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Web Style & Design Guidelines

bullet Required Elements
bullet Suggested Elements
bullet Web Developer Checklist
bullet Guidelines on Formats: HTML vs. PDF
bullet Passwording

bullet Required Elements

Major module redesigns should be submitted to the entire web group before being posted to the live site.

Minor changes or updates should be approved by the appropriate department or division head or the contact person they designate.

Each page must:

  • have a last modified date, when possible
    • (some pages generated on-the-fly by databases cannot have a last modified date)
  • include a copy of the University of Arkansas tower logo in some form
  • have an email link or means of contacting the departmental liaison responsible for that area
  • be proofread and spell-checked
  • be reviewed at least quarterly to check for dead links or outdated content
  • meet minimal accessibility standards:
    • W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (preferred)
    • U.S. Section 508 Guidelines (acceptable)
      • each image should have a descriptive alt tag
      • use "skip navigation" to move users to main content quickly
      • animated or Flash images or films should be avoided for general pages
      • frames should be avoided, unless each frame has a title tag and a noframes version of the page is also available
      • acronyms or initialisms that might be misunderstood by screen reading software should be avoided or labeled with <acronym> tags (not available to Netscape 4.7X)
      • color contrast should be sufficient to distinguish text from background; extensive use of color to denote emphasis should be avoided.
      • text should be resizable through the browser (CSS should not specify pt, px, or em sizes for body text)
  • have permission from the copyright holder if any copyrighted material is used.
    • (Procedures for obtaining & documenting permission are forthcoming)

bulletSuggested Elements

Each page should:

  • conform to XHTML or HTML 4.0 Transitional
    • avoid browser-specific tags
    • be checked in print preview
    • be checked in both Mozilla/ Firefox and Internet Explorer
    • be checked in a legacy browser, such as Netscape 4.X
      • Although pages do not have to degrade completely for legacy browsers, authors should attempt to make pages functional for older browsers, if not pleasing to the eye. A browser detect function is available.
    • be checked on a Mac as well as a PC
    • be checked on the W3C validator page
  • be checked at different monitor resolutions
    • page design should be fluid to accomodate most monitor sizes and resolutions
    • if specified, absolute width should not be wider than 800 pixels
  • have root relative, rather than absolute links for portability to another server:
    • file in the same directory :
      • filename.asp
    • file in another directory:
      • /other directory/filename.asp
  • have "breadcrumbing," or a "page tree"
      • (that is, a pathway back through the site for navigation)
  • use file names that are easy to type and self-explanatory
    • avoid spaces in file names
    • avoid underscores in file names
    • use lowercase letters as often as possible
  • avoid browser-specific terminology
  • use link labels that identify the source of linked information, e.g.:
  • have standard links to electronic resources that will point the user through the library proxy server, if necessary
  • use graphics appropriately
    • use meaningful Alt tags
    • place graphics files in the local /libimages/ directory, rather than storing on a remote server
    • check load times for modem users
      • a load time of under 20 seconds at 28.8 bps is recommended
      • There is a free load time checker at NetMechanic.
  • use mailforms, rather than mailto: links when appropriate
    • this will allow users at public computers to send email or suggestions without configuring a mail program
    • example mailform link:
    • http://libinfo.uark.edu/mailforms/mailgenerator.asp? prefix=email&name=FirstName&LastName
    • where email = uark.edu prefix (e.g. bsmith)
  • use a standard linking structure for library databases (this will avoid having to redo your link if the database moves:
    • example database link:
    • http://libinfo.uark.edu/eresources/help.asp? TitleCode=PQD
  • avoid personal authorship attribution
Checklist for Web Developers

Web developers should regularly review new pages against the checklist.

Guidelines on File Formats

The web page can support a wide variety of formats, including HTML, PDF, and office applications such as Word, Excel, or Powerpoint. Consideration should be given to how the page will be used and by what audience.

  • HTML works well for
    • documents that have many links to external data and require lots of hypertext links to be used successfully
    • for text that is relatively stable and won't change frequently
    • material that is not highly formatted (columns, tables, indents, interesting fonts)
  • PDF works well for
    • documents that have lots of formatting
    • documents where page numbers and page layout are important
    • documents that are often revised or rewritten
    • documents that are going to be printed for later consultation

PDF files are generally much larger in size than plain HTML files.

Interactive documents in MS Word or MS Excel formats should offer a clear explanation of what the user will need to do to save a file, edit, and print it. In general, these are only appropriate for the StaffWeb.

Guidelines for Passwording Pages

Because the Libraries want to share techniques and procedures that might be useful to other libraries, only sensitive internal procedures or documents should be passworded. Passwording is appropriate for detailed InfoLinks procedures, for documents which discuss database pricing, or for procedures related to building and server security or accepting gifts.

 

Last modified: Thursday, January 25, 2007