Content Development
The web team strives to provide current, engaging content to our visitors. We rely on the expertise of colleagues across campus to help develop content for various university areas. If you’re involved in creating web content, keep in mind that it must be accessible to people with disabilities. By following our guidelines, you’ll help develop content that provides a positive user experience to the widest possible audience.
For advanced/technical guidance, review the contributor/manager toolkit.
Web News
Text
People don't read online content word by word. They skim websites to find desired information. To meet this behavior, website text should be concise and easy to scan, with a fifth to eighth grade reading level. You can accomplish this by following the strategies in web standard 5.1 Content Management.
The university has many official sources of information, such as catalogs for program requirements and the bursar’s office for tuition/fees. To ensure accuracy, it’s important to link to these and other official sources instead of replicating content on another site.
Student Information
Avoid listing the names of students in a non-employment capacity, which could violate FERPA. However, as employees, names of graduate, research and teaching assistants may be provided.
Colleges/departments are responsible for obtaining any needed student information release waivers.
Documents
It’s best for usability and accessibility to present web content as a webpage (i.e., in HTML format) rather than in a document users must download. In addition, PDFs aren’t inherently accessible, and it’s time consuming to make them so. As of July 1, 2024, inaccessible PDFs will not be posted on NIU websites.
If you have content that must be presented as a downloadable file, it should be a Microsoft document created with the accessibility checker turned on. Format the file using the sample Word document (DOCX). Learn more about:
Please note the following:
- The NIU logo must be formatted appropriately, if used.
- The communications clearinghouse must approve a document before it can be added to a site.
Photos and Videos
University photographers take engaging, brand-appropriate photos of NIU people, events and locations throughout the year. Review the Canto image library to find images for your site. Learn more about photography and videography services. Review web standard 5.9 Images and web standard 5.10 Video for more guidance.
Other Content Types
| Content Type | How to Prepare the Content | How Department Web Contacts/Web Team Post the Content |
|---|---|---|
| Events | Add the event to the NIU calendar. Include a flyer, if desired. | Create a calendar feed for the site if needed and tag events to appear in the feed. |
| Posters and flyers | Submit a request for design services | Format the poster/flyer content as HTML and post on your site. |
| Handbooks, guides and manuals | Format text using the sample Word document (DOCX). Make sure the accessibility checker is turned on. Submit the document for brand compliance review. | Post the document on your site as a document or HTML content. |
| News stories | Add news to your college or division’s news site or submit a story idea for NIU Today to niutoday@niu.edu. | Create a news feed on your site that can pull in articles from NIU Today, the NIU Newsroom or college/division news sites. |
| Newsletters | Submit a request for design services. Submit the document for brand compliance review. | Post the newsletter on your site as a document or HTML content. |
| Forms |
Create form using one of the following tools: |
Add a link to the form on your site. |
| Forms to collect prospective student information | Contact the CRM team to request a custom form. | Add a link to the form on your site. |
| Organization (org) charts | Provide the chart to your department web contact or the web team. | Convert the chart to HTML and post on your site. |
| Articles and research | Locate a link to the original article or research. Submit it to Huskie Commons, if desired. | Add the link to your site. |
Tips and Resources
Know Your Audience
Our primary audience is prospective/current students. Other audiences include parents and families, current/prospective employees and community members. While everyone benefits from clear, easy-to-read text, it may be appropriate to use a different tone or more advanced reading level when targeting graduate students or groups with specialized knowledge.
Accessibility Tips
- Use brief, descriptive headings formatted with heading tags.
- Use lists to structure information, using an ordered (numbered) list only when the order of steps is important.
- Write effective link text that’s understandable out of context and gives an idea of the link’s destination.
- Enter descriptive alternative (alt) text for images (not required for solely decorative images).
- Provide captions for videos and transcripts for sound recordings.
Resources
Contact Us
Web and Internal Communications
Holly Nicholson
Assistant Director of Web Communications
hnicholson@niu.edu