Update 2/17/2021: Back in September Ravelry announced an option to reduce motion on graphics on the site, which aims to help people who were having problems when viewing the site.
They also released Herdwick Mode, a skin of the site which “lightens the colors of buttons and info boxes, removes hard drop shadows sitewide, and changes the page background color to a light grey.”
To design Herdwick Mode, we used a range of UX research methods that were both qualitative (an initial open-ended survey that informed the July readability survey; comparative research; consultations and conversations with neurologists and accessibility experts; feedback we received via email) and quantitative (data from industry experts like WCAG and NN Group; the July readability survey).
In early February, Twitter user TaniaRicther posted a thread about how to report Ravelry to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for discriminating against people with neurological disabilities. It’s helpful if you want to file a complaint yourself or if you want to see a firsthand account of what people who can’t safely view the site are going through. She reports that she’s had a migraine for six months following the redesign of the site.
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Update 8/3/2020: Designer KatieBea posted on Instagram that she received an email from Cassidy, one of the founders of Ravelry, saying “we have found zero evidence that there is anything about the new design that causes migraines or seizures.”
In her post she writes “For well over a month, we have begged you to do something. We have had migraines, headaches, vertigo, 10 seizures, eye strain. Your logo even causes issues for people with astigmatism.
And your response is to say we are lying? ALL OF US?”
Meanwhile founder Jessica published a letter on the Ravelry blog apologizing for the “stress and uncertainty” the redesign has caused.
I am so sorry that our actions, or inactions, have made anyone in the community feel unheard. We acknowledge that our responses up to this point have been insufficient.
She goes on to say that they have been taking their time and collecting feedback on the redesign, and comments were shut down on threads because they were not able to respond to all of the comments (users are asked to email comments and feedback).
She noted that Cassidy’s emails do not represent the opinions of Ravelry as a whole.
Cassidy was not in a state to be talking with people, though she does understand that this is no excuse and that the emails that she wrote were hurtful. She is ashamed and sincerely sorry. It will take a period of adjustment, but in the future Cassidy’s role will be focused on technical work. She no longer has access to the customer service emails and her Ravelry mail is disabled.
In response to people who have asked them to return the site to Classic mode as the default, Jessica said many people have found the new design to be more accessible — particularly in the mobile version — and they decided “switching back to Classic Ravelry would not serve the greatest number of Ravelers.”
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Last week Ravelry launched a new design that came as a surprise for a lot of users. Though it had been in the works for more than a year and had been tested by beta users, there have been reports that the accessibility of the new site design wasn’t fully thought through.
There will always be detractors any time a new design is unveiled (and I have to admit I don’t love it, though it is an improvement on the super-dated design it had before), it was lauded by some for being cleaner and more readable, but the brightness and high contrast of the design — as well as an animated login screen — have caused eye strain, headaches, migraines and even seizures in some users.
(I know there are a lot of people who will say that’s not possible, it’s definitely a thing. Photosensitive epilepsy can be triggered by moving objects on websites, and migraines and vision problems can happen with flashing or high-contrast designs.)
In response to these reports, Ravelry made changes so that the animation no longer autoplays, users can change their settings to revert to the old design, stop animations from playing, remove drop shadows or automatically increase font sizes. They also opened up a survey where people can share thoughts on the new design. (I have read the survey is not anonymous, if that’s something that bothers you.)
Ravelry published an update on the new design with a mild apology to those adversely affected by the changes:
For those of you who are having issues with the New Ravelry design, we’re truly sorry that aspects of the site are not usable for you. Your experience on Ravelry matters so much to us, and we’re working hard to make our site work as well as possible for all of you.
This is not a great statement because it doesn’t acknowledge that, for those people who are having problems, the site is not accessible at all, not merely “aspects” of the site. The phrase “work as well as possible” doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, either.
They noted they are conducting a readability survey with users of differing visual needs, which sounds good, but also like something that should have happened before the changes went live.
Users who have had difficulty argue that the changes are not enough because you have to be able to navigate through the new design to be able to switch back to the old design and make other changes. Which is totally valid. Classic Raverly should be the default so that users who want it can opt in, rather than making it harder for those who find it inaccessible to opt out.
Because Ravelry is a top destination for independent designers to sell their patterns, many are scrambling for alternatives that are more accessible until these problems or solved. If you’re someone who can’t use the new Ravelry, look for your favorite designers in other venues such as Etsy or Love Crafts. They may also sell patterns directly on their websites. I have heard of other designers willing to send patterns to individual knitters just doing a transaction through Paypal. If you’re looking for a design outside of Ravelry, check the designer’s blog or Instagram page, and if you don’t see options other than buying from Ravelry, ask them about it.
I’d love to know what you think about the new design and if you’ve had any problems with it. Whichever side you fall on please keep it civil.
I had severe eye strain and headaches in response to the new look and am not usually a sufferer of either. The Ravelry team’s response to all the literal pain caused by the new design was disappointing. I’ve reverted to the old look but am not sure of how long I can do that as it sounds like it will be phased out at some point.
It’s horrible. Like asking for a migraine. Trying to change it is challenging, and you have to change it every time you log on. I’m sticking with Etsy, love craft, Drops, Laughinghens (a UK site) and individual vendor sites from now on.
I love it
I would have gone with the new one until I got used to it. But it would not remember me and had to log in anew each time. Also had difficulty finding patterns. Thought the look was a bit cartoonish.
The way the images are blurred then come on to focus gives me a migraine and makes me feel sick. I can’t use the ravelry website at the moment until they change it
Saddened that Ravelry could not 1) trust its users and advise them in advance of the changes
2) see the need to act as soon as problems were reported – it took over a week if I recall
3) try and restore the trust of disappointed long term users – by a more deeply worded apology
Disappointed that the new colour way has taken Ravelry to being one of the crowd, so many are using these colours…. is Pantone offering a deal? Whatever folk thought of the Classic colours and logo….they were unique and stood well above the crowd
Don’t agree…I think it’s a big improvement.
I have no problem with the brightness, I don’t spend that much time on there anyway.
But since the new design I Cannot see all of my projects on a whole page. I am an iPad user and the new design cuts of pages on the right side..
I went back to the old design
I, too, felt it to be cartoonish and even felt as though I had been misdirected to a children’s website. A few days after several complaints were made, it was made known that one could request the “classic” visuals, which I have done for the meantime. I will be looking for other sites for knitting inspiration and patterns, as I understand that the “classic” version will not be available forever. I found that I had to click several times on items in the new version before being able to access patterns or items.
Didn`t like the new sight ar all, hated it,caused headaches and migraine reverted to the old site, much better and easier to use
It’s horrible but so was their decision to boot all of the Trump supporters off the site last year. They aren’t inclusive at all.
I’ve been getting migraines since the new look was launched. I do usually get migraines but not as bad as this week. I spent some time on Saturday downloading my patterns and then deleted my account. I was going to give some time for them to address the issues but that non apology did it for me. It felt like they were saying ‘so sad you can’t use the site, but hey look how many new users we’ve got!’ They won’t miss me. And I got by without them for 25 years. I’m just sad for those designers who have built their businesses around Ravelry and are either losing customers or can’t access the site themselves.
Last I checked there were 9 people who reported seizures, which can not only kill but also really mess with your life—just ask Countess Ablaze, who had to forfeit her driving license. That in turn can cause you to lose your job.
The worst part has been Ravelry’s refusal to apologise or acknowledge that there is something seriously wrong. Their comments like “this follows industry standards, but we can change it a little bit” are microaggressions.
The blog post where they talk about more user signups and increased revenue is galling and a slap in the face to the existing community.
I had so much faith that they would be in step with our whole community, because they bill themselves as accessible, but I learned last week that the site has never truly been accessible to disabled people—one designer fought for ten years to get options for low visibility patterns and for adaptations like knitting looms, and is to this day still fighting Rav staff who keep sabotaging her progress. I don’t know if there will ever be an alternative to Rav since we all spent such a long time making it helpful, but I can’t stand with this behaviour.
I personally do not care for the new look; I much prefer the old, though I am using the new to get used to it. I feel like the new colors really highlight all the white space and make it difficult to read. I’ve enlarged and changed the font as much as possible to help with readability. I also got rid of the black drop shadows, as I felt they also highlighted the whiteness factor. The high contrast I feel makes it difficult to read. I am hopeful (naively so?) that it will get better over time.
I don’t know if it is just a mere coincidence, but it appears that my dual monitor computer system ends up having screen functioning issues after using the Ravelry site. I switched to classic view to see if there is any improvement, but still experienced some issues although it took longer to appear. It could be my own system issues, but I found it interesting the timing AND if I don’t visit Ravelry, I don’t have any of those issues.
As a migraine sufferer, I am unable to use the new site and was so relieved to be able to revert to the classic design. Dreading the day they phase the classic design out and I will have to look elsewhere for my knitting inspiration.
I love the new design. It works considerably better on my smartphone, which I use to access it often, too.
I love love love it! And I love the survey. Being ”onymous” is not a problem for me. I hope they tighten up the spacing between lines just a bit and took the opportunity on the survey to say so.
I have had literally no problems with the new layout but am saddened to read of others’ migraines and epileptic seizures. I thank Ravelry’s creators and designers for their solicitude for all users and their going that extra mile to make the site its best possible self.
(I’m also thrilled to have found a bunch of CEY Cotton Bamboo upon which I immediately pounced!)
I don’t find it readable, I hate that they’re making people opt out of the new design instead of into it – that would tell them in a hurry if people really liked it or just thought they were stuck with it – and I hate that they’re going to take classic away. And I find their response of “well, most people like it, sure stinks to be you” (that’s how it reads to me, anyway) tone deaf and condescending. They paid a lot of money for a lousy redesign. They should deal with it.
Wow. Judgey much? They tried a thing to make their product better. Didn’t work for everyone. They are working on it. I am pretty sure they didn’t plan to hurt people. It took a year to develop so it’ll take more than a week to revise it. They are making changes so they’re not just ignoring it. Things change, mistakes happen. Let’s try a little compassion for them as well.
I am one who got headaches. I change to the old Ravelry and it was better, not the same but better. Last week something changed on old Rav and now that also gives me a headache after about 3 minutes. I sent them an email. No response!
I really like the new site. It’s cleaner and works better on mobile devices. I like the new pattern search page. I’m not a fan of cartoony look or the sherbert colors, but that’s no reason for them not to use them. I ran an accessibility checker in the site, and while it’s not perfect, most of the problems seem to be a lack of alt text. The color contrast passes accessibility standards. I’m not seeing some of the issues mentioned here (flashing images or graphics that start blurry then become clear) so maybe they’ve fixed them.
Have their Web Designer “redire ad fontem”, return to the source, of the original design, see what they didn’t like about it, and just initiate one change at a time, i.e., Don’t like the border? Just change that to fit in with the rest of the original design. If it works, then move on to the next part, i.e., Don’t like the white background? Change it to a pastel color to start. And continue on like this. (Just a thought.)
I am one of those affected by the new Ravelry causing dizziness and migraines. I am extremely sad to see they are doing away with the classic version in March 2021. What works on one platform doesn’t necessarily work on another. I prefer to use Ravelry on my laptop to prevent eye strain and the new version just isn’t as usable for me. Once classic is gone it will limit my time spent on the site. I have 81 pages of patterns/ebooks and spent plenty as I’m sure others have. To not be able to use the site in it’s full capability is unfair. Both options should be available.
I no longer use Rav as a place to find patterns; there are groups and fora that can’t be found easily under one umbrella body, which I make use of, particularly as I don’t get out much, pandemic or no.
I had been away from Rav for a long while, during which time they ‘changed’ the display. I found out that I could opt out for the time being, although I didn’t know how long that was. Again I was away from it, and when I logged on, I discovered that the change was now permanent. I have written to them three times now, asking what on earth is going on (I can see for myself, but I want them to respond!), because I just don’t like the new display. I am not affected by it, but I have reached the stage where I cannot be on the computer for long periods in any case, as it makes me queasy and has been known to lead to mild migraines. I have looked briefly at the modes, but why should I be the one to make the change? We have a saying in England, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. There was nothing wrong with the old display. If something doesn’t look trendy or swish, tough! It’s not there to be trendy…it’s there to perform a function. In any event, Ravelry never needed to change its image, as it already has a solid base of diverse fibre artisans, not just designers and makers.
Just reading the other comments leads one to conclude that Ravelry have treated some of its users, its backbone (!), rather shoddily.
Anyone else out there not happy with the state of things?
Ravelry is free.
The admin’s rejecting of the hatred and discriminatory rhetoric of the era of #45 was a courageous move.
Penzy’s Spices was another business whose developers spoke out about the divisions caused by the supporters of this time of vicious speech, behavior, and ultimate violence.
Ravelry has my loyalty and gratitude for their hard work connecting me with like-minded creative people all over the world.
I am grateful.
I hated the new look and had instant headaches and visual migraine to the point where I could not look at the new version for even a few minutes. It seemed to be a case of the owner thinking everyone would love his new look and then chucking his teddy out the cot when he was told it was awful. Eventually other people from Ravelry took over responding to the huge amount of complaints and they finally released a dark mode where the background is black. I can use this without eye problems but there are several glitches. I have so many items in my favourite I would have no idea if any had disappeared. I also find all the virtue signally rainbow rubbish annoying and not relevant to craft but simply have my browser set to ignore the welcome page.