Wikipedia:Discuss and draft graphical layout overhauls
 | The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption. |
Discuss and draft graphical layout overhauls instead of using a highly visible page as a sandbox. While articles can improve by this normal method of small, unorganized edits, page design is different. When many users edit a page for layout, different plans can conflict, and the article may get worse. This process of attrition is what this guideline is meant to prevent. For example, Help:Contents had many unharmonized edits that brought a clean, good design to one with a very unorganized lead.
As such, we highly recommend that users not make these sort of style edits unilaterally or on a whim. This may seem to violate the spirit of the Wiki, but the resulting hodgepodge of design elements that are not cohesively linked, formatted, colored, and organized far outweighs this philosophical consideration. Instead, we encourage discussing changes on the appropriate talk page, and creating a draft in a sandbox. This encourages consensus and would avoid a gradual erosion of the page's design by many uncollaborative edits.
Please note that this guideline does not apply to most pages—see the next two sections.
Usage
What is it for?
This guideline applies to only a handful of pages that share common characteristics: They are highly visible, often linked to from the "navigation" box on the left of the screen. They use colors, icons, or intricate methods of layout to convey their information, complex enough to have to be "made by hand". And they cover broader areas of Wikipedia, often linking to more specialized pages. You should not make unapproved design edits to these types of pages. To help you identify them, examples of the most common ones follow.
- The Main Page. It is permanently locked to guard against vandalism, and as a side effect the design is in stasis. With the exception of a major, prolonged redesign, the design has stayed constant.
- The Community Portal. This page is notorious for an ever-changing look. Don't add to it!
- Help:Contents. This page needs to be user-friendly. There's a long running dispute over icons, and the needed simplicity is often eroded.
- Featured content, Featured articles, Featured lists, and to a lesser extent Featured pictures and Featured portals. These pages need to be kept cohesive and form a unit. Any new design should incorporate all of them.
- List of topic lists, Portal:Browse, Wikipedia:Browse, List of glossaries, and Wikipedia:Browse by overview. These pages are also of one style type.
- Any other pages that seem similar to those listed above. Use common sense, and follow the spirit, not the letter, of this guideline.
What is it not for?
This guideline does not apply to most pages and some types of edits. The following remain unrestricted.
- Articles. Perhaps most importantly, this guidelines does not apply to articles. Since page formatting for articles is less complicated and much more standardized, we encourage users to format articles, as layed out in the Manual of Style.
- Portals. Many portals have chosen colors arbitrarily, and you can go ahead and change them. But beware: some portals do not have an arbitrary color scheme. For example, most portals related to countries use the colors of the nation's flag. This is usually obvious on a case-to-case basis.
- Most other pages. Pages that are used for discussion, policy, guideline, userpages (if it's your own) or the like are all fine.
- Content edits. Changing text, even in a page that this guideline applies to, is fine. Major changes — such as a complete rewrite — should be discussed first. But most things, such as adding a sentence or correcting a typo, are fine.
- Consensus edits. This guideline does not bar you from editing the page layout, just editing it without discussing it with other users. If you have talked about it on the talk page and the community approves, go for it. Always build on the existing page design. Don't compromise the work of others.
Procedure
If you have an idea for a new design of page that uses a graphical layout, the first thing you should do is bring up the idea on the talk page (if there are subpages, use the main talk page). If you can code, create your design in your own sandbox (User:Foo/Sandbox) or a subpage of the page you are working on (Help:Contents/Redesign). Get as much of the design made as possible if you are assembling it from existing code (or you can write it yourself). If your idea is more abstract, not based off of any existing design, just discuss it and see if someone can create it. But unfortunately, a great idea is worthless unless you can make it a reality.
Do not use the "live" pages as sandboxes! Incomplete and flawed designs on highly visible pages are the very thing you want to prevent. Instead, use your sandbox to perfect your design. If, when, and only when your design is flawless should you present it to the larger community. A message on the Community bulletin board is usually enough.
It is best not to have a strict vote on the design. Voting is evil. Talk it over. See the general reaction. Address some of the concerns people have, and build consensus. Use this as valuable feedback, and don't worry if it takes a bit longer to get the design uploaded. We have all the time in the world.
If someone refuses to cease editing applicable pages, make sure they know about this guideline. Protect the page if necessary. Aim towards calm civility. If they continue to blatantly violate this guideline, ask for help from other users. If you need to take further action, it should be because they are simply uncooperative (that is, they are dicks) and not based soley on this guideline.