Something In Blue, Perhaps?
The Air Force unveiled
a new look, feel and functionality for its official Web site
Sunday.
"Air Force Link, the service’s Web site, will have a
cleaner, more modern look," said Leslie Benito, chief of news
technology and project manager for the redesign for Air Force News
Service, a part of the Air Force News Agency.
Air Force Link provides news and information on the Air Force to
more than 1.2 million visitors who are provided more than 12.8
million Web pages a month.
The new AF Link is not just about a new look, Benito said,
it is about improved functionality.
In fact, this is the fourth time the look and functionality of
Air Force Link has been revamped since its creation in 1995. Each
new version built upon the lessons learned from the older one and
incorporated additional features.
"It’s been more than four years since the site had a major
face-lift so it was time for an overhaul," said Bob Goode,
AFNS chief of communication design. "We’ve done our market
research and testing, and the final product is something
we’re proud of."
The redesign team looked at all the major commercial news sites,
what the other services were doing, and delved into a score of
other new approaches that have appeared on popular Web sites using
the latest technology.
"Navigating the site will be easier," Benito said.
"We’ve also added many new features."
One of the biggest customer concerns was the site’s search
engine.
"We’ve revamped the entire search function and added the
power of Google," Benito said. "The new search feature will
not only allow sitewide searches, but can scour specific categories
to narrow results."
Another improvement is the enhanced subscriptions management
section, allowing customers to subscribe and unsubscribe from more
than 15 print products delivered via e-mail.
Additionally, usability of the photos section has vastly
improved, Benito said. The photo sections is second only to
the news section as the most viewed are of Air Force Link.
"We have a more compact design which allows visitors to get more
photos, faster, on one screen," Goode said.
Culminating five months of hard work by the redesign team, the
new Air Force Link will be ready to serve a growing worldwide
audience with an improved online experience that is setting a new
standard for military Web sites, Benito said.
Air Force News Service is an operational directorate of the Air
Force News Agency. Its mission is to provide timely, accurate and
relevant Air Force and Department of Defense news and information
to the Air Force community and the public. It does this using
print, electronic and Internet-based computer products.