Content Formatting Guidelines for the Web

Consistency is essential in representing a unified brand to external and internal constituencies. Below is a brief overview of the most common Northeastern and Web elements used throughout the website.

* Please check back frequently as information may be updated or added.

Contact Information

Addresses

Spell out the campus/mailing address, unless styled otherwise.

Correct:
Northeastern Illinois University
Division of Marketing and Communications
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

Incorrect:
NEIU Marketing
5500 N. St. Louis
Chicago, IL 60625

Phone Numbers

Correct:
(773) 442-1234

Incorrect:
773-442-1234, 773.442.1234 or 7734421234

Email Addresses

Must be lowercase, unless case sensitive.

Correct: marketing@neiu.edu or j-dough@neiu.edu

Incorrect: Marketing@neiu.edu or J-Dough@neiu.edu

Office Hours

Spell out days. However, if there are space limitations use the following abbreviations: M (Monday), T (Tuesday), W (Wednesday), R (Thursday), F (Friday), S (Saturday), and U (Sunday).

For time, use full hour:minute and a.m. or p.m. (Example: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. or 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.).

Links/URLs

Links/URLs must not be used in body copy, but linked within the text.

Correct: The U.S. Department of Education can provide more information.

Incorrect: Find the information at http://www.ed.gov/. To view more information, click here.

However, if the URLs must be spelled out, please use lowercase, unless it is case sensitive.

Program Descriptions

All program titles and course descriptions should reflect the Academic Catalog.

Title

Program name, (degree type)

Correct: Anthropology, B.A.; Computer Science, M.S.; Gerontology Certificate; Physics Minor

Incorrect: Major in Anthropology, M.S. Computer Science, Certificate in Gerontology or Minor in Physics

Courses

Example:

PSYC-401 Gerontology: An Overview, 3 cr. Presents an overview of the field of gerontology. It provides an introduction to the demographic, economic and social implications of the growth in the population of older individuals. Prereq.: graduate standing.

Flex Pages

Headers

Use heading styles in order. Do not bold or italicize headers.

Heading Guidelines

  • Be clear and concrete.
  • Accurately describe the information in the section.
  • Use key terms or phrases that are relevant for users.
  • Use powerful and active words.

Heading Styles

  • Heading 1 is used for page titles - this is standard and cannot be altered.

  • Heading 2 is used for text headers.

  • Heading 3 is used for subheaders.

  • Heading 4 is used for further subheads and styling.

  • Heading 5 is used for further subheads and styling.

Web Image Size Specifications

  1. Feature image (college homepage, unit homepage, flex page, voices): 890 x 370 px
  2. Feature image (splash page): 1500 x 600 px
  3. Faculty and staff profile photo: 130 x 130 px
  4. Circular images within the body: Target size: 244 x 244 px
  5. Social media icons (footer, internal pages, etc): 44 x 44 px

Please note: All circular images found within the body of the site must be uploaded as a square image, and the proper styling within Drupal should be applied to make them round.

Tables

Use tables for data sets only. Do not change the background color unless it is used to code data. Tables should not be used for copy and/or images unless other styling is not suitable; please consult with Marketing.

Faculty & Staff Profiles

Name and Suffix

Use full name as it appears in the directory. Use abbreviated degree type earned, if needed.

Example: Jane Dough, Ph.D.

Education

Use graduating institution, program and degree earned.

Example:
Northeastern Illinois University
Accounting, M.S.