Yahoo!’s New Home Page and the Future of Information
A few weeks ago, on a sunny spring evening, I attended a panel discussion at the UC Berkeley campus titled “The Future of Information,” an event that celebrated the renaming of the University’s School of Information and the redesign of its website.
The iSchool, as it’s now called, used to be known as the School of Information Management and Systems (SIMS). Notice how much lighter, simpler, and more personal the new name is. Since the school was founded in 1994, information has become more familiar, accessible, and essential in all of our lives. Think of how we turn to the Web for answers and information, anytime, anywhere, reflexively. Think of how comfortable we’ve become living more and more of our lives online. For SIMS, it was time for a simpler, streamlined, and more accessible identity, with a mission “to create, find, manipulate, share, store, and use information in myriad forms.”
Interestingly, here at Yahoo, we’ve been thinking along similar lines. Today we’ve launched the most significant redesign of the www.yahoo.com home page ever. Like folks at the iSchool, we’re also on a mission to empower people to find information and turn it into knowledge, play, and meaningful communication.
The Yahoo! home page has changed slowly and incrementally over the years to reflect the evolution of how the Web is used. In the past, this page has been called to task for various causes, but it’s continued to serve as a welcoming front door to the Web and a shared experience for hundreds of millions of people.
We’ve been working on this major makeover for a while, gathering vast amounts of feedback from our audience of users. Since you all began noticing and documenting our tests of the new page back in February, we’ve tweaked and optimized the experience in response to input from all of you. People’s expectations, goals, and information needs have changed over the years. The redesigned home page reflects these new interests and needs. You’ll discover:
- Personal Assistant - a preview area displaying recent messages from Yahoo! Mail, an online friends list from Yahoo! Messenger, and local weather forecasts, traffic, and events.
- Yahoo! Pulse - a place to discover the most popular and interesting Yahoo! searches, as well as pop culture trends, music, videos, photos, and all the stuff people are looking for, reading, viewing, listening to, rating or sharing online. It’s a window into the attention stream of our estimated half-billion users.
- Simplified navigation, expanded content, an enhanced search box, increased personalization, and more.
For us at Yahoo!, it all comes back to people: We’re committed to making complex technologies like email, instant messaging, and search more powerful and easier to use for everybody; embracing the collective wisdom of crowds; and harnessing the power of people and their choices across Yahoo! and its communities.
The new home page reflects Yahoo!’s unique position at the intersection of people, media, and knowledge. It presents better access to information and the stuff of our lives, and more individual choice about the appearance of the page, thanks to Ajax, DHTML, and personalization technology. You’ll find relevant and useful tools for searching, connecting, sharing, and communicating online as well as a bigger window onto the pulse of the Web.
But don’t take my word for it, please go see for yourself. And, of course, tell us what you think.
Havi Hoffman
Yahoo!
This website does not differentiate Yahoo! from any other portal out there, as far as aesthetics goes. I also find it interesting, that as more sites go towards a top-navigation approach, Yahoo! goes with left-nav…
Nice…and its long overdue.
Less cluttered and with the expanded real estate more infomation is available in your field of view. Glad we are thinking along the same lines.
I love you :) :*
Errr wait, on second thought… I don’t! When you will support more browsers I will love you (more)
Off to IE now, X( for my review.
First thing - I want to click less, can you make the tabs on the top work like buttons? Maybe you thought over this but I think it would be cool if instead of typing >> clicking on “Images” tab >> clicking on “Search”, I only had to type and click on tab to search images, for example.
What exactly is the answers integration? There is a link to answers.yahoo under search-box but why? An integration with answers would have been thoughtful.
Cool stuff with the icons on the left for quick access to yahoo sites. Flickr is not there!! It is on my toolbar though (thanks). I’d like rearrangeablity, half expected this since I saw the sneak peek image of this page was out on flickr. I’d love the ability to choose my own set of service - at least three like in yahoo’s main page now. I do not use number one (Autos) on the list, for example.
Oh I love the “at-a-glance” thing, best feature yet. :) But then again this is US centric, I guess it will be personalized for all countries once this is rolled out for them.
The messenger list is alphabetically sorted. I don’t need that, I have already sorted my list in ymsngr, but I have always wanted the list in messenger to be (optionally) sorted according to frequency of chatting with a person now I want that in this page too.
Overall this is neat, the page is small, it is easy to find stuff. I especially like the news part of the page.
Thanks.
I find the new homepage redesign not only sharp and interactive, but the integration of Mail, Messenger and other previews have loosened my dependability on MyYahoo as a start page and I’m *almost* ready to change over to Yahoo.com.
Ideally, in the same fashion and direction Live.com is headed, I will be able to further customize Yahoo.com (or switch back to a more Up2Speed MyYahoo) to my Internet start page needs with collapsable RSS subscription features, favorite and shared Bookmarks, relevant Answers, and Local reviews.
That BIG n BOLD Yahoo! logo - like an insult to the so-well implemented ‘navigational’ theme - urging to remind you of the old crappy days. shud have done atleast ’something’ to that logo is wt i feel.
Blocking browsers is sooooo lame.
This seems like a step backwards for the web by blocking it from certain browsers. I had hoped that with the recent drive to get everyone writing standards compliant code that sites would begin to work and look the same in all browsers. It would seem that Yahoo (and others like Google) have decided this is not a good idea and to reduce the number of users that can access their sites.
As an Opera user, and someone that has used Yahoo for years, it looks like I am going to be avoiding the Yahoo homepage from now.
Just a little tip, Camino displays things almost exactly as Firefox does, as their both built on the same engine, so if it works in Firefox it will work in Camino, so don’t block Camino when doing things like this if your going to support Firefox. This just ruined all hope of me using the new Yahoo page, as I almost never use Firefox.
Very nice.
One thing: can you allow that use Gecko in? e.g. epiphany, etc.
I can actually see it now! Weeee. Nice nice. Much better than the other version, however… still not much change.
Absolutely stunning compromise of information design, usable aesthetics, and semantic coding structure. Especially love the details like the use of Arial for larger text and Verdana for smaller text. You’ve assembled quite a team there. I might have to stop using G now.
This is one ommission - the
de-evaluation of the Yahoo Directory.
The categories has all but disappeared from the front page.
This is an injustice because - unlike the Sponsor Links - it is sometimes easier to visit Categories and fine-tune a search. Especially if one is comparison shopping.
The directory should be given more prominence, and it should not be neglected.
Is it going the way of AlltheWeb and Altavista - a neglected relic from the past?
Some of the AJAX features are nice - but it is really no different that the DHTML that site have been using for years.
Opera’s latest preview release provides the ability to mask as Internet Explorer for certain sites. The new Yahoo website works perfect in Opera 9.0 preview. I am not sure if it works in Opera 8.54 because I could not test it in 8.54 and I can not mask it as IE.
Yahoo! why don’t you grow up and stop blocking browsers?
Yeah…..Very nice and clean cut design….the new make over along with the content you are putting up these days feels very young and energetic….!One suggestion - you may work lil’ bit more on fonts type and there color….Trebuchet MS, Tahoma, or may be Verdana….as they gives the page, more cleaner looks….Think about it!!
Also, the page is loading pretty fast and I believe it will continue to do so <–This is my main concern!!!
MY Ratting 9/10…..MY HOMEPAGE Y! :))
Good day all!
Amit dixit
cg-india[dot]com
Yeah, the new design is great and easier to manage.
Yahoo is my homepage at the moment. :)
I had the new page. I like it. I don’t have it now.PLEASE GIVE IT BACK TO ME?THANK Donald D. Crossett.
You sure screwed up my Yahoo Home page…….You had a wonderful Home Page…I used it for years…….Now I can’t get any Yahoo Home page at all………..Why didn’t you just leave it alone !…….BRING BACK MY OLD YAHOO ! !
I HATE the new Yahoo home page! I can’t find anything quickly like I used to. It’s ugly and I want my old Yahoo page back!!! Why can’t you give people the option of updating the new page or not???
Hate the new page. Old one was nicer to look at. The new one is bland & nothing is where I want it. Yahoo! has been my homepage for years. If they do not continue to have the option of the old page, it will cease to be my homepage.
Hate the new page. Old one was nicer to look at. The new one is bland & nothing is where I want it. Yahoo! has been my homepage for years. If they do not continue to have the option of the old page, it will cease to be my homepage.
Hate the new page, too much like AOL crap with
all the kiddie cartoon symbols give back the
old page please.
Leave the old Yahoo home page for those of us who want it. The new one is too confusing and spread out, it gives me a headache. Remember the old rule, if it ain’t broke, don’t mess with it. Whoever worked up that new page should find another job, it looks like alot of work for nothing and everyone I’ve talked to says the same.
I like the old page better because I can set the text size on largest and it still fits on the screen
How can I get the old frontpage back. I just prefer using it. Thanks.
The new page is horrible. The design poor and confusing and the information presented on the page seems to be aimed at teenage girls. I’ve used Yahoo since the 90s. Now I’m in the process of changing my email to another service, and using a different search engin.
I also hate the new Yahoo home Page. I’ve had Yahoo as my IE home page for more than 6 years, but no more. The old page was well organized and sponser ads were at most a moderate intrusion. I don’t want flashy graphics - just the basic information that I (used to) access several times a day.
It would not surprise me if the number of complaints about the new page prompted Yahoo to extend their feedback questionaire and leave a link on the new page to revert to the old page.
I’ll be searching for a better web-portal home page. Probably, I will end up making my own page with the links and layout that works for me.
Can the new page it Sucks. The old page is user friendly and has a lot more information. Give us a choice
I hate the new Yahoo page. All my bookmarks have been deleted! What’s more, after having spent hours with it, I cannot find anyway to show them. Who cares about all this RSS stuff? I want a home page that has the information I want.
I hate the new home page. It takes longer to load. I can take a nap while it’s loading and I have DSL.
I’m always having to re-sign in. As in the weather link it doesn’t save your info.
The progress bar always shows loading page.
I’m changing to something that is less active.
It sux I hate the new page it is like new coke if it’s not broke don’t fix it.
you should at least give user the option, I hear the old one will be gone after the 1st, if that is the case I will be too and if you just do a quick search in yahoo questions you will see lots of others agree with me.
The new page slows down my system as well as my connection and the nifty little tabs never work, Ie. the mail tab it just tells you to go to yahoo mail to get your mail and when it does actualy give a preview of your inbox it is usaly old e-mails youve allready read.
A search on GOOGLE “I hate the new yahoo home page, Or how do you get the OLD Yahoo home page back brought up millions of search results, and that was with advanced search.lol
The new Yahoo page got to be the worst design ever! Most people hate it, and I can completely relate.
Reminds me of the “New Coke” in the 1980s, Yahoo is making a HUGE mistake if they decide to make this their “new” look.
unfortunately they are retiring the old page (which is SO much easier to navigate) and the new page sucks. so thanks alot, yahoo! way to go on that new, more “improved” design.
why are these so called techies so stupid, ihate the new page hate it hate it.
It takes me more clicks to get the info I want. How is that an improvement?
Yahoo’s insistence on making everyone use their new home page beginning September 1st is an egregious case of arrogance that will hopefully result in a loss of customers and advertising revenue. Don’t those geeks at Yahoo know what happened when Coca Cola tried to do away with the old Coke?
I also dislike the new homepage. It is too hard to access Yahoo news directly. It’s too cluttered. Give me back the old yahoo, please.
I haven’t used Yahoo in months, sadily my homepage is still set to Yahoo.com but i never get there, I use Firefox and it will not display, I’m sticking with no homepage and using Google for my searches as I refuse to use IE and I love Firefox too much to switch for some website accessibility.
This “new” and “improved” version is a step BACKWARDS. Do you LISTEN to your subscribers comments? Apparently not. If the goal was to delibertly LOSE customers, then you have suceeded!
Congratulations. I’m now setting my home page to GOOGLE. Remember, it’s hard and expensive to GAIN a customer, and…you’ll never get them back!
The new home page is really bad…with a capital B from a usability standpoint, from a being able to find things standpoint, well from all stand points. It makes all the new features hidden and detracts from them. It’s 1999. =)
I think Google has stolen Yahoo’s clean essence and mojo… Please Google give it back.
Please allow folks to use the old web page as well, if you are going to use AJAX then use it responsibly, in a practical sense and make this a skin and allow folks to choose old skin, new skin.
Right now, it’s actually hard to find things or even see things on yahoo and that’s a first. Feedback doesn’t seem to do any good. I don’t think they are listening. Hello your users are speaking… And pretty loudly, I think.
This might go down as the biggest corporate blunder since New Coke
This new page stinks. Bring the old Yahoo back. Now I’m going to have to shop for a new home page. This one doesn’t cut it.
I agree with everyone above. Yahoo’s new page is a disaster. why would they not give an option to keep the old page. Iam switching my home page to google. way to go yahoo. now i need to find a way to get gmail account. bye bye yahoo.
What the hell’s wrong with the clown’s running Yahoo. That new home page sucks! Yahoo needs to fire the idiot that came up with it, and while they are at it fire that overpaid CEO, Terry Semel. If it isnt’ broke, don’t fix it!! I’m switching my home page back to Google and using my G-mail instead. Yahoo forces this crap on its subscribers without benefit of choice, typical 21st Century mentality, piss down everyone’s back and tell them its raining
You sure screwed up my Yahoo Home page…….You had a wonderful Home Page…I used it for years Now I can’t get any Yahoo Home page at all Why didn’t you just leave it alone !BRING BACK MY OLD YAHOO ! ! Or i’ll go elsewhere ya’ll must be in bed with a bunch ov liberals & dems…
We realize that very few redesigns please everybody, and we know that change can be hard, but people at Yahoo! really ARE listening and reading your feedback.
Thanks for the comments and keep ‘em coming, please. Although we’ve switched to the new design, we’re always making changes to our home page and will continue to consider your suggestions.
We’ve done a ton of user testing and research, and the majority of the feedback we’ve received about the new home page has been positive. We hope you’ll give it a chance - it just might grow on you!
Also, since this is the Yahoo! Search blog, we should also remind you that you can always set your home page to search.yahoo.com (or for that matter my.yahoo.com or mail.yahoo.com) for a different choice of start page. And thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Gee. I can’t see my Yahoo home page anymore so I think I’ll go and drink a New Coke…
:(
Hate the new page, and now that Yahoo! has dumped the older, better one, I’ve switched to Google.
The old page was perfect and so user friendly. Thats why so many people had it as their homepage for years.
Help us get the old Yahoo page back as a second option for those who don’t like the new one
http://www.petitiononline.com/oldyahoo/petition.html
FUN - SUPERFUN EASY TO USE!!
i am too old to understnd the new yahoo. i would
like to get my old yahoo back.
i would like my old yahoo back.idont like the new one.
I would like to know why the Yahoo home page does not display anymore? It comes up completely blank, and so does My Yahoo, and other Yahoo pages. Does this have something to do with Norton Internet Security? I have not changed any security settings.
Please give us an option to revert back to the old splash page. PLEASE. The new page takes too long to load. Is ugly and confusing. Too many java based apps that hang. Please give us back the option to have the old one back. The new one plain sucks.