Environment DEC
From the April 2007 issue
DEC's Redesigned Website Going Live Soon!
DEC's public website is an important source of timely information about the environment and natural resources in New York State. In 2006, DEC's website received an impressive 9.2 million visitors, an increase of more than 2.5 million from the previous year. The current design of the website was developed more than 4 years ago which is a long time in the life of any website. A new design is currently under development to better communicate with the public and improve the user experience.
Nearly 10,000,000 visitors used DEC's website in 2006
Before work began on the new design, DEC web staff looked at several years worth of results from a website survey currently available on the site. These results reflected what users found worthwhile on DEC's website and identified what could be improved. Members from the public were also invited to participate in a focus group to develop a website topic organization that was more intuitive to website visitors. Additional information was analyzed from website visitation statistics.
New Topic Organization of Information
As a result of the analysis, DEC's thousands of web pages have been organized by topic. Currently, the website is organized according to the agency's divisional structure. But if, like many people, you're unfamiliar with how DEC is organized, the new, topical approach to navigating through DEC's web pages should make finding what you're looking for much easier.
Easier to Remember Web Address
Along with a new look that makes the site more user friendly, DEC's web address will change to www.dec.ny.gov which is simpler and easier to remember. Of course, if users type in the old address, they will automatically be redirected to the new site.
Continuing Committment to Service
With the new design debuting later this spring, DEC's website will be more efficient in providing information to people about the state's natural resources, environmental quality and recreational opportunities.
