I just noticed that Amazon.com has been redesigned. They made it easier to find the shopping department you want with a left-side navigation menu that displays a submenu when you hover over a main category. And they made it so much easier to find someone's wishlist. Also, when you are in a section you can see the other sections of the department and easily switch to them. It might actually make Amazon.com more usable for many people.

I know I have always had a difficult time in the Account section trying to find the right place for the information I needed (such as gift certificate balance or how to rate one of my recent purchases). Unfortunately the account section now focuses on highlighting purchases recommended for you, and the account options are crammed into a right-side navigation menu. So that still needs some work.

I like a simple and uncluttered design because I know how to handle a site. But the nice submenu display on each page that shows you others sections of the current department adds a lot of height to the top of the page and pushes content lower down (at least with my font display size set to 16pt). The design is being tested and you may or may not see it when you visit Amazon.

Below is an image they posted on their demo site explaining the site design features. What are your thoughts on the new design?