Welcome to the New AOL Homepage Blog!
Posted Jun 10th 2007 10:25PM by Lisa Edwards
We've made some big changes to the AOL.com homepage recently that represent the start of an evolution of the home page design. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing new features and making changes to address the feedback that we've received from you, our users, since we rolled out the beta test of our new home page back in April.
We are also happy to introduce AOL Homepage Blog as a forum to help us keep you updated on what's new and what's coming soon, and to let you tell us what you think. More importantly, unlike a survey or a "feedback form," this blog helps us establish an ongoing conversation with you. You provide us feedback and we look to respond. Having this dialogue with you is a critical element to help us build the best possible products, and we recognize that not having had one until now was a missed opportunity that we are excited to address.
So the obvious question, why are we changing AOL.com now?
The new AOL.com represents the first major change to the home page design since 2005, when we first began transitioning of all of our products from the traditional AOL "walled garden" to the open Web (Basically, when we stopped charging for subscriptions and made our content free to everyone). Admittedly, the current AOL.com design has some flaws. It represents some outdated design standards, features and thinking. We've learned a lot over the last two years and we're putting that knowledge to use to make our product better.
One of the most important things we've learned over the years is that you have choices. You make the choice to visit AOL.com and we need to work hard to keep you here. And we've spent the last year working to design a new version of AOL.com that's faster, easier to use, more relevant and more customizable to make your online experience better. We hope you think the new AOL.com hits the mark. But if you don't, that's OK too. Please let us know by using this blog. Let us know what you like, what you don't like and what you think we're missing. While we may not be able to respond to every request, we will be reading all of your feedback. And hopefully, we will shed some light on our thought process, and why we do the things we do. All we ask is that you keep your comments constructive and focused on the homepage.
So we're just getting started! We hope that you will check in with us often. We'll be here ...
Cheers,
Lisa
AOL.com Product Lead
P.S. I keep using the word "we" because running AOL.com isn't a one-person operation. There's a small team of talented and passionate people who support the home page. And I'll be introducing you to the team (my friends and colleagues) that works behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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About The Team
My Name is Lisa and I'm the Product Lead for AOL.COM. In short, I lead the team that designs, builds the new versions of AOL.com and make sure that current experience run smoothly. My mission (the team's mission) is to build the best home page for you and everyone that visits AOL.com. This is definitely NOT a one person operation. It takes a village! And I'll be introducing you to the team behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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Reader Comments (Page 5 of 38)
81. Well, it's about time. The new home page doesn't seem so cluttered and is brighter. I think you're on the right track.
You won't please everyone, but you sure can try.
Posted at 4:23AM on Jun 29th 2007 by George
82. I haven't used the functionality yet, but I LOVE the look and layout. Much more appealing, very well-apportioned. :)
Posted at 8:07AM on Jun 29th 2007 by sunnysunnita
83. how can we get the right hand address & events column from
our screen? it makes the screen to small to read our e-mail?
also, the left hand column is not necessary at that time.
hope we can fix this, thank you .
Posted at 8:19AM on Jun 29th 2007 by sja2438
84. I do not like the new format at all. I have a hard time navigating around. And I liked the "post thoughts" with each story, it took you right to that subject. Now you have to sort through everything. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Put it back the way it was!
Posted at 10:54AM on Jun 29th 2007 by T
85. The would be "improvements" have made things infinitely slower, more cumbersome and more tiresome. Have computer designers never been introduced to the beauty of simplicity and predictability?
Posted at 11:34AM on Jun 29th 2007 by Lizastitcher
86. Cleaner, simpler, better.
Posted at 12:42PM on Jun 29th 2007 by Ronald Block
87. the way I see it, if it works, don't fix it. I'm just getting used to the old version. don't need to be learning anything else new right now.
Posted at 3:30PM on Jun 29th 2007 by Ncc7784
88. My husband isn't a computer nut like I am, but when I encounter an article in the news you present that would be interesting to him, I like to print it out and share it with him. I like to share the ARTICLE, not all the ads and sidebars you inject on the page! Is there any way we can print out a news article without using FOUR-FIVE pages of paper, when it's just a two-page article? I like trees standing better than ground up as paper! Can you provide a PRINT THIS button for the articles alone? Thanks for thinking about it. :)
Posted at 5:45PM on Jun 29th 2007 by Ursula T. Gibson
89. I for one like the new look. Being able to color it and make it more my own really give it a comfort feeling. Lisa. Let me say Kudos. I feel your pain. There is almost nothing more frustrating then having people, who can’t follow simple instructions, complain, and bellyache that things aren’t working. Hey People … Your email complaints belong somewhere else! This is about the new Main Screen design. I mean Duh. You all complain about how you can’t get to your email, but did you actually read the topic your placing your comments into? And just a side note; I am using an old Pent 2 866 and I have never “Locked Up” or crashed while reading my mail. Maybe you need more memory in your happy little box.
Posted at 6:23PM on Jun 29th 2007 by crarjr
90. 1. I think the new format is far too crowded.
2. It is often hard to find the button that will close a link and return to the previous screen.
3. While the integration with AIM is nice, most AIM features are now hard to find on Open Ride.
4. I miss knowing where the different news stories originate. I used to always start out the morning by clicking "more" and then going to the New York Times. Now that is impossible on AOL so I tend to just type in NYTimes on Firefox (it's faster).
Posted at 7:37PM on Jun 29th 2007 by ranimargo
91. well i like this new aol. the people having probems with how the e-mail loads.well it has always taken a bit to load .i downt know why.
Posted at 11:57PM on Jun 29th 2007 by chuck
92. Well, this new layout,looks a lot like Yahoo!. Couldn't AOL just have kept its old layout, which was better. Or at least kinda changed the look so it didn't look like Yahoo!'s. Maybe even fliped-floped the layout!?
Posted at 2:52AM on Jun 30th 2007 by raybabe43
93. Insanely slow if it doesn't freeze up and now I can't send an email without it encountering a problem and shutting down, perhaps I should listen to friends and go to gmail or yahoo...
Posted at 10:01AM on Jun 30th 2007 by Lisa
94. Something new is always good.I like the new structure and color selection,Keep up the good work Thanks
Posted at 11:17AM on Jun 30th 2007 by ka2eus
95. love the new site
Posted at 11:34AM on Jun 30th 2007 by adrienne harbour
96. ok...so you along with others have seen fit to change something (i.e. just rearrange things). I agree with the sentiment posted earlier that this looks an awful lot like Yahoo mail beta. I guess I will just have to get familiar with it anyway. There is just one thing....why are all the captions under the headlines in light blue??????? They are hard to read. You need to offer us a choice of what color we want the headlines and sub headlines in...but light blue on a white background just does not get it. Looking at a light color on a white background will give anyone eye strain (i.e. me, I am prone to migraines anyway). Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 2:29PM on Jun 30th 2007 by rontrogdon
97. I really like the new aol. Looks great, easy to navigate and informative. I'm thrilled and can't wait to get started using it! Thanks AOL!
Posted at 2:40PM on Jun 30th 2007 by Brandy
98. you keep saying you have fixed the email freeze, that's crap it does it over and over again. i wish you would fix this situation or stop trying to say you did.
if it ain't broke why fix it. you should have left things alone. at least they worked.
Posted at 3:17PM on Jun 30th 2007 by LIZ
99. Great page but cancel the advertisements, it makes you look cheep or money hungry.
Posted at 3:42PM on Jun 30th 2007 by Craig Milburn
100. The New AOL looks way to plain, and too wide screened, not appealing at all to the eye
Posted at 4:11PM on Jun 30th 2007 by sg8gibs