Looks Nice, But ....

I visit the Web site of the AICPA, www.aicpa.org, on a regular basis, using it as a springboard to various sections on the site. I was used to a page coming up with numerous hyperlinks that allowed me instant access to what I was looking for. Imagine my surprise last week when I went to aicpa.org and saw a completely different look to the home page.On initial glance, it now has a much cleaner, uncluttered, and attractive look. There is much less text and fewer hyperlinks. I was looking for the Audit and Attest Standards section, which used to have a hyperlink on the home page that allowed one-click access. I saw on the top of the home page the terms “Standards and Performance,” but, alas, it turned out just to be a phase describing one the areas within the AICPA’s focus.

I didn’t give up. I found what I wanted sometime later, now three hyperlinks in. The trick is finding the right first hyperlink. I was tempted not to tell you. It is the not-so-obvious “Professional Resources.”

I then went looking for the PCPS Firm Practice Center hyperlink, and found no reference on the new home page. Thought I would go to the site map for help, but I couldn’t find one. So I did a search and saw that the display for the AICPA search engine has also changed. Now preceding the hits is a box that asks if you want to refine your search.

I am sure a great deal of time and effort went into this redesigned home page, but I wonder how much additional work and frustration will ensue for those, including the many AICPA members, that regularly use the site.

It would have been nice if, at the very least, an explanation was provided of the redesign, and maybe a comparison chart to show how to find material previously listed on the old home page.

It would have just added one more hyperlink to this new cleaner, uncluttered, and attractive page, and made the home page even more useful.