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A few updates to Mumsnet 🎨

1000 replies

LizzyMumsnet · 18/09/2025 15:29

You might notice things are looking a bit different today. We’ve given Mumsnet a colour refresh, based on feedback from you in our surveys (thank you!).

We’ve also moved a couple of things around to reduce clutter and make things easier to find:

  • Watch now sits under the OP post
  • Report has moved into the meatball menu (the three dots on posts)

As ever, we’d love to hear what you think, so please share your feedback below.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
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49

KatyMumsnet · 19/09/2025 14:14

Pinned

Hi all, just to update - thanks for all your feedback - we've been going through it carefully.

To address some issues raised so far about the changes:

  • Colours and contrasts were all checked for accessibility, and both the new blue and the new post colours meet AA standard and in many cases AAA which is gold standard for accessibility (the old blue and new blue both pass at exactly the same rate), AA is the standard across the majority of websites. That said, we know some of you are finding the new colours harder to look at on certain devices, so we will be making the colours a shade darker to increase contrast and provide more distinction.
  • No change has been made to the brightness of the white background on posts.
  • Removing the username and timestamp from deleted and withdrawn posts is a bug, which we’re fixing now.
  • We’ve also heard concerns that highlighting your own posts so clearly could cause issues in domestic violence situations. We are taking this feedback very seriously and will be implementing a setting so people can hide the labels.
  • Moving the Report link was a data-based decision following no material change in the number of reports in testing but we’ll be monitoring closely to make sure it doesn’t reduce the number of useful reports and of course we won’t hesitate to move it back, should we see any decline.
  • We will also be adding different background shades for posts in dark mode.
Other questions that have been raised:
  • Save vs Watch: Save will add the thread to your saved list without notifying you. Watch will notify you about updates to the thread (unless you disable notifications).
  • We are currently working on the problem with not landing in the right place on the thread when you click back. It’s a complicated issue, so it’s taking a little while to fix - but we are on it.

It will take a few days to make these updates, but we’ll get started right away and you should begin seeing the changes on the site next week.

Thanks again for all your feedback!

NoBinturongsHereMate · 23/09/2025 19:53

Those of you looking at Active for the first time and hating it should have seen it yesterday. It was much worse.

Glad to have my purple and green back, and a modified blue, but I agree with others that the overall page impression still seems brighter and more glaring than it used to be.

JaneJeffer · 23/09/2025 19:40

Has the grey option gone now? FML

CoubousAndTourmaIet · 23/09/2025 19:03

@KatyMumsnet
My eyes still don't like the blue. I'm partially sighted in one eye and still struggling with blurring of my good eye with that blue.

NotAtMyAge · 23/09/2025 19:02

Luxio · 23/09/2025 18:59

I've genuinely stopped using the active page. I can't look at it, its just one homogeneous mass of brightness.

I think I'm one of the lucky ones as I've never used that page. I joined for the feminism board. Just had a look at Active and I can quite see why you're still so unhappy. It's awful.

Luxio · 23/09/2025 18:59

JaneJeffer · 23/09/2025 18:22

The active page is still jarring on the eyes

I've genuinely stopped using the active page. I can't look at it, its just one homogeneous mass of brightness.

Boiledbeetle · 23/09/2025 18:40

@KatyMumsnet I see not all classic colour options have been reinstated. Where's Olive gone?

I'm going to have to be blue, (which I can live with as it always annoyed me when we couldn't have blue), now as 'classic' green is just not cutting it for me.

A few updates to Mumsnet 🎨
A few updates to Mumsnet 🎨
ratinamustardhat · 23/09/2025 18:32

JaneJeffer · 23/09/2025 18:22

The active page is still jarring on the eyes

Yes, it's still blinding.

IwantToRetire · 23/09/2025 18:32

JaneJeffer · 23/09/2025 18:22

The active page is still jarring on the eyes

Strangely I have never used the "Active" page.

So took a quick look and had to turn away. Not joking.

That antagonistic blue lettering all over the page would be bad enough but with more blue.

Am beginning to wonder if web accessibility needs to take into acount not just the usual (and rightly) concerns about those who have problems using a keyboard etc., and those with visual impairments, but something that take into account others less overt conditions.

Same as they give warnings on tv about flashing lights.

pigsDOfly · 23/09/2025 18:26

Very pleased to have the old colours back.

JaneJeffer · 23/09/2025 18:22

The active page is still jarring on the eyes

Stravaig · 23/09/2025 18:07

Old colours sort of back, the relief, thank you!

It's not just blue that's fluorescent btw; the pink voting buttons on any thread with a poll are also too brightly lit.

Agree with everyone else that the default for bubble labels should be OFF, for everyone's safety.

Can we also turn off the MNHQ bubble label please; it is also intrusive, and it is quintuply redundant, what with the MNHQ-specific colour coding, and the MNHQ usernames, and the top-of-thread alert that MNHQ has commented, and the embedded link to all MNHQ posts. I think we'll get that MNHQ has spoken.

DeanElderberry · 23/09/2025 17:54

hooray for the return of suffragette colours, bye bye nasty salmon fishpaste

NettleandBramble · 23/09/2025 17:51

The banner on the bottom and 'new' are still too bright. I think they may have been changed slightly? but even in night blue blocking mode it's still too much.
I'm getting round the problem by holding my thumb over the bottom banner when I read. It's not ideal.

A few updates to Mumsnet 🎨
Mummyoflittledragon · 23/09/2025 17:49

NettleandBramble · 23/09/2025 17:47

That's the Mumsnet post colour. You should have two classic colours now that can be used for the op and for your posts.

Thanks yes, I realised after I posted. I think you must have posted while I was changing my post. Silly me. 🤪

IwantToRetire · 23/09/2025 17:47

Just to be absolutely clear.

The problem blue is the one being used for the background to buttons and the banner at the head of the web pages. And labels.

In fact its brightness undermines the contrast with the white lettering.

It needs to be a duller blue (not paler) so the white lettering stands out NOT the blue surround.

As someone who is impacted by light, this lack of change continues to make MN hard to use.

But as someone up thread suggested maybe that is a good thing.

Less time on MN.

Is that what you want.

NettleandBramble · 23/09/2025 17:47

Mummyoflittledragon · 23/09/2025 17:44

Oops ignore that. Sorry. I see I have to go on other threads. MNHQ was always a different colour. I forgot.

Edited

That's the Mumsnet post colour. You should have two classic colours now that can be used for the op and for your posts.

Mummyoflittledragon · 23/09/2025 17:44

Oops ignore that. Sorry. I see I have to go on other threads. MNHQ was always a different colour. I forgot.

A few updates to Mumsnet 🎨
Mummyoflittledragon · 23/09/2025 17:42

I have the suffragette pink back, well it’s not as good. But not the green. I don’t understand. And the blue (I’m talking about the banner and buttons eg “post’) is still way too bright. We seem to pretty much all prefer the slightly duller blue of yore. It was more sophisticated.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 23/09/2025 17:39

Thanks for the classic colours back and the ability to switch off the tags on the posts

Helleofabore · 23/09/2025 17:33

I think there is some confusion about the blue.

the blue on blue on the thread listing pages is still not contrasting enough. And the pink colour for the ‘read’ posts is also not working well contrast wise.

PractisingMyTelekenipsis · 23/09/2025 17:27

Thank you for giving us the old colours back.

IwantToRetire · 23/09/2025 17:23

Yes thanks for old colours.

But I think there is some confusion about the blue being complained of.

In the past MNHQ posts were on a not strong but clear blue. Now it is one of the pasty bleached out colours.

The blue colour that is the problem is the strip across the page.

It is far too bright, and although contrast with the white lettering for options just adds to the dazzling effect.

At least for me that is the problem.

The shiny stark blue used for buttons.

Please one in down. It jangles my eyes and is all over the place.

Quite happy for a navy blue.

Also, it must be clear that whatever you aimed for, was not conveyed to us the users.

How is it a refresh to bleach colours?

Seriously, what was the intent.

Added to which how did this refresh mean I got subscribed to your mailing list.

What a mess.

BestIsWest · 23/09/2025 17:19

Thank you for giving us the original OP and own post colours. Much appreciated.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 23/09/2025 17:15

Thank you very much for giving us both sets of colour options, @KatyMumsnet KatyMumsnet. Happily back with green and purple now.

Lisyo · 23/09/2025 17:03

Is there any chance we can have the watch button at the top as well as the bottom of the thread? I know you can drop down into the menu but the space is literally there at the top too and it would be much ewsier?
thank you

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