As you may have noticed, things look a lot different around here.
It had been several years since The American Prospect Online upgraded its website and, well, it showed. The design was outdated, the functionality problematic, the structure pretty static. As we expanded the amount and variety of our content, it became increasingly clear that the time had come to revamp, both in terms of design and (just as importantly) the back-end.
Today you see the results, which we're pretty darn happy with, and hope you will be too. Our new look was designed by Brown and Ryan, our Content Management System (the technical stuff) is by BrowserMedia, and the whole thing was made possible by support from the Schumann Center for Media and Democracy. Here's what to expect:
If you're reading this, that means you've successfully managed to register and log in to the site. Just to reiterate, that registration is completely free -- no strings attached -- and only something you'll have to do once on your computer. If you're not a print subscriber, once you've signed in you'll be able to read all the content on the site except articles marked with the
icon, which are available only to print or e-subscribers. Web exclusive articles are those marked "web only." Articles icon, which are available only to print or e-subscribers. Web exclusive articles are those marked "web only." Articles not marked that way are from the print issue of the magazine. (Makes sense, right?)
As for the new site itself, the redesign was done not only with aesthetics in mind -- like more photos and art -- but also with the goal of achieving much more user-friendly and intuitive navigation. The tabs at the top will guide you through the site and also separate different kinds of article content (debates and interviews, Special Report material, etc.). And regularly updated previews of posts from Tapped and Beat the Press now appear on the homepage as well, so you can see what's going on over on the blogs when you check out our other content. Meanwhile, the new site allows us to package and display various articles and content in infinite new ways.
Other new features emphasize interactivity: Comments on all articles, reader polls, a "most read articles" list on the homepage, "featured contributors" so you can get to know our writers better, links to related content on every article page, and more. We'd of course like to hear feedback as you look around the new place, and we hope that the comment thread to this letter can serve as an early forum for offering thoughts, suggestions, and questions. (You can also send us an email at letters (at) prospect (dot) org -- mark the title as "redesign.") No doubt, there are some remaining kinks and issues we'll be addressing immediately as we find them -- or hear about them from you.
As for content, the quality and quantity will be commensurate with the quality and size of the new site, with topical articles as well as longer reported pieces featured along with the usual mix of columns, commentary, analysis, and debates. On the blog side, Dean Baker and all of us at Tapped will still be doing our thing, and some further blog expansions will be coming soon.
The Prospect is a small operation; we've been working very hard on this redesign for a long time now, with the goal of making the site a destination -- and an experience -- worthy of your commitment as readers. We hope you like it.
