Completely redesign a website every so often? Good or bad?

Question

The Managers where I work tend to want to redesign the website every year or so. Different layouts, color schemes, etc.

I think they look at it so often they want to freshen it up and give it a new look.

I personally think it is a bad idea to change the color scheme because there is so much involved when doing this for a huge site. You not only have to change the CSS files, but any image files that are used for layout, any flash content, etc. Otherwise you will have many element with the old color scheme and not matching the new color scheme.

What do you guys think, would a fresh new look every year, be beneficial or are there ways it could hurt you? Is it worth the effort?

Answer 1

I don't think it's meaningful to redesign a site regularly just to make it look different. A complete redesign effectively wipes off everything how users are accustomed to use the site. Most of the regular users hate changes in software because it makes them slower than before, hunting for the information/controls they are looking for.

To justify a redesign you should be fixing major usability issues. After the redesign you may want to implements possible further fixes incrementally, to cause as few big changes as possible.

Take Google for an example. They have millions of users that will notice every change, so whenever Google is changing something it does it slowly, one tiny incremental change at a time.

Actually, there is a good UX Myths' post about the very issue.

Answer 2

If you have to change the look of a webpage then the original design has flaws, but ever so often, CEOs or other "non technical" personnel want's to freshen up a page with new colors etc. Instead - the page should have a platform that works, and to add something fresh - change the top banner, add news, put a Facebook connection so that the page feels alive...

Answer 3

Re-designs for the sake of it can be overkill. There's a high risk of confusing your users, and even if they figure out what they're doing, it will negatively affect their perception of the site and the business who own it.

However, there could be a chance for you to turn this interfering tendency of your managers to the advantage of both the users and your employers.

Carry out user-testing on the site, and gather feedback from those users. Consider surveying your existing users to hear how they feel about using the site. Present your managers with the information and come up with a list of changes to the site to benefit the user.

Also, it's worth identifying which links are the most important to your users, and are used the most. You'd want to think very carefully before moving those, and decide if it's justified.