Alt text is a way to label images, and it's especially important for people who can’t see the images on our website. Alt text should describe the image in a brief sentence or two.
When you upload a new image to Drupal (library.albany.edu), you will be required to add Alt text to save it to the system. This Alt text will then "stick" to this image and you won't have to worry when you insert it into your page or other pages.
LibGuides and other platforms do NOT require Alt text, so you will have to remember to add it on non-Drupal platforms.
For more on how and why to use alt text, check out the Accessibility Cheat Sheet
Buttons should always contain actions. The language should be clear and concise. Capitalize every word, including articles. It’s OK to use an ampersand in button copy.
Standard website buttons include:
Use title case for menu names and sentence case for menu items.
see Links
Form titles should clearly and quickly explain the purpose of the form.
Use title case for form titles and sentence case for form fields.
Keep forms as short as possible.
Only request information that we need and intend to use. Don’t ask for information that could be considered private or personal, including gender. If you need to ask for gender, provide a field the user can fill in on their own, not a drop-down menu.
Headings and subheadings organize content for readers. They should include the most relevant keywords and cover/highlight the main point(s) of the page.
Headings and subheadings are written in sentence case. Avoid using end punctuation except for question marks or when a heading is two or more sentences.
Organize headings and subheadings hierarchically, with headings first, followed by subheadings in order.. (An H2 will nestle under H1, an H3 under H2, and on down.)
Tip: LibGuides and LibAnswers have H1/H2 built-in so you don't have to worry about them. Use H3 for your content sections.
Provide a link whenever you’re referring to something on an external website. Use links to point users to relevant content and trusted external resources.
⊗ Don’t include preceding articles (a, an, the, our) when you link text. For example:
If a link comes at the end of a sentence or before a comma, don’t link the punctuation mark.
Be descriptive. Don’t say things like “Click here!” or “Click for more information” or “Read this,” "Learn more." Write the sentence as you normally would, and link relevant keywords.
⊗ Don’t use generic link labels
⊗ Don't: use “naked” link labels
Links should look different than regular copy, strong text, or emphasis text. They should have a hover state that communicates they’re interactive, and should have a distinct active and visited state. When setting the hover state of links, be sure to include focus state as well, to help readers using assistive technologies and touch devices.
⊗ Don’t set links to open in a new window.
Links open in the same window by default. In the majority of cases, the behavior should not be overridden to have links open in a new window. Setting links to open in a new window may cause accessibility issues and eliminates the ability of users to control the activity.
Use lists to present steps, groups, or sets of information. Give context for the list with a brief introduction. Number lists when the order is important, like when you’re describing steps of a process. Don’t use numbers when the list’s order doesn’t matter. Be consistent.
If one of the list items is a complete sentence, use proper punctuation and capitalization on all of the items. If list items are not complete sentences, don’t use punctuation, but do capitalize the first word of each item.
Use PDF only for documents that users will print.
PDF causes usability issues including:
You may want to consider:
Reference Style Guide (PDF)
Reference Style Guide (PDF, 5 pages)
Reference Style Guide (PDF, 5 pages, 2MB)
Reference Style Guide This resource provides a summative overview of style guides including what a style guide is and suggestions for exploring style guides across the disciplines. (PDF, 5 pages, 2MB)
Learn more:
Nielsen, J., & Kaley, A. (2020). Avoid PDF for On-Screen Reading. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/avoid-pdf-for-on-screen-reading/
Nielsen, J., & Kaley, A. (2020). PDF: Still Unfit for Human Consumption, 20 Years Later. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/pdf-unfit-for-human-consumption/
In my search I didn't see a great use case to Embed a PDF directly on a webpage. Has anyone else seen a good case? LP
Use title case for headings and sentence case for button fields.
Titles organize pages and guide readers. A title appears at the beginning of a page or section and briefly describes the content that follows. Titles also tell search engines what a page is about, and show up in search results.
Titles are written (you guessed it) in title case. Don’t use end punctuation in a title unless the title is a question.
Videos may be embedded on a web page.
When embedding a video:
Don't rely on video to convey information. If users aren’t able to access the content or simply don’t want to, they should have the ability to collect information in another way.
What else - suggestions about embedding vs linking out? LP