for the screenshots and suggestions!