Resources
Style Rules for Features
These rules supplement the official style rules with items specific to the front page of the website and the related Events & News pages. These rules derive from guidelines and examples of Godat Design.
Front Page Layout
Most of the front page is fixed and not subject to editing. This includes the header with all its graphics and links; the three-line titling; the rightmost column (Research, Undergraduate, Graduate); and the footer.
These rules, then, apply to the two variable columns: Featured (Research) and Events & News. Several rules are common to both of these columns.
Front Page Features
Edit only between the horizontal bars. Don't change the header title and link or the View more link.
Maintain the existing style, including the stylized form of the Learn more lines.
Begin each column with a high-quality image sized at 223 by 180 pixels. Don't make a border as part of the image; that's done by the style sheet. Images with people are encouraged.
Start with a very brief <h2> headline, ideally limited to one line. Keep the text to a brief summary, about 20 to 40 words. There should be a "Learn more" link for more information.
If a second major item is to appear, it is separated by a horizontal rule (<hr />) and begins with a 223 by 96 pixel image.
Featured Research Column
Items in this column rotate from the collection on the Featured Projects page. Add a new item first to that page, in alphabetical order, and then copy it to the front page. The Learn more line will generally link to the project's web page.
Events & News Column
The first item in this column can be either a news feature or an advertisement for a future event. For a future event, it may be possible to use a photo from a past event, or just a generic photo of students.
Anything significant enough to warrant a featured entry here should have its own dedicated page with a more complete description. The details of that depend on whether it is a news story or a future event.
The column ends with a few future events, each a single line with a link.
Events & News Page
The Events and News landing page is similar in spirit to the center column of the front page, but it contains separate columns for news and for events.
The web design allows either column to begin with a 223-pixel-wide image, although we haven't been doing that. If both columns use images, they should be the same height.
The News Stories column should list and link the freshest "major" new items — those with separate pages. These may be freshly written (see example) or copied with attribution from University Communications (see example).
The Coming Events column should list the closest forthcoming events, one per line, with links.
News Stories
The News Stories page lists all news items, large and small, with links. Newest items appear first; old items are never deleted, just pushed down.
Event Calendar
The Event Calendar page lists both coming and past events. These are still just one-line entries with links, but there is room for slightly longer lines. Links can be to existing pages (for example, the University Commencement page) or to specially written pages. As the date of an event passes, it is moved from the Coming section to the Past section.
Multiple Locations
Note that just about everything covered here, excluding only minor news items, appears in multiple locations: on an interior page, on a landing page (except featured research), and possibly on the front page. This makes a little more work, and producing both long and short versions of an article is not something easily automated. Don't forget to edit all the applicable places.
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