Mod Browsing Overhaul Discussion

[Shichi88]

On 3/13/2025 at 9:03 AM, mfPixel said:

Hey everyone, head of design at Nexus Mods here - thanks for all the feedback so far.

I wanted to provide some context for the recent search changes. The old search system made switching between content types (e.g., games and mods) difficult, and only the "Mods" category had a results preview. The new quick search improves this by making it easier to browse all content types while allowing you to preview more results.

We designed the new modal to be highly visual. During testing, we experimented with a more compact list view, but most users preferred larger thumbnails, as images are often the key factor when scanning for mods, collections, and especially images. If you're solely focused on mods, it’s easy to forget that users browse other types of content too.

Quality-of-Life Improvements

• You can now activate search instantly with the `/` hotkey and dismiss it with `Esc` for quick access.
• Keyboard navigation is coming soon, so you’ll be able to search and browse without a mouse (if that's your thing).
• Search is now much better at handling inexact queries (e.g., “baldurs gate” without an apostrophe) and includes keyword matching (e.g., “fo3” will return Fallout 3).

The general feedback was very positive in testing and during the closed and open beta periods. It’s been interesting to hear from people saying it’s helped them discover more new mods than they previously would have. I understand that this is a big change visually from what you’re used to - there is some extra functionality to coming where the initial screen will show your recent searches and saved games. This will make the modal feel less empty when first opened.

Why the Colour Changes?

The updated colours are part of a broader design transition. We’re rolling out brand-new pages soon, and these changes help make the experience more seamless when switching between old and new designs.

For those who have been using the site for years, we know big updates can be jarring—I’ve had the same reaction to changes on sites I love! But these updates are necessary to modernise the site’s core architecture, allowing us to build and release new features more efficiently. We really appreciate all your feedback and are excited to keep improving Nexus Mods.

If you wanna modernise, at least make the UX better not worse. I dont understand the need to change the site so drastically instead of doing small changes over the course of months or the likes, at least give us an option to fall back to the old layout, this is not any better for browsing.

[HadToRegister]

3 hours ago, Iluviel said:

Hopefully you'll get used to the changes soon

And there it is.

We're going to do BETA tests, and will listen to your feedback, but as usual, it ALWAYS boils down to this...

[mfPixel]

52 minutes ago, NawmSayin said:

The changes to the search features are fantastic and look great - I think the old search bar was the main shortfall with the site. However, I do think the game specific front pages are a bit of a regression. The effort to make them more clear/readable actually has the inverse affect. It's very plain verging on drab and as others have said it not as appealing to browse the site when not looking for something specific. Theres no distinctive style and it's a bit generic. Hopefully now that the funcional part is implemented, the aesthetics of the site will get some love. I think the good far outwighs the bad. I'm around long enough to remember the previous site redesign and people weren't crazy about that one either! :L

Thanks for your thoughtful feedback. We’re glad you’re enjoying the new search. This release is a foundation for us to build on, and we’re excited to refine the game homepages to make them more visually appealing. We know this is a big shift for long-time users, and will take some time to settle in. However, these updates will enable us to iterate and improve much more quickly—something that was challenging with the previous version.

[Adlais]

My site just updated and my first thought was "ew".

I really appreciate attempting to update the site's visuals, but this really isn't it imo. The site looks cheaper and visually "sketchy" if that makes sense, it could be down to my personal preference, sure, but if I were a new member I would be far less trusting of this site than when I initially joined. 
I haven't really minded the majority of the pages, but the "main" page for a game looks much worse than it did, which is a pretty significant issue when that's the page you spend 80% of your time on.
Less fits on the screen at once, making it much less convenient to browse mods, which is of course the entire point of the site, and the gradient in the background makes the page more difficult to read while also reducing the aesthetic of the page.

[RomanR]

2 hours ago, Iluviel said:

40% of our users browse Nexus Mods on a mobile device, you're not the only user we are catering for. Whilst we always keep desktop users our focus (as modding happens on a desktop), we have to cater for everyone.

We're also an old website, with a really wide range of users across all demographics. Not everyone can cope with small, concise and densely packed information. Some users need content well spaced and easily readable. The new design accommodates everyone, regardless of your needs.

Please try to keep your feedback polite, swearing (even obfuscated) isn't pleasant or polite.

Problem is that mobile device doesn't mean a smartphone with display height oriented only, as I was trying to point out. You're just focused on smartphones while ignoring everything else. And when I saw updated design of Oblivion game page this afternoon, the result is even worse  than I thought in my opinion. Not just a wasted space, deep black background versus bright  white text with colorful pictures making it over-contrasted and not fit to view for long for example. This is a complete misunderstanding of how the UI should look and how it should be used. Sorry to say, but I perceive this part as utter failure. 

[mtkkiller]

Man i'm so happy i paid once for a lifetime account years ago, those "people" are just making bad decisions on bad decisions, they do not deserve the money.

[WndMll]

2 minutes ago, HadToRegister said:

And there it is.

We're going to do BETA tests, and will listen to your feedback, but as usual, it ALWAYS boils down to this...

Now that I've seen that all hope is lost, let's just hope there will be someone out there willing and annoyed enough to make a browser extension or a tampermonkey script that fixes it.

[Isguros]

9 minutes ago, mfPixel said:

However, these updates will enable us to iterate and improve much more quickly—something that was challenging with the previous version.

How quick is quick, cause this site is in dire need of a visual upgrade. 

[Lollia]

Just now, WndMll said:

Now that I've seen that all hope is lost, let's just hope there will be someone out there willing and annoyed enough to make a browser extension or a tampermonkey script that fixes it.

 

Just like how modders already do for so many games? 

[WndMll]

Just now, Lollia said:

 

Just like how modders already do for so many games? 

Not comparable but I see what you're getting at.