I think it looks nice and beautiful. Do you have a demo site based on latest 3x that can be tested both in desktop and smartphone browsers. Please post the link.

The feel and look of the current elgg org site is attractive, fresh and almost unique too. Functionally it packs all the essential links (for example : download, documentation, GitHub) in the single screen view without much scrolling. The new re-desings of WordPress and Drupall are repulsive in the sense they are scroll-scroll and scroll with huge empty spaces, large pictures or logos etc etc - unnecessary and tiresome in desktop views. If desktop users are not of concern, for only-mobile views they may be okayish.

The Elgg org site at present has almost unique appeal and does NOT look like run-of-the-mill sites like so many other sites of 2020. What can draw new users to Elgg is integration of hype status box or something like it in Elgg core or a standard plugin, and blocking of user by user, and allowing owner of a content to edit comments on his content - the first two are standard features of all socials in real or php-script except Elgg. Plus Notifications. It will be great if the elgg org site itself upgrades to latest 3x ( or 4x when it happens) simultaneous with releases - this will mean other sites can also upgrade without difficulty to latest 3x releases. 

A new redesign should look really new, for example the Activity stream looks just the same. A great amount of thanks for your re-design efforts. Kudos!

The feel and look of the current elgg org site is attractive, fresh and almost unique too. 

The Elgg org site at present has almost unique appeal 

It is unique for its time, which was years ago. It is time to get with the times and start thinking in replacing the current theme with something more modern. Take a lot at other major frameworks:

https://vuejs.org/

https://nuxtjs.org/

https://angular.io/

https://dart.dev/

https://flutter.dev/

Some even let you try code without downloading anything. That is modern. 

What can draw new users to Elgg is integration of hype status box or something like it in Elgg core or a standard plugin, and blocking of user by user, and allowing owner of a content to edit comments on his content 

That is something that has been requested for years, and yes you are right, more features out of the box could get more developers interested in using elgg.

But why am I requesting a redesign?

I developed a multimedia site with elgg, however when I said it was powered by elgg, they went to see the site and the feedback I got was that "If elgg was secure enough, it looks like an abandoned project, it looks like a site from 2008". Luckily the project was green lighted. Elgg is a powerful framework, easy to use and develop, and I could accomplish everything that was requested

A great amount of thanks for your re-design efforts. Kudos!

Many Thanks!