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Website Standards

The CMU website exemplifies our brand personality. We're authentic, impassioned, accountable, involved and innovative. Having a unified web presence makes for a great user journey. Below are standards for creating and working on pages. 

Accessibility standards 

We are committed to creating a web experience that is inclusive to all users through meeting accessibility standards.  

Text and images

Do not use text on images. The text is inaccessible to people using a screen reader.

If you must use an image where text is present, be very descriptive in the alternative or alt text. Use image captions and alt text to add text related to the image.  

Incorrect use of text with an image.

DO Not Use Incorrect Image

Correct use of text with an image.

To achieve our mission, we adhere to the core values of integrity, respect, compassion, inclusiveness, social responsibility, excellence and innovation

Buttons and links

Buttons and links should be descriptive for screen readers and skimming. 

  • Incorrect: Read more
  • Correct: Read more about ADA standards 

Headings

H1 is for the Page Title widget only.

Headers should follow the appropriate hierarchy, H2-H6 and should not be bold.

Page headers play an important part in Search Engine Optimization and accessibility. While it does affect the page aesthetics, it is critical to use them properly to ensure the page functions properly.

Style standards 

Page titles and headings

Headings should follow sentence case and include no punctuation. 

H1 is for the Page Title widget only. Headers should follow the appropriate hierarchy, H2-H6 and should not be bold.

  • Incorrect: Preparing To File Your FAFSA, Preparing to File your FAFSA! 
    • Exceptions include proper nouns, acronyms, and some marketing-related content.
  • Correct: Preparing to file your FAFSA 

Page titles need to be descriptive so they can be easily searched for on the site and to give the reader the best experience. Pages such as about, frequently asked questions, etc. should include the page topic in the title. 

  • Incorrect: About Us
  • Correct: About the Office of Research and Graduate Studies
  • Incorrect: FAQs 
  • Correct: Study Abroad frequently asked questions

Additional considerations:

  • SEO Impact: Utilizing full titles improves visibility in search engines, making it easier for users to find relevant content related to their searches.
  • User Experience: Clear and descriptive titles help visitors immediately recognize the content they are accessing, enhancing their overall experience on the site.
  • Accessibility: Full titles provide essential context for users relying on assistive technologies, improving navigation and usability for individuals with disabilities, impairments, and limitations.

Contact information shouldn't be a standalone page, it should be on the department home or about page. It can also go on every page in the left-hand navigation content area. 

Links 

Page titles and headings should not be linked. Linked page titles and headings violate accessibility standards.

When inserting links:

  • Do not use ‘Click Here’ as your call to action.
  • Do not paste the direct URL into the content. 
  • Use a button with a call to action that describes what the user can expect when they click on the link OR 
  • Hyperlink text that describes what the user can expect when they click on the link. 

Faculty and staff directory pages

 The People widget is the standard for creating a department directory page.

CMU’s AP style guidelines 

Bulleted lists 

  • Each item in a bulleted list has the first word capitalized. 
  • A period is added to the end of each item in the case of sentence fragments as brief as two words, but it does not apply to lists of one-word items or personal names. 
  • The second-to-last bulleted item does not end with “and.” 

Phone numbers

  • Should be formatted xxx-xxx-xxx. 
    • Incorrect: (989) 774-4000
    • Correct: 989-774-4000

Email addresses

  • No hyphen in email or online. 
    • Incorrect: e-mail and on-line
    • Correct: email and online

Dates

  • Dates follow the format of Month Day, Year.
    • Eg. Jan. 3, 2022. 
  • A span of years follows this format: 2021-22. 

Time

  • Per AP style, use lowercase a.m. and p.m.
  • For example: 9:30 a.m.

Departments

  • Capitalize names of Central Michigan University departments, centers and offices. 

Majors and minors

  • Names of majors or programs of study are lowercase.

Voice and tone

Use active voice when writing to show action and be sure to shift your tone to address serious subjects appropriately.

Using "We Do"

Using "We do" in headlines is exclusively reserved for content that speaks directly to hands-on, experiential learning for our students. When writing headlines, think carefully about your subject: Are you talking about a place or an outcome of an experience? Or are you talking about the action or actions students are completing?

If “We do” does not work as a headline, it leads to a great opportunity to infuse bold and fun branded messaging, such as a pun or a play on words.

Active voice

In active voice, the subject acts upon the verb.

In passive voice, the subject is the recipient of the verb's action.

  • Active voice: Students will present their research. 
  • Passive voice: Research will be presented.
  • Active voice: Our students get their hands on active learning opportunities. 
  • Passive voice: Active learning opportunities are provided to our students.

Be authentic

Make it all about "you" for the reader. Use we, our, ours instead of CMU, Central Michigan University's or the institution/university. Use you, your, yours instead of CMU students, CMU faculty or the CMU community. 

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