Redesigning USDA Online

You may have noticed a fresh, new look on USDA.gov last night – we’re excited to announce the launch of our redesigned website!  Our redesign team has been hard at work designing a new look and feel that should make navigating our site more user-friendly and intuitive.  In support of our One USDA approach, we strive to provide a consistent, high value online experience that focuses on our users’ top tasks and requests.  One USDA unifies our mission areas and offices to provide all of our stakeholders with a cutting-edge experience that empowers education, decision-making and action.

Not only did One USDA inspire the design of our new website, it also describes the collaborative redesign process.  Using only in-house expertise and resources, the collaborative effort was led by our Web Communications Division and agency web professionals who contributed to the information architecture and design elements, a significant cost savings for the Department.

In an effort to deliver the information you need most, we’ve cleaned up the design and offer the USDA Blog, Newsroom and Agency Reports right on the homepage. If you’re interested in a particular topic, hover over the Topics list and select from the key issue areas. Many folks visit USDA in search of Programs and Services so we added this section to the top navigation that will stay with you throughout the site. Think of Programs and Services as transactional or support relations with the Department.

Our creative broadcast, photo and new media teams produce rich content that illustrate the wide scope of activities and programs from across the Department. The Stay Connected bar delivers you the best photos, videos, blogs and links to our social networks at the click of your mouse. Be sure to sign-up for e-mail updates when new content is available on these channels. We rolled out a new e-mail subscription service a couple of weeks ago so you can receive updates on the latest information from our newsroom, social media sites, radio production as well as specific topics of interest. If you haven’t already, sign up for updates and always be in the know!

There’s still more work to be done.  Now that the site has a new look with many navigation improvements, we will start the second phase of really digging in to the content of the site to make sure the most relevant and current information is available. Be on the look out for more exciting improvements to come!

We hope you like it and find getting around USDA.gov easier and more enjoyable, and please – let us know what you think. Feel free to reach out to the USDA on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments section below.

This post originally appeared on the USDA blog.

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