The new osu.edu has launched.

Thank you for reading and commenting on this blog throughout our redesign process. We appreciate the feedback we've received since May. We intend to consider the many comments and suggestions you provided in our plans for continuing improvements.

With this final post, comments to the blog are closed. Additional feedback may be sent to comments@osu.edu.

Late last month, we were contacted by Rachel Reuben, a SUNY director of web communication and MBA student working on a research project about higher ed use of social media.

Rachel's report is finished--and she's highlighted Ohio State in the "best practices" section. (See page 9.)

Read Rachel's blog post about the report--and download it--here:
http://tinyurl.com/osusocialmedia

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to provide thoughtful comment on the new osu.edu. We appreciate the feedback.

Just as the current osu.edu isn't the same site we launched in 2005, the new site will adapt over time. The new osu.edu can--and will--change to better suit users.

For example, a couple of recent updates we hope you'll notice:

• Pull-down menus on all the audience buttons now give users quick access to the links they need most.
• The lower half of the page has less text so it's easier to scan and has a cleaner look.

The wait is over: The new osu.edu is running in preview mode alongside the current site.

The new site includes several new features:
* A second-level International page.
* A new O-H! spirit page.
* A revamped Visitors' page.
* Image of the Day.
* A blogroll featuring the online journals of faculty and students.
* The latest O-H-I-O photo submission appearing on the home page.
* An events podcast (Buckeye Loop).

Lantern reporter Allison D'Aurora recently wrote about the redesign and blog.

Check out her story, "University creates more user-friendly web site."

What aspects of osu.edu will change, and what will remain the same?

You can help us answer that question by telling us what you want out of your university web site.

As of now, here’s where some familiar osu.edu features stand:

* Just like before, osu.edu will be a one-stop shop for the functional: webmail, the campus map, find people, and a directory of Ohio State’s web sites.

When people hear we’re redesigning osu.edu, their first question is often, “Why?”

The many answers to that question fall under an overarching theme: Web communication is changing quickly and we’re making sure Ohio State’s home page keeps pace.

User expectations have changed a lot since 1995, when we first launched osu.edu. (See how the home page has changed since then.)

For instance: