Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements/Updates/2022-08 for pilot wikis

From mediawiki.org

Visual changes are coming to Vector 2022[edit]

TLDR: This is an update on the Desktop Improvements project. We have been working on the visual refinements to the Vector 2022 skin. We want to make significant changes, and we are asking you for collaboration.

Over the past two years, we have made structural changes to the interface. We have moved various features to new places. After that, we turned our attention to the visual design. This is about colors, backgrounds, font sizes - the overall look that makes the website distinct (see the main task on Phabricator). If this part is done well, all the features will work better, and the site will be more organized and accessible for different groups of users.

As usual, using the banners, we invited the communities to help us decide what exactly should be changed, and how. This was the fifth prototype testing. Within a month, over 150 users from 22 communities answered our questions. We analyzed their feedback, and asked experienced designers for their opinion. Based on that, we began implementing the changes. In particular:

  • Two weeks ago: we changed the color for menu triggers (such as More or Languages) and menu items (such as, respectively: Move, the interwiki links) to blue (T312157)
  • This week: we will slightly change the shade of blue for link colors (T213778)
  • (No sooner than in 2 weeks)
    • We will increase the font size from 14px to 16px. To keep a similar number of characters per line, we will increase the content area width from 960px to 1040px (T254055). We will also give instructions on how to keep the current settings on an individual basis.
    • We will mark the active section of the table of contents in bold (T314670)
  • We will not make changes to the background colors and borders, or to the logo.

What do you think should be adjusted to make the changes work well on your wiki? Perhaps some CSS should be edited in gadgets, user scripts, templates, or pages in the MediaWiki namespace? We'll gladly figure out if there's anything we could provide support for. Join our office hours, and subscribe to our newsletter. Thank you!