Mostly a triumph
The redesigned Cricinfo has attracted masses of feedback: much of it positive, some disapproving, and a few outright angry. We asked some of our peers what they thought
03-Jun-2009
The new-look Cricinfo has evoked plenty of comments and feedback • ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Tim de Lisle, former editor of wisden.com and editor of The Intelligent Life
I thought the redesign was largely excellent - not just fresh but more open, more inviting, more navigable and less claustrophobic. It feels more like a major sports site and less like a nerds' convention, and yet the nerdy bits - the scores on the doors, the stats homepage - are very well done so you've pulled off the trick of keeping both camps happy.
I thought the redesign was largely excellent - not just fresh but more open, more inviting, more navigable and less claustrophobic. It feels more like a major sports site and less like a nerds' convention, and yet the nerdy bits - the scores on the doors, the stats homepage - are very well done so you've pulled off the trick of keeping both camps happy.
For me there are two jarring notes, both easily fixed. The Cricinfo logo doesn't stand out as strongly as it did - the red of ESPN argues with it, and there's clutter round about - sometimes the ad swamps the logo altogether. I'd give it a nice bit of white space and let it sing out. The other thing is the black box on the homepage. The black is forceful, but the yellow out of black feels wrong - like a different site. Blue is such a signature colour for you, I would change those yellow slugs to pale blue. But mostly it's a triumph. You've clearly thought the thing through and executed it very well. Congratulations to the whole team.
Mukul Kesavan, novelist, essayist and historian
The redesign is a huge improvement. Transformation would be a better word. This is a very good-looking site, where it is easy to find your way around. I feel no nostalgia for the old Cricinfo homepage, which was cramped and which, especially on the right-hand side, looked like an anthology of bad Indian signage.
The redesign is a huge improvement. Transformation would be a better word. This is a very good-looking site, where it is easy to find your way around. I feel no nostalgia for the old Cricinfo homepage, which was cramped and which, especially on the right-hand side, looked like an anthology of bad Indian signage.
The row of links on top of the new page with its dropdown menus works very well. The older site was a bit like maze that you had to learn your way around: here the tabs signal the different sorts of content clearly. (I'm not sure why there are separate tabs for "Fixtures" and "Series"; in the interest of consistency the latter should be part of the former's dropdown menu.)
The large box for for current scorecards is a delight. The commentary is much clearer in two colours, and the revamped scorecards with their clickable descriptions of how wickets fell tell me nearly everything I need to know about a match at a glance.
I'm not sure that the static photograph in the black news box is the best use of prime space. If the homepage can't open by default on the video tab because of loading times, then the still photograph ought to be, I think, part of a slideshow, where the image keeps changing. For the past hour or so, the photograph has been one of the New Zealanders celebrating at the fall of an Indian wicket. This seems a bit newspaper-like: perhaps it could change every five minutes or so, so that the site feels refreshed, and to use a bad word, kinetic.
I speak as someone on the wrong side of 50 who finds small print a strain: the default font size on the site makes me squint a bit. I can magnify it, but that messes up the formatting, especially with the scorecards.
The blog formats were dull and unadventurous to begin with; now, with the redesign, they look like sludge. If bandwidth isn't a crippling restraint, it would be a huge improvement to have embedded youtube videos and bigger photographs in the blogs.
On the whole, though, this is a wonderfully successful revamping of the site, one that I had long hoped for but more or less given up on. Congratulations.
"I was a bit unsettled by the new look at first. However, having had the opportunity to navigate the site properly, I have almost forgotten what the old one looked like!"Simon Borchardt, editor, SA Cricket Magazine
Mike Coward, Australian cricket writer
It does arrest attention. It's easy and accessible and quite seductive when it comes up. I love the scoreboard presentation too.
It does arrest attention. It's easy and accessible and quite seductive when it comes up. I love the scoreboard presentation too.
Simon Borchardt, Editor, SA Cricket Monthly
As you say, change can be unsettling, and I was a bit unsettled by the new look at first. However, having had the opportunity to navigate the site properly, I have almost forgotten what the old one looked like!
As you say, change can be unsettling, and I was a bit unsettled by the new look at first. However, having had the opportunity to navigate the site properly, I have almost forgotten what the old one looked like!
I like the way the live scores of all matches are on the right-hand side (so you can see what's happening at a glance without having to open any links). I also like the way you now have a headshot of the columnists (I've always wondered what they look like) and how you use a quote from the article to draw readers in.
The scorecards do look better than they did before, and I like the "+" next to the batsman's name that lets you see how he got out. I also like that there are far more news stories visible in the news section (often in the past, still relevant stories would drop off the list because there was just so much news on that day).
At first I didn't like the black news block, but now I barely notice it and I think it's one of those things that grows on you.
Greg Baum, sportswriter at the Age, Melbourne
To the extent that I've explored it, I like new site. It looks fresher, snappier. Some of the stuff I enjoy most is accessible immediately from the homepage, which is always satisfying. But being middle-aged and computer conversant rather than literate, I have to say that my judgment will always depend on the contents, not the appearance. I'm glad to know that the substance is as worthy as ever.
To the extent that I've explored it, I like new site. It looks fresher, snappier. Some of the stuff I enjoy most is accessible immediately from the homepage, which is always satisfying. But being middle-aged and computer conversant rather than literate, I have to say that my judgment will always depend on the contents, not the appearance. I'm glad to know that the substance is as worthy as ever.
Harsha Bhogle, cricket broadcaster and writer
Don't mind the new design at all. Obviously there was a comfort level with the old page, but that is a matter of habit and you soon get used to the new one. All the old features are there and that is what matters. Over time you look at utility rather than style and this one works fine from that point of view.
Don't mind the new design at all. Obviously there was a comfort level with the old page, but that is a matter of habit and you soon get used to the new one. All the old features are there and that is what matters. Over time you look at utility rather than style and this one works fine from that point of view.
In the end it is still the best site in the world for cricket - a monopoly that has few parallels. You need to worry about maintaining the quality with no competition and you are doing quite fine.
Imran Khan, cricket communications manager
The black patch is, to my mind, wholly unwise and frankly disastrous. It is unattractive, ghastly, and deadens the site - as opposed to adding drama. I understand the desire for drama, but I perceive it to be a failing of many a news-oriented website. The drama ought not be in the site design and layout, but in the content as offered by the sport in question. Perhaps "it just ain't cricket" applies best here. Particularly at this juncture in world cricket, Cricinfo need not feel the need to sex up the sport through website design - cricket is doing a pretty good job of that all by itself.
The black patch is, to my mind, wholly unwise and frankly disastrous. It is unattractive, ghastly, and deadens the site - as opposed to adding drama. I understand the desire for drama, but I perceive it to be a failing of many a news-oriented website. The drama ought not be in the site design and layout, but in the content as offered by the sport in question. Perhaps "it just ain't cricket" applies best here. Particularly at this juncture in world cricket, Cricinfo need not feel the need to sex up the sport through website design - cricket is doing a pretty good job of that all by itself.
Cricinfo, for me, is loved because it gives me what I need in a simple relatively easy-to-use manner. I log on and the business of cricket reportage, stats etc. is what is available and what is the focus, not the sexing up of the news through design and sensationalism. Now Cricinfo has removed itself from that by feeling the need to sex up. Cricinfo is departing from its position of the cricket website of record.
Scyld Berry, editor Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
I can accept any changes as long as the writing is dark on a light background, not light on a dark background. Maybe I'm alone, but I find that really putting-off on the main page, as it is much harder to read. That's far and away my initial reaction. The rest of the changes I'm sure will be fine.
I can accept any changes as long as the writing is dark on a light background, not light on a dark background. Maybe I'm alone, but I find that really putting-off on the main page, as it is much harder to read. That's far and away my initial reaction. The rest of the changes I'm sure will be fine.
Peter Lalor, cricket correspondent for the Australian
It's very bright. It was a bit of a shock at first, but then I got comfortable with it. I always found the old site easy to navigate.
It's very bright. It was a bit of a shock at first, but then I got comfortable with it. I always found the old site easy to navigate.
Read other users' reactions here