MediaWiki/Homepage redesign/Design Document

This project intends to reformulate the layout of the MediaWiki Homepage to better reflect the work and activities of our community. The homepage is the first contact that community has with the tool and this is an opportunity to awaken interest in MediaWiki and to help people use it and contribute. This project will identify and define what content is relevant to express the full potential of MediaWiki, as well as develop an appropriate look and feel to convey to visitors. The project requires analyzing the current problems, proposing a solution and implementing it - all with the participation of the community.

This document also captures the relevant points of Requests for comment/MediaWiki.org Main Page tweaks, which will be deprecated.

Rationale
Since 2012 the community has discussed about current layout of the MediaWiki Homepage, and has already reported several problems and dozens of suggestions for improvements like apply symmetry and alignment of columns and add block to showcase sites made with MediaWiki. The MediaWiki homepage should be capable to express its full potential, help visitors to choose the MediaWiki instead others wiki softwares and oriented the new users to find fast what they need to start. However, the current homepage only express what MediaWiki is, try to guide users with a group of links and cites who use it without highlighting its greatest success, the Wikipedia. In addition, the homepage leaves some major questions unanswered such as "what problem it solves" and "why I'd want to use it?", and has some problems as the look and feel is outdated and spaces that could be better used. Solving these problems requires a general plan, a coordinated action that this design document describes.

To convince new adopters:

 * What is MediaWiki?
 * The homepage has a very succinct description of what MediaWiki is. To improve it could highlight some keywords, see for instance: Ubuntu, Fedora and Gnome.


 * What problem it solves?
 * No answer to this question. The homepage could show how MediaWiki is ideal for collaborative editing and creation of content.
 * Who uses it?
 * The homepage cites Wikipedia, itself and has a link to view a list of more sites that use it. Perhaps a visual reference could be more efficient and attractive, see for instance: Git.
 * How can I get it?
 * Currently, the homepage has just link and button to download without emphasizing how to get it. The Firefox site has a good example order to emphasize the download button.


 * Why would I want to use it?
 * No answer to this question. To answer this question is necessary show the benefits and advantages of MediaWiki over other wiki softwares.


 * Why we appreciate MediaWiki?
 * On the homepage has no references about why we liked and enjoyed MediaWiki. Could have some space reserved for it, see for instance: GitHub.

To help current users:

 * How can I use it?
 * On the homepage has many links to pages that help answer this question, but it could be better grouped, more directed and organized. See for instance: OpenOffice.
 * How can I customize and extend MediaWiki?
 * The homepage has links to how add features with third-party extensions and how write extensions. Besides the links the homepage could have some text to tell more about customize and extending, see for instance: AngularJS.
 * Where can I get help?
 * The homepage has links to communicate page, support desk and help. In addition contains links to help directed to each type of user (user/sysadmin/developer). To improve it could centralize these links, see for instance: Play Framework.
 * Where can I report a problem?
 * On the homepage has no references about how report a problem, perhaps just a link to How to report a bug will be enough.

To help and attract new contributors:

 * How to start contributing?
 * The homepage has link to how to contribute and how to become a hacker, these links could be unified and more highlighted.
 * Who makes MediaWiki?
 * On the homepage is possible see that MediaWiki is a free software open source but it is not clear that is made by community with Wikimedia Foundation.
 * Why to contribute to MediaWiki?
 * No answer to this question. The homepage could show that MediaWiki is built and maintained by people with common goals without financial interests and that anyone can collaborate somehow.

Main problems of current homepage and possible solutions

 * Does not answer important questions.
 * Lack harmonizing colors used.
 * Use colors more attractive and happy photos.
 * Use icons newer or photos instead of icons.
 * Barely tapped space.
 * Implement symmetry between elements.
 * Remove current version and use just a download button.
 * Merge boxes "News" and "New opportunities" to "News & Opportunities".
 * Fix the limite of items to show on "News & Opportunities" box.
 * Duplicated links (About this site / Download / Wiki).
 * Remove duplicated links.
 * Identify the important links to keep the homepage.
 * Frequently Asked Questions.
 * Help:Contents.
 * APIs.
 * Support desk.
 * Mailing list.
 * IRC channel.
 * Bugs.
 * Define where each link must stay.
 * Lots of versions for download.
 * Remove links and keep just last one.
 * Replace "Current version" box by a single prominent [Download X] button. See for instance: LESS and Node.js.
 * Add links to Online demo / Software prerequisites / Features near of download button.
 * Add date of last releases.
 * Too big box to select language.
 * Verify possibility to replace by selection list.
 * Does not transmit any feeling to visitors.
 * Add a video/media that show the enthusiasm and how community works, something like this.
 * Add showcases, testimonials, logos, screenshots and links of organization that use MediaWiki. See for instance: Alfred.
 * Show the amount of downloads and instances using MediaWiki, see for instance: Android and Joomla.
 * Add screenshots/list of important features and benefits. See for instance: Dash.
 * Design focus for visitors and new users.
 * Bucketing people becomes more difficult to find informations.
 * Group by actions instead bucketing people.
 * Highlight the information on contributions.
 * Some words (hacker / sysadmin / developer hub) can scare new users.
 * Replace by friendly word.

Improvements and contents suggested by the community

 * Add statistics about MediaWiki (if automatically updated).
 * Add "Popular Pages" or "Frequently Accessed/Requested Pages" box (if automatically updated).
 * Split developers into "Core" and "Extensions".
 * Incorporate current user box into header area.
 * Refresh sidebar.