Windows on the Web:  Makeover in Works for NABE.com

By Bruce Kratofil
NABE Webmaster

This will be an abbreviated version of Windows on the Web because things are quite busy behind the scenes.

It’s Renovation Time

We are working on a major remodeling of the website. This includes both cosmetic changes and technology changes that happen behind the scenes. For instance, say good-bye to the “naked cyberguy” who has been racing to the future from the top banner of the website since January 2006, when we had the last major redesign.  There will be some slight changes to the color scheme, but not too drastic, since NABE does have a well-established logo and color scheme.

The biggest visible change will be a new navigation menu system. Over the years, we’ve added more and more services to NABE members, which has caused an ever-expanding list of navigation buttons. The list of choices now is much larger than what most usability experts would agree is optimal. The new menu system will be a horizontal menu bar that offers the basics, but will expand to show additional choices. For instance, hovering over the Groups button will show buttons for chapters, Roundtables, Get Connected, or any other groups that may form. Any page that you were able to reach via one click from the old home page should still be reachable via a hover and one click.

As always, the design will be browser-neutral and conform to Web standards. Browser neutrality is extremely important, because the percentage of site visitors who use Internet Explorer has dropped down to 60 percent. (Friends don’t let friends use IE.) Mozilla Firefox users make up 25 percent, Apple Safari is at 9 percent, and Google Chrome is up to 4 percent. While the new menu system will rely on some Javascript, there will also be alternative methods of navigation for those people who choose to turn off Javascript (or whose IT departments turn it off for them.) We will not have any Flash-based features, other than embedded YouTube videos, since many security-conscious organizations don’t allow them.

Behind The Scenes

Not all the changes will be cosmetic. Since social media are becoming more important to our users, we will build sharing tools into the new page design. We will also work hard to unite all the Web content that now stretches over four different systems—the old website, the registration Web, the Business Economics content that is actually on Springer’s website, and the new jobs board at EconJobs.org, which is at a different vendor.

So be alert sometime after the first of the year to an e-mail that will explain password changes.

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