| *\Conan/* |
05-17-2002 11:18 AM |
New Smithsonian Web Site Here
With the launch today of the Smithsonian's redesigned web site, the Institution will possess a greatly-improved presence on the World Wide Web, giving us a powerful new tool that will dramatically extend the reach and impact of our programs and collections. It represents a long-overdue and important step forward in our continuing efforts to improve the ways in which the Smithsonian impacts the lives of millions of people.
The Smithsonian's home and top-tier navigation pages have been transformed in a number of meaningful ways and are now capable of quickly linking users with a massive array of images and information about exhibitions, events, research news, visitor information, donor opportunities and membership options. In addition to easier access and more direct links to our museums, major research facilities, the Zoo and national programs, the new site also offers an entirely new feature, called Explore & Learn. In this area, for the first time, our on-line resources are organized by topic - Art & Design, History & Culture, and Science & Technology - rather than organization, making it far easier for visitors to tap into the depth and range of the Smithsonian.
These are all enormously positive changes, the result of a collaborative effort between senior management; representatives from many Smithsonian museums, program offices and organizations; and R/GA Digital Studios, an interactive design agency that is a recognized leader in the field. Funded by Smithsonian Business Ventures, the project required R/GA not only to assess the SI site but devise a new information architecture, provide a new "look and feel" that is both sophisticated and intuitive, and create a strategy for making changes to the site. |
