Business & Tech

Redesign: Patch Goes All Project Runway

Wednesday afternoon there will be a fairly significant change in the way Patch looks and how it works (it's supposed to work better). Tell us what you think.

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Updated: This launch has been pushed back beyond 2 p.m., but it's coming, nevertheless.

Patch will be brushing up the look of its homepage and header about 2 p.m. on Wednesday. This is an effort to make the site cleaner and more intuitive—basically, create a better tool for the user. 

Here are the key differences we're implementing. Note that everything below the News Well, Local Voices module, and Events module is the same layout as it is on the current homepage. 

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  • This is all cosmetic; a "nip and tuck," if you will. Functionality of site and ad inventory do not change.

  • Design goals: cleaner, friendlier, consistent; driven by feedback and lessons from new data and current testing of updated homepage.

  • Navigation bar language changes for clarity and space-saving purposes: Places is now the Directory; Traffic & Gas is now Commute; Gallery is now Pics & Clips; More is now More Stuff.
    • The weather icon is now next to the Patch branding.

  • Shout Stream was getting tons of clicks down in the right rail so we traded its location with events in the center column. It's the part of our homepage that changes most frequently so it's great for bringing attention to lively areas of our site.

  • The Shout Box is gone. Don't know what it is? That's why it's gone.

  • Upload Photos & Videos button is gone. Upsells for contribution (uploading photos, blogging, post an event) are now at the bottom of the Shout Stream. It will make it easier, and more obvious, for our readers that want to contribute to Patch.

    • Test the site a bit and see what you think. Then let us know.

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