If you've read OnMilwaukee.com before, you've probably noticed that our magazine looks very different than it did yesterday. That's because today -- after four months of preparation -- we launched a major redesign, designed to make OMC faster, easier to read and even more user friendly.
This endeavor took so long and required the hard work of so many people, mostly because of the complexity of such an undertaking. Though the custom-built software we created to run OnMilwaukee.com is just about 100 percent dynamic and database-driven, we still had to modify, edit and check 3,762 unique files. We had to train our writers how to use the new system. We had to create and upload new photography and artwork. We had to code, recode and code some more to give our readers a brand new OnMilwaukee.com.
So how's it different? The first thing you may notice is how much faster the site is running, especially during our busiest periods. That's because Web design has come a long way since our last major overhaul, nearly two years ago. Instead of using dozens of tiny images to build our layout, the new OMC uses more HTML and style sheets. That's geek talk for some, but it means we make better use of our bandwidth and hardware and can deliver a leaner, more streamlined site.
The presentation of the content is also a little different. In a recent reader survey, you asked for bigger photos, more headlines and easier access to the volumes of information on OnMilwaukee.com. To that end, we strived to make better use of the limited space on your monitor, while keeping it as uncluttered as possible. We've also attempted to showcase our advertisers -- our bread and butter -- by making full use of the cutting-edge ad formats without intruding on the OMC experience. Believe me, it's a tightrope walk, but we've put tons of thought into every aspect of the redesign, especially the usability, and hope you like it.
What's not changing? The depth and scope of our reporting. The fun, creative stories you read every day. The edge that you'll only find here, in Milwaukee's only daily magazine.
Last month, more than 325,000 visitors checked out OnMilwaukee.com, viewing more than two million pages. With Summerfest and all the great summer festivals, we expect that number to jump even higher in July. It's a long way from the Web site that my business partners and I built in my dining room five years ago.
Everyone here came together to work on the redesign, with input pouring in from our entire 11 person staff. From writers to sales people to interns to graphic designers -- and especially to the programming department -- we all brought something to the table. We know it looks different, and we'll be the first to admit that Milwaukeeans can be a little funny about change. But click around. Check us out. We know you'll like the new OMC, too.
OnMilwaukee,
Andy Tarnoff
Co-founder, Co-owner
Editor in Chief
OnMilwaukee.com, LLC
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
