Know Your History

Curious about your genes? Who isn't?

Today I'm reviewing the site www.accessdna.com.

This site specializes in genetic history, allowing users to access vital information and share with other users. I recommend it to anyone who may be concerned about a possible disease or ailment that runs in the family.

Now to my review....

At first glance the site is nothing special. It looks like any of the other millions of CMS sites on the web today. It's not horrid, don't get me wrong, but it could use work. The site is setup at 800X600; I don't know anybody who still uses this resolution. Users prefer sites that utilize screen space, are easy to read and are easy to follow. The body of the page contains 4 repetitive, non-appealing blocks which offer no interaction and no additonal information beyond the header.

Besides the overall appearance, the site works well. One of the biggest pet-pieves is a site with broken links and errors. This site is not one of those, it has been put together well.

Functionally, however, it works like a charm. I followed the process to get a "Personalized Report" and even though the questions were numerous, it wasn't a burden and didn't tire me out. The site offers an extensive pool of labs around the country, so you know that the results won't be biased.

There is a section from Community and Education, both of which are meant to offer more detailed information regarding related illnesses. In reality these two sections could be combined as most people seeking answers have questions. There is very little in the form of actual info yet since the site is still in Beta, but it is very easy to use, so users will be able to use these features with relative ease.

All in all, the biggest downside to the site is it's front page. If it could offer more content and instant access to resources from the beginning, then people would be more apt to contribute and get involved in the site. I love the Videos link on the bottom, but it's ON THE BOTTOM. YouTube isn't successful because they have the best because they've got the best videos, it's because they have moving content that jumps out at you. Polls, Questionnaires... these things are a great way to get people interested in a site, but they're nowhere to be found.

That's all I've got. A lot of work on the format, a little on the content, but it's functional!