Wikipedia has finally decided to improve the design of its site. And searches on the encyclopedia could increase by 30% thanks to these changes. Indeed, despite all the successive trends in design, that of the Wikipedia computer site has barely changed in a decade. However, at the beginning of the year, the foundation takes a step forward, announcing important modifications for the web version for PC of the encyclopedia. According to Wikipedia, this is the first major change to this interface in more than 10 years. However, it is not a complete overhaul, but rather a set of small changes that will have a significant impact on site traffic.
Why this change?
Wikipedia evokes the arrival of new Internet users. The number of online people continues to grow around the world and the encyclopedia, which is one of the most visited sites, wants to make it easier to use for these people, regardless of their levels of internet familiarity. “Updating the desktop version of Wikipedia is one of the major improvements the Wikimedia Foundation is making to help people easily access the world’s knowledge, in support of our mission to ensure that every person on the planet has free and equitable access to knowledge, regardless of where they are located, live or where they come from”said Selena Deckelmann, director of products and technology at the Wikimedia Foundation.
© Wikimedia
She adds that these changes have been designed taking into account feedback from volunteers and readers around the world, to ensure that they meet the needs of an increasingly diverse global audience. But while bringing change, the Wikimedia Foundation continues to offer a “simple and straightforward” design that users have been accustomed to since the encyclopedia’s inception. In other words, a more modern interface, but not breaking with the old version.
What’s changing on Wikipedia
With this modification, the Wikimedia Foundation hopes to increase search traffic by 30% on its site. Indeed, the encyclopedia has improved its search engine. This now displays images and descriptions in the instant results, which can help the user find the right item more easily. The 30% increase in searches is suggested by testing with this new interface.
© Wikimedia
For people who speak several languages, Wikipedia replaces the tool that allows you to switch from one language to another, so that it is a little more advanced. And with its new header, the encyclopedia could reduce the number of “scrolls”. Indeed, this header is pinned and presents the most useful links on the site, such as search, page name, etc. When the user scrolls down, these links remain pinned to the top of the screen and the user does not need to scroll up to access them.
“It allows users to focus on reading and editing, and reduces scrolling fatigue with user tests showing a decrease in scrolling rate of over 15%”, explains the foundation. In addition, the tables of contents have also been improved, so that the user can more easily navigate through the articles.
