It’s about time. Of all the government sites I regularly use, DHS is the most difficult for me to find what I’m looking for. Not sure exactly why. Possibly the content managers for the DHS website had their hands full just trying to get all those sub-agencies integrated into the main DHS site.
DHS has a link to the plan for the new site that states that the new website will be organized by topic, not based on the DHS org chart. That’s a good start, but it’s something DHS should have realized years ago. Here’s Beckner’s take on the proposed redesign:
This new architecture is a slight improvement over the current site, but I think it’s still too hierarchical, in the manner of a static website circa 1998-2000, and not designed in a way that reflects the inherently networked nature of homeland security, linking content across the multiple content verticals. And I don’t see anything in the plan that indicates that DHS.gov will develop newer capabilities such as RSS feeds, live streaming video, podcasts, and online chats. (For example, see how the State Department’s website uses these tools.) Finally, the new info architecture diminishes the importance of critical infrastructure protection, which should be one of the most important areas for general outreach via the website. It would split CIP-related information into multiple categories, instead of providing a single portal where those responsible for the security of different types of infrastructure can find information.
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