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Requirements for Pages
All web publishing issues involve the Office
of Marketing and Communications to ensure that IU Northwest's
web is following communication and vision goals. Our website incorporates
a user-centered design. A departmental
template was designed for use in creating departmental pages.
Departments are required to follow those guidelines when making
web pages.
Below are suggestions for IU web pages. In addition, IU has set forth
requirements in the
Benchmarks for IU Web Pages. Please also review the Policy
on the Use of Indiana University Information Technology Resources which
includes the use of web sites for organizations.
All publications, including web published pages, are to follow the Indiana University Style Guide guidelines. Policy for Web Pages
This page contains suggestions for IU Northwest web pages. In addition, IU has
set forth requirements, guidelines and policy for the use of web sites
and Information Technology Resources. Web account
access is limited to registered people as defined in IU
Northwest Website Code and Content Policy, Web
Account Access. Design policies are indicated in Coding
and Content.
Please read the following policies and guidelines:
There is not a specific policy (yet) that applies to personal
home pages or their general content. However,
all other technology and computing policies apply, For example, web
pages can not be used for commercial or illegal
purposes, or
in
a way that violates any University or campus policies. The
Indiana
University Appropriate Technology Use Policies apply
for professional and personal web pages hosted by Indiana
University Servers.
Personal web pages are for members of the IU community to express and
represent themselves to the world, and to learn how to create and maintain
web pages. In that context, resumes are perfect on a mypage
web account. Departmental web pages are to represent IU departments
and offices to the world, and as such, personal resumes may not
be appropriate. However, if a department chooses to publish the
resumes of their staff on their departmental web pages, that is their
choice.
Suggestions for pages
- Begin the Title of your page with IU Northwest and then anything
you want to describe your page. When people bookmark
your page, it will indicate IU Northwest. For example, see
the title of this page in the blue title bar: IU
Northwest Web Design Guidelines.
- Tell Your Message in the first screen - Most users will look
at the first window and leave if it doesn't keep their interest.
You have 3 seconds to catch the viewer's attention so that they
know what to expect without viewing the whole page. Use targets
and a one or two line smaller list of items so that in 3 seconds
the viewer will see what is available to select.
- Do not use Frames - There are a number of reasons why it is
strongly suggested that frames are NOT used
- Marketing & Communications Department requests that
all pages have a similar look without frames, keeping design
throughout the web similar.
- If someone wants to bookmark only one page of your area, they
cannot. With frames, it always goes back to the main page.
- When
printing with frames, people don't realize that the last frame
you clicked in is the frame that will print. Visitors may
be frustrated that they are not printing what they expect.
- Pages that are designed using HTML frames can often present substantial
navigation difficulties to both blind users and to those without
frames-capable browsers.
- Not all browsers can use frames. Try some other means
of displaying your pages.
- Webmasters in Bloomington and IUPUI say frames are
no longer to be used for development of web pages.
- Small Pages - Many Pages - Make many small pages to get your
information out there. Point to another page. Keep
information together on ONE page that the user may want to print.
For example: Keep all dates together on one page.
Point to different sections when linking to those different dates.
Should the viewer want to print dates, they would print
a
page that has ALL dates for your department. Think of what the
viewer may want to see and print, and design the pages so they can
take what
they want. It's better to print one page with the information you need
than ten pages with information you need on only a few pages.
- Print Your Pages - so you know how they will look printed.
Some pages look differently in print than on the screen.
- Use Filenames with NO spaces. This is one thing that
people forget. The pages might
show
when tested locally, but will not show on the web.
- Use Proper Capitalization - writing in all upper
case is hard to read. Use of proper upper and lower cases makes the
text flow and is easier to read.
- Link Selected Words - less is more. Web readers
scan pages for hypertext. Using key words to link is better than
linking
a whole sentence.
- Use Normal Text and Headings - Use header formatting
for headings (i.e. <h3> for paragraph headings). Users will
have a variety of browsers that will view our pages. Keep the
text normal instead of a special font. The font will not appear
the same on viewer's browsers if they do not happen to have the font
you choose.
Use html headings for emphasis and visual emphasis. All browsers
understand normal text and headings. Also handicapped individuals
use
a screen reader that indicates standard web code formatting, allowing
vision impaired users to understand the page more easily.
- Use Viewer's Browser's Colors for links - users are used to
seeing their browser show active links, followed links,
etc. in the their default colors.
- Keep Pages Navigable - Provide the user with the means to
return to upper levels of your site. Don't let the users get lost.
Lost users leave and do not come back.
- Keep Images Small and Provide Links to Larger Images - Remember
that some users are not willing to wait for that really cool image
that
takes up a ton of memory while they are looking for information about
your department. Either keep the images small or provide thumbnails
that link to larger images. Most users
will not wait longer than a minute for a page to download before they
go somewhere else and miss all the wonderful information you are providing.
- Don't Underline Items Which Are Not Links - One clue that
an item is a link is the fact that it is underlined. An underlined
item
that is not a link will frustrate users. Use bold or italics
or other such items to emphasize your words.
- Make Sure Your Links Actually Go Somewhere - Don't use
links that don't have a destination. This will frustrate the user
who
may not return to your site. BUT, you can use plain text for
a 'place holder'. That will also let readers know that you
will be having more information and give them a reason to look at
your page again.
- Keep links the same name as the page title they refer to-
i. e. link says 'Design Guidelines' be sure it goes to a page that
is titled
'Design Guidelines'. Otherwise it is confusing to users.
- Ask a Few Simple Questions - What do you hope to accomplish
with your pages?; What information will you be providing?; Who is
your
audience? What would the viewer want
to print? Does the first view to my page have links that
interest the viewer?
- Remember the End User When Developing Pages - Will the flow
of your pages make sense to someone not familiar with your department?
Will your audience need special knowledge to navigate your site? Do
the graphics enhance rather than detract from your site?.
- Departmental Pages should look the same as their front page.
This is to make our web pages look like they are from the same organization.
- Consider Continuity -Try to use similar items in your web
site. For example, the same background throughout
all of your pages, an image specifying your department or
other similar design.
- Background and Colors - If you use an image for the
background for non-departmental pages, be sure the text is easily
read. When
you print your page that uses a different background be sure the text
color is something that will print (be sure to print your page)
-
Black backgrounds and white text will not print! If you use an
image for a background, change the background color which will allow
lines and tables to show the chosen color. When a person prints
the page with a color printer, the lines will be the background color.
Use Color for emphasis on titles. Be careful coloring ALL text
on a page. Links may not be as apparent on the viewer's browser.
- View your page from more than one browser -Dial in to
see how quick your page loads. Go
to both a PC lab and a Macintosh Lab to view your pages. Go to
a computer with less memory than yours and see how fast your page
loads.
Please see information concerning copyright and other links to areas discussing
copyright by clicking on the Copyright hypertext.
Calendar items for IUN
Requirements for IU Northwest Calendar. Please see the
IU Northwest Calendar Guidelines sheet and view the examples.
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