The Wikipedia Usability Initiative just rolled out some design changes to the popular free encyclopedia Wikipedia that you can opt in to see with a user account.

Changes to the navigation system make getting around the site more intuitive, and give the horizontal set of tabs at the top a slicker gradient look and feel. The search box has been relocated to the upper right instead of in the lefthand sidebar, bringing the site more in line with user expectation about where to find the search function.

On the editing side, the toolbar for the rich text editor gains improved icons that make it clearer what action each button performs. The buttons have been broken into expandable sections as well, giving you a way to cut down on the visual clutter when editing. One of the expandable dropdown sections is a Help section that shows at a glance what the wiki syntax is for common formats.

To check out the beta redesign for yourself, you'll have to either have an account or create one. You'll see a "try Beta" link in the upper right-hand corner which will allow you to opt in to see the design changes. If you'd like to revert back to the classic look, just click the "Leave beta" link that will be at the upper right after you've toggled the beta version on.

Overall the design changes look like a positive direction for Wikipedia in terms of usability. Both the reading and editing modifications make the site appear a bit more modern and friendly and less utilitarian. Below are some screenshots of the read and edit interfaces before and after the changes.

Before

Read interface:









Edit interface:









After

Read interface:









Edit interface:







