So our biggest release since we launched was pushed live last Friday 18th at around 09:30. The site was down for around 10 hours whilst we migrated the data and the new code over and tested the application on the live servers. This release will be followed by more frequent updates to the site to improve the experience for buyers and sellers. We highlighted some of the upcoming changes in the third design post and this work has already started.

Happy customers

We were overwhelmed by the positive response to the new release. Below are just some of the tweets we received in the hours and days following the launch:

Resolving bugs

Some people helped to spot bugs and issues which we worked on quickly to resolve. The main issue was a problem with IE8 and what turned out to be a problem with two unrelated things (javascript and valid CSS) which when combined caused IE8 to crash. This is quite common with Internet Explorer versions before 9 (a problem that Facebook and Barnes and Noble have also encountered). IE8 accounts for approximately 15% of all site visits so it’s not insignificant (but neither is it the majority of visitors). The problem was fixed within 48 hours. Other constructive feedback helped to identify a few browser specific issues around the listing process. All of the issues which could be replicated were resolved within 96 hours of going live.
We also had a few people say that they struggled with the new logo and themes due to problems with colour blindness and dyslexia. The site is accessible and all the javascript degrades well so is usable for people that use screen reders for example. Colour blindness has different types and logos and branding are exempt from accessibility issues and as it only seems to be the logo and the branded themes that people have been referring to the site conforms with all key accessibility and usability guidelines.

Performance

It’s early days but comparing four days after launch with the previous week, we saw more unique visitors and a lower bounce rate which is really encouraging.

Changes

The document Site Re-design Changes in support outlines some of the changes to the new site which people contacting us about. It’s worth having a look at that to see what has changed and why.

Thank you again for all your feedback.

You can’t make out the text so I’ll repeat it here:

Knit, cast, scult, cut, sketch, carve, sew, buy, sell, go!

Folksy wants to shake up craft and design and have some fun doing it. We’re starting with folksy.com; where graduates can showcase and sell their work, exposing it to a wide audience of customers and brands. To make the site as good as possible we’d like to get some people using it and giving us their feedback. If you help us out we;ll invite you to be part of our full launch at London Design Week. Go to folksy.com for the full details

So, there you go. Just noticed that Wayne Hemingway is on the front page of New Designers. People have confused me for him [presumably not him for me?] in the past. Perhaps that’s why it went so well. I’m being mistaken for a C4 Big Breakfast presenter and shed designer. Must keep that up.

Gestation periods are usually predictable. Hamsters take around 16 days. They’re quick. The MySociety chaps knock out stuff at a ferocious pace. They’re the hamsters. Elephants have the longest gestation period of any land mammal. We’re the elephant of the web world having said that we’d be launching around this time last year. But trying to take some positives from this, elephants are pretty cool. They have laudable characteristics… good matriarchal social structures and er, big feet. We’ve got excuses for not being hamsters of course. In this horribly long gestation we’ve done a bunch of other things, as well as working to develop Folksy.

And so here we are 12mths after our near birth. We’re having a go again. The baby is moving. It’s moving largely because CJ and Russell have been pushing and prodding [can I take this metaphor too far...?]. Thank you. The due date is the 5th July to tie in with the New Designers event in London where 2000 graduates will be standing and smiling, mainly. We’ll be working with some of them and kicking off what will be a *proper* beta launch which will run until London Design Week where we’ll be doing ‘stuff’. A bunch of stuff actually. And this will be the more formal public launch.

We’ll be posting with far greater frequency. However, if you want to chat or find out more then email james at folksy dot co dot uk :)

UPDATE: just confirmed, we’ll be running workshops in a big tent at Lovebox, July 19th 20th in Victoria Park. We’ll post up what we’ll be making and who’ll be helping us next week.