I'd like to say that I come for the content/community and the design doesn't matter. Obviously HN is not really known for it's cutting-edge design. But I have to agree that MetaFilter just has a very old, dusty look to it to the point that it makes me want to instantly click away. That is a real shame because building a community is incredibly difficult, while doing a bit of design touch-up is relatively easy.

Metafilter has a lot going for it (personally I think it's probably the best non-private community online, particularly in the sense that once you're an active participant it truly is a "community"), but willingness to change anything about Metafilter is not among its virtues: http://metatalk.metafilter.com/13786/The-Green-Should-Be-Whi...

Perhaps this event will provide the catalyst necessary for the Mefi community to accept some modernization.

The answer is probably completely different designs for members vs random visitors.

That's been my experience. I take one look at a page, attempt to scan the answers section for what I need, and immediately go back to the search results to find a stackexchange result where I can find what I need effortlessly.

Here's the method to discovering the answers in Ask Metafilter comment threads:

1) Answered questions have a green checkmark by the answers count.

2) All comments attached to the question are ordered chronologically, with the earliest answers first.

3) Comments accepted as an answer by the questioner are rendered with a dark green background.

4) Comments by the questioner have a light green/grey bar off to their left.

Example of 3) : http://ask.metafilter.com/261436/Should-my-math-student-have...

Example of 4) : http://ask.metafilter.com/261436/Should-my-math-student-have...

HTH. :)

HN looks almost exactly the same.

I don't get the impression that HN is desperate to keep growing and bring in new users. Usually it seems like the opposite is true.

Visiting MetaFilter this morning from this story, my first thought was "They're still using that same look?!"

There are many ways to gradually modernise a site without terrifying the herd (the way Slashdot has frequently in its past) - font and font size, headers and gradually the colour scheme, improve on-boarding, etc. It doesn't have to be done in one hit.