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.

FMI: www.af.mil