Publications Standards Manual - glendale community college

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WEB PAGE STANDARDS When creating a web page that will be a part of the www.gccaz.edu website, it is important to keep your page uniform within Glendale Community College brand standards as outlined below. Colors The primary colors on our web page are the GCC school colors as well as white and shades of grey. See page 9 for exact color mix and secondary palette. FONTS GCC website fonts (typefaces) are predetermined and cannot be changed. Use header tags and the WYSIWYG editor to add bold, italics and other font styles. Font Style Tags include: Normal: Body text H3: Headlines H4: Sub-headlines Menus All pages have standard left-hand menus. Each department will have 5 to 7 menu buttons. If you need to add another menu link and page to your navigation, contact college.advancement@gccaz.edu Header and Footer Header and footer content are globally assigned to all pages and cannot be customized. Future alterations will appear on all pages. Main Content / Body of Page Keep our brand in the back of your mind and write content that is relevant to the USER or audience. Remember that most internet users will not scroll down your page. So keep content short and to the point. Body Layout Department pages include a top of page static banner image and static images along the right hand side of their page (‘static’ means images that do not move, rotate or have other motion effects). Web content editors will learn how to add static images to their pages during Drupal training. Images of People If you use any people (staff, students or strangers), you must have them sign a Model Release Form, and the form must be filed with the College Advancement Services office. ADA Compatibility To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we must include an alt tag with every image (photos, graphics, logos, etc). An alt tag is simply a brief description of an image that a screen-reader uses to let a visually-impaired person know what is on the page. You will learn how to add alt tags in the Drupal training class. Test, Test and Test Again! Click all links, navigate to different pages, use your forward and back buttons and make sure everything works and is where it should be. If you can, test your content and user-interaction. Show the webpage to someone who could represent your target audience (maybe a student or someone who knows nothing about the information on your page) and ask them to use your site. Can they easily find information How long do they stay on your page Do they get bored quickly Is your page visually appealing And You’re Done... For Now Update your pages to keep them current and relevant. Up-to-date information increases the accuracy of search engine results, and builds the trust of your online audience. So, keep your content current. GCC Publications Standards Manual - Last Updated July 2013 14
Writing Effective Web Content Brevity-The Soul of the Website People read website differently than a printed page. Nearly 80% of us scan webpages, trying to quickly determine what’s relevant and reading only 20% of the text on a page. Write your page content—then cut it in half! Users won’t scroll through a mass of text. Cut, cut, cut until your message is distilled to its essence. Use concise and very short paragraphs that communicate a single idea. • Aim for 300 words per page. • Write meaningful page titles and sub-headings that make information easy to find. • Don’t waste space welcoming readers to your page. There is no need and it will be ignored. • White space makes pages more readable. Clear and Concise Communication Write content that is easy to read and understand. This is not the place to show off your extensive vocabulary. The average US citizen reads at an 8th grade level. Avoid big, scholarly words or technical jargon. Don’t use acronyms or “insider” language. Poor spelling and grammar brands the college as “unprofessional.” Out-of-date information degrades the trust of the user and creates a poor user experience. Studies show that 79% of all users scan webpages for links and images, and read 25-50% slower when reading from a computer screen (that’s why they scan). Break up large block of text with headings, subheads, and bulleted or numbered lists. Divide complex topics into coherent “chunks” organized by topic. Important Information First Use the journalist’s tool of the “inverted pyramid” and write the most important or most newsworthy information first. Use the active voice and write dynamic (but short) sentences. Write as little as possible, but as much as necessary. Subheadings Help Subheadings help clarify the subject of various page sections and help readers skim the page for information. Creating Emphasis Be selective about what to emphasize. Too many elements compete for the reader’s attention. If you use proper headings, short paragraphs and bulleted lists you should not need much else. Highlight key words in bold – but be careful. Too much bold makes text harder to read. Do not underline text. It will be mistaken for a broken link. Don’t use ALL CAPS. It feels like YOU ARE SHOUTING AT ME. Avoid abundant exclamation points. Use italics sparingly. They can be hard to read. GCC Publications Standards Manual - Last Updated July 2013 15
Page 1 and 2: Brand & Standards Publications Manu
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the
Page 5 and 6: GCC LOGO The primary identity consi
Page 7 and 8: UNACCEPTABLE USAGE Add or substitut
Page 9 and 10: FONTS & COLOR FONTS Fonts used with
Page 11 and 12: BUSINESS STATIONARY Letterhead, bus
Page 13: Glendale Community College reserves
Page 17 and 18: Commonly Misused or Misspelled Word
Page 19 and 20: MEDIA POLICY & INFORMATION DISTRIBU
Page 21 and 22: Grammar & PUNCTUATION Cultural sens
Page 23 and 24: WHICH WORD IS IT a or an - Use a wh
Page 25 and 26: WHICH WORD IS IT flaunt or flout -
Page 27 and 28: Marketing, Design & writing Proofin
Page 29 and 30: Design and presentations • On ave

Publications Standards Manual - glendale community college

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