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What The Local’s new design means for you

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What The Local’s new design means for you

You may have noticed that The Local looks quite different today. Here’s how our new design makes it easier to get around the site.

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After several years with the same design we decided last year that it was high time to give the site a makeover. For one thing we wanted it to look nicer, but most importantly the new design is aimed at making it quicker and easier for you to find what you need without hassle.

You will notice, for example, that the site has a new menu bar that will direct you to the most popular categories. The example below is taken from our France edition but you will find variations on the same menu items on all our country sites. 

You won't be surprised to learn that we are hoping to retire the Covid-19 category as soon as possible. 

On the desktop version of the site, if you hover your mouse over a category title you will find some of the most important related topics. 

If you click on one of the main categories in the menu bar you will find links to what are currently the most popular related topics. 

On the homepage, each article's main topic will be displayed above the headline so you can quickly click or tap your way to more articles on that subject. 

You will also find more topics at the bottom of every page that will take you to related articles. 

One significant change is the introduction of a feature that will automatically load up a new article for you once you have got to bottom of the page.

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Similarly, articles (like this one) that are not affected by the paywall will show an unlocked padlock. 

If you want to search for a particular topic the search tool is prominently displayed at the top left of the desktop and mobile sites. On desktop it's just under the dropdown menu you can use to switch editions. 

As a members of The Local you will be able to quickly access your account details and update your newsletter preferences using the buttons in the top right. 

If you are not yet a member you can cast your eyes to the top of the site to see offers that are such good value you will wonder what you're waiting for. Now really is as good a time as any to join. 

READ ALSO: How The Local's members are helping us get better

We have also worked hard on significantly speeding up the site, which we hope will make your visits to The Local more enjoyable. 

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You are sure to notice plenty of other changes as you get familiar with the new design. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to producing independent journalism that leans heavily on dialogue with our readers. 

With this in mind, we would love to hear from you if you have any feedback on the new design or suggestions for improvements. You can drop us a line at [email protected] or, if you are a member, you will as always be able to let us know what you think in the comments below the article. 

Thanks for reading, and we hope you like the new look! 

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Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Anonymous 2022/02/11 07:57
The new design is a reason for me to spend less time on your site. Not a fan.
Anonymous 2022/02/10 17:15
The new look is fine , but I have a problem to open the articles, clicking on the titles does not seem to work. I have to open them in a new tab which I have not had before ? Is it just my PC or anyone else had issues ?
Anonymous 2022/02/09 17:55
I'd like an option for a one column layout (a list), with articles sorted by date (most new on top, no category grouping). One column layout is easier to perceive for many people, and I can quickly see which articles are new and where should I stop scrolling. An option for a simple layout, like no "See also on Local", no automatically loading of a new article once you have got to bottom of the page, no menu overlay when scrolling up, no privacy overlay, just an article and comments.
Anonymous 2022/02/09 09:59
I don't like the new look. It's too fussy and complicated.
Anonymous 2022/02/09 07:30
Hi, I think it would be helpful if you would put a banner or something telling people they'll have to disable adblock if they want to read articles. I'm signed into my account and was unable to follow any of the links on the home page. It wasn't until I thought about disabling adblock to see if that would work.
  • Anonymous 2022/02/10 12:41
    Hi Cynthia, thanks for this. I'm told this issue has now been fixed, so you should again be able to click on links even with your adblocker enabled. You're welcome to contact our support team at [email protected] if the problem persists. Apologies for the bug – thanks for bearing with us!
Anonymous 2022/02/08 21:43
It looks pretty. Well done for that. But on my page the news articles are all messed up. I like to see news articles in chronological order. I wouldn't want to miss karl lauterbach's nuremberg trial because of a small thumbnail.
Anonymous 2022/02/08 20:07
A great investment and for sure will atract more readers. I am a recent subscriber and indeed the previous look was less easy to follow. Thanks!
Anonymous 2022/02/08 20:01
The new design is nice, but how is it possible to get a list of topics sorted by date and time to see the latest news on the top?
Anonymous 2022/02/08 17:23
I use two great browsers, Vivaldi from Norway and Brave. Both are Chromium-based. Vivaldi won't open anything on TheLocal.se Brave will open. Do you not have any Systems Analysts that work for you. You're supposed to test all this stuff before you make a silly decision to re-make. The original layout was great, why break it?
Anonymous 2022/02/08 16:41
Nice, though I only want to see one change; that I do not have to sign in every other day. It is not my browser; I have remained signed into some sites for months or more. TheLocal is constantly throwing the sign up or sign in window at me. It's not my cookies. It's browser, machine and location independent. And it made me stop my next yearly subscription (but re-enable adverts, to be somewhat fair). It's just a minor frustration but so needless. I thought the iOS application would alleviate this, though that seemed just to be a branded browser window with the same issues. In all honesty, a simple reader view makes all pay-walled articles fully readable without signing in, and I can live without the site. But if the convenience of being a member improves with the design, I'll undoubtedly keep paying for it.
  • Paul O'Mahony 2022/02/10 10:06
    Thanks for your support and sorry to hear you are having trouble staying logged in. If you have not yet been in touch I suggest you contact customer service at [email protected] and hopefully this can be resolved. As for the iOS app, we have a new native app in the works that is scheduled for release later this year.
Anonymous 2022/02/08 15:29
Getting used to the new look, and now like it overall. Is a dark mode planned? So much white background makes it very glaring at night on a Desktop or laptop
  • Paul O'Mahony 2022/02/10 09:24
    Thank you for taking the time to comment. Glad you like the new look! We don't have a dark mode planned but will consider this feedback when we are making updates.
Anonymous 2022/02/08 11:32
Looks okay but the new design doesn't work well on MacOS Safari (I'm on v15.2): - the menu and it's links work fine - article links on the main page don't work (clicking a link does nothing); however, right-click and select "Open in new tab" works as expected
  • Paul O'Mahony 2022/02/08 14:56
    Thanks for letting us know, we are looking into this.
Anonymous 2022/02/08 10:27
Hi, congratulations on the new design! It looks modern, lighter and easier to navigate. Thank you!
  • Paul O'Mahony 2022/02/08 14:55
    Thank you, glad you like it!

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