The UA Web Guide is a primer for developing web sites at The University of Alabama, and serves as a practical how-to resource for web designers and others involved in creating and managing official and unofficial UA web sites.
Developing Web Sites at UA
Introduction
The web is a primary means of communication of The University of Alabama, and it is important that UA projects a consistent visual identity on both official and unofficial University Web sites.
Getting Started
Creating a new web site involves planning, development and implementation. Taking the right steps along the way can help ensure the best results for web projects.
Design Standards and Recommendations
Following design standards and best practices ensure the creation of effective and consistent web sites by all colleges, divisions and departments on The University of Alabama campus.
Commercial Activity
All commercial activity on University of Alabama web sites, including the acceptance of online credit card payments and advertising, must adhere to the University of Alabama World Wide Web Policy.
Accessibility and Usability
One of the key principles of good web design is to make content accessible to as many people as possible regardless of device, operating system, browser, monitor resolution, and other settings or preferences.
Resources and Tutorials
The University of Alabama web development community and the web in general offer a rich collection of resources that can facilitate publishing web pages and using the web more effectively.
UA Web Policy
The UA Web Policy governs all web pages appearing on the World Wide Web from University of Alabama web servers, and outlines specific policies that must be followed by all official and unofficial UA web sites.
Templates, Images, and Resources
UA Web Templates
The University of Alabama offers UA web developers a collection of fully-tested, fully-validated, easy-to-implement web templates based on the look and feel of the current institutional web site.
UA WordPress Theme
The University of Alabama offers UA web developers a collection of easy-to-implement WordPress theme based on the look and feel of the UA Web Templates.
UA HTML E-mail Templates
The University of Alabama offers customizable and widely-compatible institutionally-branded HTML e-mail templates for usage by any official unit of The University of Alabama.
UA Mobile Web Templates
UA Mobile Web optimizes UA web pages for smartphones and mobile devices. Now UA developers can create their own mobile web sites using the same techniques and code used in developing UA Mobile Web.
Social Media Best Practices and Recommendations
Social media can enable organizations to connect with stakeholders and create a sense of community among visitors. These best practices and recommendations are intended as a guide to help UA departments and units effectively use social media.
UA Web Images
The University of Alabama offers Photoshop actions and a variety of web-ready UA logos and wordmarks, including new Touching Lives-themed branding symbols for use on official UA web sites.
WebTide
WebTide is the official blog for the UA web design community, and is a frequently-used resource to post resources, make announcements, ask questions, and work collaboratively with web developers all over campus.