Back in 2006 local 199’s website was redesigned at the time we used the latest technology and design tools to create a state of the art website. When the site was released the feedback was very positive from the membership. Local 199’s website won several awards for both design and content. Since the last redesign there have been many changes to the website but to be honest it is showing its age and was time to redesign the website again. The fact that it lasted ten years is pretty impressive and a tribute to everyone who contributed during the design process and with content over the years.

Everyone thinks computers do all the work, all you have to do is cut and paste its easy. Contrary to this popular misconception a lot of work and though needs to go into the design of a website especially if you want it to have some longevity. During the design process we asked what kind of website do we want, it should be modern, easy to navigate have all the features such as the interactive phone directory and flicker connections. It should have all and content that the old site had but better organized and easier to find and up to date. Members asked for monthly updates for obituaries, improvements to the calendar and updated content. From an administration perspective the website had to be easier and quicker to update and also function well on mobile devices. We also wanted to include a live news feeds from the national union. The good news is the new design incorporates all of these features with one exception and meets all of our initial goals. However, it is completely different and I would like to explain a few of the changes.

When you open the home page you will see the events calendar the GM chair Report the phone book and the image gallery theses were the most frequently used features of the old website and were prominently positioned on the front page and easy to find. If you scroll down the front page you will see a three rows, the executive board, the units and the GM reps, each can be expanded to see more and each can be opened to a single content page with information related the heading.

If you look at the top of the page you will see a menu bar which has a drop down menu of related items, I will not explain each menu but I do encourage you to click on each item and explore.
A new features is under the heading 199 News, if you click on the around the local tab you will see postings from different reps the newest posting is always on top. The Events Calendar is not new but it is certainly an improved design. Obituaries are also listed under this tab will be posted monthly and achieved. Another new landing page was created for the GM reps, they are all grouped together on one page but each can be opened to display information pertaining to that particular rep. These are just few of the features of the new website. Once again I encourage you to explore and see if you can find all the old features you liked and in the process discover some of the new features.

We welcome your feedback and constructive suggestions.