WikiWand is a web app that offers a new, more
modern design of
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is one of the most important
websites in the history of the Internet.
It’s the community-built source of
information for the world, free and easy to use (unless your persuaded by the
company’s annual requests for donations).
A team of independent
developers, however, thinks they can do better.
WikiWand reimagines Wikipedia’s layout, updating
it for an easier reading experience across devices. After installing the
WikiWand Chrome extension, Wikipedia is transformed into a sleeker, more modern
site each time you visit it. There’s a navigation menu on the left-side of the
screen, while text and images flow more seamlessly together on the right side of
the page.
It’s a cool redesign, and all of the information is the same
as what you’d see on the regular Wikipedia
page.
Although there are definitely benefits to
WikiWand’s interpretation of how Wikipedia should be
designed, the format can take a while to get used to.
The
Wikipedia design has been around for a long time, sure, but that also means
users are accustomed as to how the site should be navigated. The redesign is
useful, but it ultimately seems unnecessary.
At least there is an option to
return to the regular format by clicking “Read on Wikipedia” in the menu options
of any article on WikiWand. But if you can’t stand the outdated look of
Wikipedia, WikiWand is superior in many aspects.
The site also donates
30% of its profits (although it is free to use) to the Wikimedia Foundation, so
you don’t have to worry about the original site being cheated out of any traffic
or money. It’s a cool concept, and it’s nice to see designers taking advantage
of Wikipedia’s open-source
information
With thanks to AllMyFavs
