Thoughts on new header style (not good)

[jameslroll]

I don’t usually use the forums, but I had to comment on this. The new header style is absolutely disgusting. It’s a shame we’re being forced into using it. Hopefully a user-script comes along to resurrect the old style, but a built-in option would be nice, at the very least.

My biggest issue with this: you cannot see reviews or lessons when in portrait mode. As I have my web browser taking up half of another monitor, typically with WaniKani open, the information is collapsed into another menu. I made a separate bookmark so I could jump right into new reviews since before it took two clicks to go from the dashboard to the reviews page (click review, click start). Now it’s three (open menu, click review, click start). I would much rather see lessons, reviews, and current level than a logo.

The level is also no longer visible. I could only see it in landscape mode, but removing it completely is just absurd! I want this information to be easily visible. It’s also strange that clicking the levels dropout doesn’t even highlight the level you’re on. Unfortunately this change also puts the Level Duration 2 script in a weird situation.

Lastly, some people like the animations, but I prefer the contrary – no animation means more responsive menu that opens faster. It’s especially annoying opening the concatenated menu in portrait mode because of how slow it is, and that just adds onto if you open the drop-down menus within the concatenated menu. Aside from that, I thought the old pop-out menus looked better.

[kanashii_doggo]

yes i would like an option in the user settings to select the old header style

[Jul3]

Yes, I agree, the Lessons and Reviews are the two most useful (and most used) links on the WaniKani main page, and on the new phone site you cannot see them at all, you have to go to a whole new page and then you can click on lessons and reviews. On the PC the Lessons and Reviews are still on the header for me, so it’s really annoying that they aren’t there on the mobile website and there seems no alternative buttons for them. I wouldn’t mind if they weren’t on the top header, but were on a row below them for example, as long as they were visible and clickable from the main page.

[SpaceMonki]

Former graphic designer, UX Designer … not keen on the new interface look and feel myself. Felt similar when the London Olympic logo was revealed. Never grew on me and yep, a few niggles with the visibility issues others have mentioned. It seems like a change made for the sake of change - and I totally get that … lets hope the negative feedback both pushes forth another revision and user script to remove the ghastly header in the meantime

[akarti]

Yep, a big thumbs down from me too. Bring back the previous header, please!

[jcdenton4167]

Agree 100%

[AnnaDavis]

I agree too, please bring back the old one

[crush]

I think it was intended for mobile users, but it affects desktop users as well when having the site take up half the screen instead of the full screen (at least on smaller monitors). I don’t mind the look on mobile, the main thing is the inaccessibility of the review/lesson links. I haven’t used the site long enough to really comment on anything else, but that’s what really sticks out to me, i can’t see how many reviews/lessons there are and they are less accessible to get to. Starting the reviews/lessons should be as quick and easy to get to as possible, otherwise it’s easier to either get distracted or just ignore it completely.

[sunnyone]

What happened to the search box?? I don’t see it now. Probably a million times a day I open a new tab and paste a character to look it up … can’t do that now. Am I blind?

And if it’s meant to be an improvement for mobile users, that’s nice, but I can’t use it on a mobile because the text has always been too small and the onscreen keyboard always gets in the way. (haven’t checked either of those things on the new design as I’m all caught up on my reviews).

[Leebo]

I’m on mobile at the moment, so maybe it’s different, but the search bar is right at the top.

[deth]

I don’t care too much about the rest, but the logo looks like a a lollipop wrapper from the 80s.

[sunnyone]

I’m using desktop, on Chrome … I don’t see it. Anywhere. Boooo.

[sunnyone]

Aha! I’m using the “Stealth mode” script so I can do reviews at work … it’s blocking it out for some reason. Double booooo. … heh.

[Jonapan]

I think it would look better if the whole front page was redesigned to match it. What’s most jarring for me was the introduction of green for the lesson and review items. Why add a new colour when WaniKani has had such strong brand identity with their existing color scheme???

[CertifiedRascal]

Yeah I like the effort trying to update the site, but I kind of liked it better before. You can’t see what level you are now! That has to be some huge mistake, right?

[MusaB]

I like it! <3

[Ladymerelan]

When I first opened Wanikani this morning, “level” “radical” “kanji” and “vocabulary” were all stacked on top of each other. After doing some reviews, it seems to have adjusted and actually spread out on the header now, so I’m fine with it

[ziekara]

Yeah, this is literally the first time I’ve openly complained about a layout change on any website before, but I really don’t like the new header. It looks awful imo and as others have mentioned it doesn’t work as well either. What was wrong with the old one? I think it looked a lot better.

[bnheise]

Put me on the “new header is a step back rather than a step forward” side.

[Magistrum]

I’m just chipping in to say I felt sad, confused, enraged, humiliated, disgusted, dejected, dismal, grieved, disgruntled, troubled, sorrowful, bitter, distressed, miserable, unhappy, depressed, desolate, gaunt, discouraged, upset, pained, disappointed, frustrated, unsatisfied, discontent, dissatisfied, mirthless, despondent, forlorn, despaired, lost, inconsolable, abandoned, neglected, heartsick, cheerless, and other negative words as soon as I opened the site in the browser today.

Give me back my happiness.