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The Blogger New GUI 2011 Is Here

Several months ago, we were promised a new look to the Blogger GUI. For the past couple months, a select few trusted testers had access to a preliminary version of the new GUI. This evening, they made the new GUI, 2011, available to everybody.

Just go to http://draft.blogger.com, and you'll see it.

There are lots of changes - some improvements, and other changes. They've solved a few problems - and possibly caused some others.

As you tryout the new GUI in Draft Blogger, you will have to carefully note that's where you are. Previously, when we would ask you to verify whether you were in Draft or Production Blogger, we might ask "Draft (blue logo), or Production (orange logo) Blogger?". Now, Draft Blogger, like Production Blogger, uses an orange logo.

So, when you ask for help in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken, please be very careful and state whether you are using Draft ("draft.blogger.com") or Production ("www.blogger.com") Blogger. And if you're colour blind, don't worry about looking at the logo.

As you use the new GUI, and you find a confusing change or an essential feature missing, feedback to Blogger will be essential. Find the gear logo, in the upper right corner. Click on that, and select "Send feedback". Remember that this is Draft Blogger, which is where changes are tested, and you are now a Beta tester. Be objective, and be thorough.

And enjoy the New GUI, because the familiar Classic GUI is only a click or two away.

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Comments

D.B. Echo said…
Hmmm. In IE8, the "Reading List" bar is messed up. As I scroll down, it slowly rises to the top - and when it hits the top, the list of my blogs on the left sidebar disappears. (Whoops, looks like fifth time's the charm; got them to stay.) The "Reading List" bar rises almost to the top of the blog, but never quite gets there, so when I scroll down through the blog updayes, they banish befind the bar, then reappear for almost-but-not-quite four lines of text above the bar.

Blah. It reminds me a bit of the tragic SiteMeter revision back in 2008. Though where SiteMeter went for a techno-cool crowded control room look that completely failed to deliver and offered considerably less than the previous version, this seems to be a spare and ethereal revision that really doesn't provide more than the old version besides an unscaled graph of daily visit counts for each blog.
admin said…
Yeah, and now I can't view my 'blogger in draft dashboard' on my mobile phone (opera mini).

Okay, back to the old blogger guys. :nohope:
Jayarava said…
I took one look and recoiled in horror! Whatever happened to evolution? Why does every change have to be a revolution? Why does design have to change whenever functionality does. Do web designers think we enjoy having to learn a new interface every 12 months? Or are they just too young to remember the old one?
So . . .

Does this explain why the "Follow this blog" button and list of Followers keeps disappearing for thousands of Bloggers - on a regular basis since 2009?

. . . or is that just a permanent fault in Blogger's core software?
Nitecruzr said…
No, Karl,

Thousands of Bloggers can't see the button and list of Followers, because they are blocking scripts without knowing.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2011/07/unfilter-web-selectively.html
Nadja said…
My vote: Hell no!
Ugly, cold, clinical...
NO!
Not that this well help...
But at least, I said it.
Ana said…
I second Jayarava.
Nadja said…
I was kind of, thinking...
Maybe I should test it out anyway...
:-)))
Nitecruzr said…
Ana / Jayarava,

With all that in mind, it's still going to happen - and probably sooner than either of us would prefer.

Right now, the new GUI is being fine tuned, and Blogger wants your feedback. Give them your feedback, while there is still time.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGE2ZlByWjVzS1FrSFpGb3AxZVVZb0E6MQ

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2011/07/get-into-new-gui-while-theres-time.html
Nitecruzr said…
Nadja,

That's the spirit! See my note to Ana and Jayarava.

Check it out, and let Blogger know what needs improvement!!
Bill Bates said…
Google has never been good at UI design. The current Blogger design is a bit clunky, but usable. The new design is terrible. Who tests this stuff?
Nitecruzr said…
Who tests this stuff?

Got a mirror?

If you don't like what you see, let them know - while they are listening.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2011/07/get-into-new-gui-while-theres-time.html
Nadja said…
I gave up using it.
It gave me a splitting headache with all that white!
And pain in the wrist from having to move around the page, and clicking so much....
Very annoying, ugly, and unpractical!
I filled in the feedback form!
But a server error prevented delivery.
Try again later, it said.
There went my carefully checked English text.
So I gave up on that also. Don't know if I will try again...
One of the things I told them, or tried to tell them: I hope you start seeing the light, instead of blinding us with it!
I'm sorry... but... :-((

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