Announcement: Web Templates Released
The Office of Web Communications is very happy to announce the release of version 1 of the long-awaited developers’ web templates. This project, though long in the making, is in answer to the request of many developers across campus for “an easy way to build pages that look like cornell.edu”.
The templates are available for download at the following url: http://www.cornell.edu/identity/templates/
The templates are coded in CSS and come with in-line documentation in both the HTML files and the style sheets themselves.
Here’s a mini-FAQ to get you started:
1. Do I have to use these templates to be in compliance with the Identity Guidelines?
No. It’s true that you WILL be in compliance if you choose to use the templates on your site, but use is not mandatory.
2. You said “version 1″ above, what’s up with that?
Speaking of Identity Guidelines…there has been extensive discussion about the viability of the way the Unit Signatures are linked for navigation. The OWC and IWS are about to engage in some user-testing to determine the best possible way to structure these links. Rather than hold up the release of the templates while we await resolution on this topic, we opted to make changes to the linking behavior of the unit signatures in an update to the templates when and if the guidelines change.
We expect that this logo-related update will be one of a few, as we’re planning on migrating the templates into CommonSpot and are also hoping to release a gallery of banner images like those that appear on cornell.edu.
If you do not plan on using a unit signature in your website, the navigation update is of no concern to you. If you do plan on using it, you will not be in violation of Identity Guidelines if you choose to implement a current version of the templates, but you will need to change your site when the updates are released.
3. Just what do these things look like, anyway?
Each set of templates includes seven page types, which account for the majority of pages found within cornell.edu. Within each set, all seven page types share the same combination of banner size and color. The page types are:
One Column
The One Column template provides code to create a generic page containing a header, content area, and footer. This template sets the framework for all of the other templates.
Hub
The Hub template provides code to create a page like About Cornell. The Hub template should be used as an umbrella page for a set of related sub-sites.
Bridge/Overview
The Bridge template provides code to create a page like Cornell Research. The Bridge template should be used as a portal to a variety of decentralized information.
Two Column
The Two Column template provides code to create a page like Cornell Academics. The Two Column template should be used to implement a section of a site, complete with section-specific navigation.
Photo Gallery
The Photo Gallery template provides code to create a page like the Office of the President Photo Gallery. The Photo Gallery template should be used as an index of several large, related photos.
Photo
The Photo template provides code to create a page like any of the photos in the Office of the President Photo Gallery. The Photo template should be used to display a large photo with a caption and credit.
Banner Only
The Banner template provides an empty page with the Cornell University banner at the top. This template should be used as the basis of a site that uses a Cornell University banner but not the cornell.edu style.
i dont know where to make this suggestion, but the cornell news service should have an RSS feed. — just a suggestion
General comments: How about some new homepage pictures? Some ideas are the inside of a dining hall, the Law library, stained glass windows of Sage, Alice Cook House and something to do with WCMC. Also, what’s new with the “Spotlight” section we heard about a few months back? Undergrad admissions page could be improved with hightlights that would touch on academic initiatives and alumni profiles, etc. Any future developments going on with the alumni webpage or the College of AAP site? A page detailing the new capital campaign would be great as well. Keep up the good work!
can you put more pictures of the banner of cornell university. The burgundy one with the bear on it?