iStockphoto's Redesign

Any designers out there have probably noticed the recently launched redesign for iStockphoto.  My quick reactions to the redesign are mostly good, but not without a few minor annoyances. 

Overall, it's a great refresh that brings the site and brand to a much more current and slick aesthetic. I personally love simple black & white designs for content rich sites, placing all the focus on the content rather than over-designing.  So this visual design really appeals to me.   From what I can tell, the functionality is mostly the same, changes seem to be around visual design, UI and UX.   Here are my quick reactions...

What I like

• Visual design is much improved. Very crisp, clean, current.
• Search box has an improved dropdown for selecting your format.  However this also comes with an annoyance (see below).

What I find annoying

• Search doesn't remember the last media formats you checked, forcing you to click the drop down, check/uncheck the formats EVERY time you search. This is becoming a huge pain in the butt for me.
• Lightbox list is only accessible from your account page now. Previously it was easily accessible from any page which was nice, if you manage multiple clients & lightboxes. 
• Login prompt before purchase:  Here's how it works now, if you are not logged in. You click to purchase something, and get a login in the modal. You login, but instead of purchasing the item, you return to the page, without completing the purchase. Annoying! The proper flow should continue with your purchase in the modal.

I don't have time to do a deep-dive analysis, but overall the site is improved and more pleasant to use.  However the few annoyances are a daily irritation, hopefully they will further improve the UI and usability.