WebSite X5 gets a refresh
Published by Incomedia in WebSite X5 News · Wednesday 27 Mar 2019
Some people embrace change, others resist it at all costs. But change is inevitable, and sometimes even crucial. Here at Incomedia, after years of intense development, we clearly perceived the need to overhaul our company's image, and that of its products.
We needed a more modern, dynamic, and streamlined image, to reflect the principles that have always guided our work.
We started with the logo and Incomedia's website.
Then, it was WebAnimator’s turn. Now, finally, we’re coming full-circle with WebSite X5.
We're thrilled to re-introduce you to WebSite X5 and its new look.
We’ve re-thought and re-designed all the elements of its identity. And now we want to share with you the reasons behind our choices. In the hope, of course, that you’ll welcome them with the same enthusiasm we felt while making them.
Logo and Colors
Up to last year, Incomedia used different logos for the company itself and for all of its products: there was no consistency, nothing that linked them or suggested they all belonged to the same family.
Incomedia’s logo seemed outdated to us: its shapes and colors were hard to use in different contexts, meaning it could no longer adequately represent us either online or offline.
We went back to the drawing board:
2 partners
It’s not just about our team, but both about us and you: the company and the user.
Collaboration
2 equally active partners in a mutually beneficial exchange.
Connections
2 partners connected by shared skills
Infinite
2 partners therefore linked by a relationship of continuous growth.
CO (two letters)
The second syllable of the word In-co-me-dia, alluding to concepts like collaboration, cooperation, community, connection, contact, became the basis for the logo.
This in turn led us to lean towards simple lines and curves, a hand-drawn font, and a subtle palette with sunny, punchy yellow accents.
Then we applied our brand's new style to the products, choosing a brighter, more whimsical palette for WebAnimator, and more serious, re-assuring colors for WebSite X5.
The logos now convey that feeling of cohesion we were looking for: the feeling of family. A family in which, of course, each member has its own, specific role and its own identity, and which will easily welcome new members when it' s time.
Name
You know you're becoming friends with someone when you start shortening their name: calling them “Tom” instead of “Thomas”, or “Liz” instead of “Elizabeth”.
We realized we weren't the only ones nicknaming WebSite X5's editions, using “Evo” and “Pro” instead of their full names, “Evolution” and “Professional”: you do it as well while using WebSite X5 to create your websites. We see it when you send us e-mails or social media posts.
We love seeing the trust our users feel towards WebSite X5, so we decided to encourage it by emphasizing simplicity and directness.
That’s why WebSite X5 Evolution is now WebSite X5 Evo and WebSite X5 Professional is now called WebSite X5 Pro.
New: WebSite X5 Go
The best way to appreciate WebSite X5 is to start using it: that’s when you see how easy it is, and you realize how much you can do with it.
To make sure that everyone can discover WebSite X5 and create their first website, we also launched the completely free Go edition.
WebSite X5 Go has 15 templates and the necessary features for creating and publishing a showcase website. It’s the perfect springboard: dive in with Go, go deeper with Evo, then graduate to Pro.
So if you're not using WebSite X5 now, start right away with WebSite X5 Go.
Versioning System
We introduced the Update Protection because we wanted to be able to release updates and improvements as soon as they're ready instead of just launching a new version once a year.
And that’s what we did, with 3 important updates in less than one year:
- March 2018: version 15
- June 2018: version 16
- November 2018: version 17
We realized, however, that by continuing this versioning system for releasing updates we could create false expectations, especially for those who have been using WebSite X5 for a long time and assume that new versions mean radical changes in the program.
That’s why our latest release isn’t called WebSite X5 version 18, but rather version 2019.1, meaning it's the first update of the year. The next update will be 2019.2, and so on until next year, when we’ll start over again with 2020.1. Each update adds new elements and features to the software, and you can receive them all just by maintaining your Update Protection warranty.
Graphic Interface
New logo, new color palette, new name: it’s no surprise we went ahead and designed a new interface for the software.
We didn't just update the colors to match the new brand identity, either. Instead, we added improvements to make our software even more user-friendly. Most importantly:
• Status bar
We needed to get organized: the 
and 
buttons got labels explaining what they do, and the 
and 
buttons, which refer to the open window and not the whole project, have been moved down.
and buttons got labels explaining what they do, and the and buttons, which refer to the open window and not the whole project, have been moved down.• Window tabs
The window tabs moved from the right to the left: located under the title, they are easier to find and leave enough room to emphasize the and buttons.
and buttons.• Font and Controls
The font hasn’t changed, but we increased the size and aligned the labels to the right so that they'd be closer to the fields they refer to. This improved the contents’ legibility, which, combined with the new controls, makes the software easier to interact with.
Website
Our website is the showcase that brings together and displays all the work we’ve done. We started this long re-branding project with people in mind: the people here at Incomedia, all of you that have chosen to make our software part of your lives, and the lively community we all built together. It seemed only right for our website to emphasize people alongside WebSite X5 itself.
That’s why we highlighted 5 of you, who have followed us for many years despite your very different lives and ambitions, and who used WebSite X5 to create your own websites. If they could do it, so can you! After all - as those of us who love it know -WebSite X5 is as simple and intuitive as it is comprehensive and powerful. It’s perfect for achieving professional results quickly, even if you're not an expert.
Templates
Finally, we decided that the change shouldn't just be internal, but should extend beyond the software itself and to the sites you create with WebSite X5.
So we had our designers create 100 new templates from scratch. You’ll find them all in the software's library of template presets, replacing the now outdated templates we had before.
Unlike those older templates, the new templates are complete projects: they're mini-sites with layouts, pages, and content that’s ready to edit. Thanks to the new, navigable live preview, you can view all the details and immediately choose the one you like best. Once opened, the templates provide an excellent starting point that you can change and customize to meet your needs. Basically, these new templates give you the boost you need to quickly achieve your goal: your amazingl website online.