If you could design the ISS website, what would it look like?

ISS_after_completion_(as_of_June_2006)

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

This is what the NASA web portal for the International Space Station currently looks like.  Go take a look.  Check out the various links.  Think about the layout, the presentation, the quality of the information, et cetera.  Then, come back to this post.

Did you take some time for a really good look?

Okay, good.

I’d like to pick your brain now.  First, please tell me a little bit about who you are and why you would be interested in the ISS web portal.  Then, get into the nuts and bolts.  Tell me what you liked about the site.  Tell me what you didn’t like.  Tell me both how the layout works and how it doesn’t.  What is the site missing that it should have?  How could it be laid out to make navigation easier and more intuitive?

In other words, what would “your” ISS web portal look like?

I’m listening… and so will the team working on the redesign.

5 Responses to “If you could design the ISS website, what would it look like?”

  1. KDC  on January 7th, 2010

    Well one thing that's confusing is that when you click on some of the buttons on he left hand side you end up on pages not related to the space station.

    Another thing that strikes me odd is that there is no real overview of what the station is and does.

  2. rquintanilla  on January 10th, 2010

    It seems that the website has a lot of very good information and the website is very visually attractive. I like the mix of colors.

    At first glance nothing stands out. Everything seems to have the same level of importance. I think that the path/link to an overview about the ISS should stand out. This way when new people visit the sight they can easily spot where they can get the "ISS for Dummies" overview.

    Also, it would be cool to have the url be http://www.nasa.gov/iss…but this is just an idea.

  3. @jeffreyweston  on January 13th, 2010

    I agree with rquintanilla above about the level of importance. Generally very good, very close. Maybe a little more drill-down? I think there's an expectation of streaming minutiae (and I do generally wonder about the mundane details of the ISS) while not loosing the publicly pleasing summaries. Visually I think I'd tone down the nav elements and highlight content (probably the top nav is out of your control). So, take away: center column right, bigger pics, frequently updated, single column left all your H2s.

  4. Kevin Bracken  on January 15th, 2010

    I understand why I can't, but I wish I could e-mail the crew!

  5. montra---trimek---pig---thailand---  on July 2nd, 2010

    good—-morning——nasa—-team—–