User:Monteirobrena/MediaWiki Homepage Redesign

Proposal of redesign
Design document of MediaWiki Homepage Redesign

Proposal of new MediaWiki Homepage

Wireframe of current MediaWiki Homepage

What are the main problems you see in the current homepage?
The bigger problem in the main page is not show the power of MediaWiki. The homepage need awakening the interest to know and use it. It's necessary show how easy is use it and has a small demonstration about how the MediaWiki works would be a very good thing.

The main page could contain the answer for the questions:


 * 1) What is MediaWiki?


 * 1) How I can get it?


 * 1) How I can use it?


 * 1) Why I should use it?


 * 1) Who uses it?


 * 1) Where it is used?

The answers to these questions will guide interested people and encourage them to use MediaWiki.

In addition the current page has other minor problems:


 * Too big box to select language


 * Excess of links


 * Redundant links


 * Lots of versions for download


 * Lack of harmony in colors and icons


 * Don't transmitted any feel to visitant

Which websites do you think we should look at to find good lessons and inspiration, and why?
Ubuntu See the image with comments

The Ubuntu main page is focused in highlight its qualities and how to get it. It is also possible make a tour online to know how it works.

Sublime Text See the image with comments

The Sublime Text homepage has a demonstration of the many things it's possible do with it. This demonstration works like a video.

AngularJS See the image with comments

The AngularJS main page it's very clean and highlight the benefits to use the framework. The way to get it and contribute has a highlight, too.

The highlight in benefits and qualities is very useful because people can know what they can do with the tool and why choose MediaWiki instead of other similar tool.

What good ideas do you find at MediaWiki.org Main Page Tweaks and why do you think they should be taken into consideration?
The disclosure of statistics about use of MediaWiki is relevant because demonstrates the reliability of the tool and its acceptance by the community.
 * Various statistics about mediawiki ?

The MediaWiki homepage must answering the questions to auxiliar who search a software solution for their needs. If the main page can show the potencial of MediaWiki it is probable that more people will stay anxious to use it.
 * There's way too much text on all of these designs - I think a homepage has the purpose of answering the questions - "what problem it solves", "why i'd want to use it" (sometimes tied to who uses it) and "how i can use it". The homepages I am seeing answer those questions somewhat but the answers are very hidden and require a lot of parsing! I'd encourage a design which makes use of "below the fold text". To take some examples - http://lesscss.org/ and http://nodejs.org/ both give a clear message at the top and underneath are text heavy.