Web, UX and Accessibility
Student Life Web Design Guidelines and Procedures
The Web, UX and Accessibility team manages all websites for the Division of Student Life. We support the following content management systems:
- Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)
- WordPress
- Google Sites (Henquarters staff intranet)
Most web edits, updates and changes should go through the Web, UX and Accessibility team; however, there may be instances where a unit member may have limited access to the website for specific purposes. Requests for access must go to Sean Diffendall, communications manager for Web, UX and Accessibility for approval and training.
Websites should be kept up to date on a frequent basis—as often as information changes. Each department or unit is responsible for reviewing their content and submitting regular updates through the project request form. The Web, UX and Accessibility team requests a one- to two-day turnaround time for small updates and edits, but these are often completed in less than 24 hours.
Page Creation Guidelines
Requests for new web pages will be reviewed by the Web, UX and Accessibility team. In some cases, a full page may not be necessary or recommended, but we will consult with your team to find the solution for including the content.
Pages should have a cohesive theme and topic or a primary call to action.
Text volume should be limited on a page to ensure the content is consumable and user-friendly.
- Keep in mind that text is compressed on mobile, potentially increasing the perceived volume.
If content is low-volume or related to content on an existing page, adding it to an existing page may be the best solution.
Anchors can provide direct links without separating pages.
| Requested Update | New Page | New Section / Content | UD Events and/or Social Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional information about existing program | ✔ | ||
| Addition of new program in a series | ✔ | ||
| New content unrelated to anything existing on the current pages | ✔ | ||
| New content related to an existing topic on the current pages | ✔ | ||
| Introduction of services not mentioned on existing pages | ✔ | ||
| Announce new event | ✔ | ||
| Provide full details of new event | ✔ |
Accordions
Accordions can be used to reduce page length and clutter, improve scanability and minimize scrolling.
- Accordions should be used primarily for information that is less relevant to the user, thereby reducing cognitive load.
- Avoid using accordions for small bits of information, such as a single link or sentence.
Accordions cannot be nested inside other accordions. This creates an accessibility issue.
Analytics
Standard analytics dashboards are available for the following Student Life websites:
- Career Center Website Dashboard
- Center for Black Culture Website Dashboard
- Community Standards & Conflict Resolution Website Dashboard
- Disability Support Services Website Dashboard
- Division of Student Life Website Dashboard
- Fraternity and Sorority Leadership & Learning Website Dashboard
- Orientation & Transition Programs Website Dashboard
- Residence Life & Housing Website Dashboard
- Student Diversity & Inclusion Website Dashboard
- Student Life Blog Website Dashboard
- Student Support Website Dashboard
- Student Wellbeing Website Dashboard
- University Student Centers Website Dashboard
You can change the scope of the data using the date selection dropdown, or review the data for specific pages or groups of pages using the "Filter by page" dropdown.
Colors
The Web, UX and Accessibility team will use the approved UD color palette and adhere to the UD Color Accessibility Chart and WCAG contrast standards.
- Colors outside the palette can be added to the page through imagery and photography.
- Requests for custom colors may be approved depending on need (e.g., diversity or culturally-significant colors or custom branded event series).
Friendly URLs
In certain instances, a shortened URL may be appropriate, such as:
- Promotional items with small imprint areas
- Digital signage
- Print materials
The Student Life Web, UX and Accessibility will request official "udel.edu" friendly URLs through the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) on a limited basis.
Friendly URL requests are reviewed and approved by OCM through twice-monthly deployments, on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
Links
- Avoid using ambiguous link text (e.g. "Click here" or "Read more").
- Add links to meaningful text or a call-to-action to indicate where the link will take the user (e.g. UD Undergraduate Admissions).
- Don’t use a url as link text. (e.g. https://www.udel.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/)
- Avoid repetitive links on a single page.
- Don’t add an email link to regular text. Users won’t automatically know the link will open an email client. Type out the full email addresses and then link that email address (e.g., Contact johndoe@udel.edu for information).
- All telephone numbers will be hyperlinked for mobile use.
Menus and Navigation
The Web, UX and Accessibility team encourages a limit on the number of top-level navigation options to seven to 10 items.
Menus can have no more than two sub-levels. This is a web platform restriction and usability best practice.
- Navigation labels should be concise, familiar and comprehensive.
- Don't use internal or branded terms as navigation labels. Instead, use broader language to describe the service offered.
- Avoid vague labels such as “learn,” “explore” and “discover.”
- Navigation labels should be front loaded with the most important words.
PDFs and Documents
PDFs are meant for distributing documents that users will print. They are not inherently accessible and are not optimized for browser and mobile device viewports. PDFs should not be sent electronically in email communications and are only recommended for printing use cases.
Linking to a Google Doc or Google Sheet from our websites should be avoided. These formats are also not inherently accessible and can be unreliable if access permissions change.
The Web, UX and Accessibility team will review all PDFs and documents to determine the most appropriate format for the content. In most cases, the content should be converted to a new web page or HTML content on an existing page.
A PDF may be appropriate if the document:
- Must be printed
- Is an interactive or fillable form or worksheet
- Is longer than 4–5 pages (these will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis)
Documents and PDFs that meet these criteria and are linked from UD websites or related online platforms must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, level A and AA standards. The PDF Accessibility Checker in Adobe Acrobat should be run to fix any accessibility issues. The Web, UX and Accessibility team will review and perform final accessibility remediation on PDFs before they are uploaded.
Documents and PDFs should also be reviewed by the SL Content team for AP style and branding before being uploaded to the web.
When a revision of an existing PDF on a website is needed, please note the revision date in the document itself (e.g. in the footer), not in the filename.
The PDF on the website will be replaced. Please note that the Web, UX and Accessibility team is not responsible for maintaining an archive of departmental policy and form documents.
Text and Readability
The SL Comm will review content for AP style, accessibility, readability and brand guidelines and edit as needed. We are happy to share insight into the changes and aim for consensus, but please be aware the SL Comm team is the final authority on web deliverables.
Try using the Hemingway App to improve the readability of your content.
