Tips for Redesigning a Site

Redesigning a site can be a tricky process because you have to deal with the weight of expectation, the resistance of users to change, and the ever present spectre that you might be making a step backwards. In my experience the trick to a succesful redesign is to preserve the overall feel of a site and capture some of the hallmarks of the old design into the new one

By keeping that feel you ensure there is a continuity in the site and users still feel familiar with the new site. Preserving the feel of a site doesn't need to mean the new site needs to look the same however. There are a number of things that keep it related:

1. Most page elements - navigation, logo, pagination etc - are in the same locations. This is important because it prevents the user from getting lost or having to relearn the system.

2. The key page of the site, the Listings Page, is quite similar to the Old Listings Page. Listings are presented top down in rows, the image is on the left, details on the right.

3. The style of the design is not dissimilar. Although the designs look vastly different, both are mostly simple, flat monochromatic designs with a few sharp uses of red.