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Gallaudet > Clerc Center > Integrating Technology > Help > Style |
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Clerc Center Web Style GuideThe Clerc Center is a unit within the division of Academic Affairs, therefore we are subject to style guidelines determined at the University level. In addition, there are style guides written for web page authors that we try to follow when appropriate. The Yale University Web Page Style Manual is considered the foremost such authority. We also follow the Editorial Standards from the Gallaudet University Office of Public Relations. Additional guidance and opinions are available from the Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines, Software Usability Research Lab, Jakob Nielsen, David Siegel, and Lynda Weinman Web sites among others. Check our HTML and Web Resources for links to other related resources. During the fall of 2001, a six person committee developed the design and layout of our current Web site. We strive to maintain a consistent look throughout the entire site as a way to help visitors navigate easily amongst our 2,000+ pages. There are, however, older pages within the site that have not been revised. Below are some additional guidelines worth noting:
Use appropriate <META> codes that provide a good description of the page as well as important keywords that will help people who use search engines. Regarding backgrounds: please use backgrounds appropriate for the material you are presenting. For example, if you want the information you are presenting to the world to look professional and authoritative, use a solid white ("#FFFFFF") background. If you are displaying Team 1/2/3 art work, a more playful background may be appropriate. Avoid backgrounds that make the text difficult to read. Please do not use backgrounds that are extremely commonplace on the web. Be different. Make your own or ask ISCS to provide you with one if you really need a distinctive background. If in doubt about the appropriateness of any backgrounds or images, please contact Ken Kurlychek or Sydney Lasry at ISCS. Place the the Clerc Center banner at the top of every page. This design was approved by a Clerc Center committee and is intended to allow visitors to our site to quickly identify the institutional ownership of the page. The banner should link to the the Clerc Center home page. Simply view the source of this page and copy the appropriate code at the top. The best solution is to simply place your content inside the body of our template. Please do not center all text. You can center a table containing your text, but not the plain text. Avoid "free-range text". That is, do not let your text run from margin to margin unless the special needs of your page require it. It is difficult to read long lines of text. You can restrict the flow of text by using tables set at 400 to 500 pixels wide or a percent of the width of the page such as 80%. Using a percent allows the visitor to adjust the browser window to suit their needs and will wrap properly for printing. Please avoid using too many horizontal rules (<HR>), graphic lines, the code, "under construction" signs, scrolling messages, huge, slow-loading graphics, or inordinate amounts of graphic bullets. These things all scream "amateur." Insert width=, height= and alt="description of image" in all <IMG SRC=> codes. This helps the text to download almost instantly while the image takes its time to appear. Try to make your site accessible to as many people as possible, including those with text-based browsers and slow modem connections. The best way to learn how is by visiting Accessible HTML Guidelines. We will be developing a policy statement on accessibility in the near future. BreadcrumbsWe encourage the use of "breadcrumbs" as a way to let visitors know where a page is within the entire Gallaudet domain. For example, the breadcrumbs on this page are: Gallaudet > Clerc Center > Integrating Technology > Help > Style. Visitors often find their way to a Web page by a search engine so they may not see your start page. That is why it is important to have clear identifying information on every Web page in a site. Always include a contact person or email address, the last date of revision, our copyright link and the University's address. The Gallaudet "G" logo is optional. Click Here!You see this expression used all over the Web but that doesn't make it the right way to call attention to a link. But don't just take our word for it. Read what some other experts say: |
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