Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Features

We have not created a complete, detailed product specification. Each feature will be built and implemented separately, over time. Features which have been created are still being adjusted and improved.

We are making decisions based on community feedback, user testing, and extracted API data. Please feel invited to participate!

Each feature, prior to the deployment on community-led testing wikis, is tested on the test and Office wiki.

New header

 * The new header is smaller than the current version. This will allow us to later make the header sticky and to provide commonly-used functionality from any portion of the page (without needing to scroll up).
 * Deployment on testing wikis: July 2020

Collapsible sidebar

 * Collapsible sidebar will lead to a cleaner reading and editing experience while continuing to give access to important functionality.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: July 2020

Fixed width

 * Fixed width would allow users to read more quickly and lead to better retention of the text itself. In addition, it lowers eye strain while reading.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Interwiki in the title bar

 * Moving language links to the article title bar would make language switching easier.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Sticky site and article headers

 * Sticky site and article headers will allow users to access important functionality (logging in/out, edit, talk pages, etc.) without requiring people to scroll to the top of the page.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

User menu

 * User menu would comprise all links related to a user in intuitive place.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Improved search

 * Improved search would provide type-ahead functionality and more interactive content, such as the page image of a page as well as a description of the page itself. In addition to these changes, we plan on placing the search bar in a more prominent location (potentially inside of the header).
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Improved language switching

 * Improved language switching would highlight the languages that a user is most likely to select. This would allow people to switch languages with a single click, without requiring them to open the menu itself.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Table of contents

 * Table of contents would be sticky (always available while reading).
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

Article tools

 * Article tools (such as what links here, related changes, as well as PDF and download tools) would be moved outside of the sidebar. We believe this change will lead to a more intuitive navigation by making clear the separation of navigation related to the site itself, and navigation related to the page that is being viewed.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD

General aesthetic refinements

 * Once we have all the changes in place, we would like to make some final styling changes to the site that pull the new look together and ensure all changes are consistent with our style guide.
 * Deployment on testing wikis: TBD