New AARP web site

AARP has relaunched of its Web site, AARP.org. In the words of the press release:"The new Web site targets boomers with social networking opportunities, expert content and entertainment tailored to their unique needs. One of the key components of the newly revamped site is the expansion of AARP Bulletin’s print publication into a daily news site, AARP Bulletin Today, the only online news source catering specifically to the 50+ demographic."

I have only had a chance to scan the site but my first impressions are mixed. Yes, I like the contemporary look and feel but I find the complexity of the home page rather off-putting. Also, the amount of the screen available for content is around a third – the rest is taken up with ads and navigation. This ratio doesn’t feel right.

It doesn’t appear that they have done very much to improve the effectiveness of search. There doesn’t appear to be any “Advanced Search” feature or the ability to display the search results by relevance or date (i.e. Google like searching).
I need to have a much longer look at the site but I wonder if AARP hasn’t sacrificed usability to improve the design. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

I would be interested to know what other people think of the site. Dick Stroud