Web Styleguide

Screen shot of an SMU pageSitewide Navigation (Zone 2A)

Zone 2A is a separate file that provides primary navigation for your site and should remain the same across your site. It is divided into three areas (put your cursor over the links to see the changes in the illustration to the right.):

• the upper area above the buttons
• the buttons
• the area below the buttons

The links in the upper area above the buttons are for audiences – the different groups of visitors who come to your site. Even though you may want to provide the same information to everyone, you can introduce it to different groups differently. For instance, you might want to take a different approach when talking to parents about campus safety than you would when talking to staff because they have different concerns. Your overarching goal is to open a meaningful dialog with your audiences.

The buttons should link to the hot topics of your area, the things that matter most or the information that is most frequently sought by your site visitors. There should be no more than three buttons because buttons are used to emphasize important information on your site. Using more than three buttons makes Zone 2A look cluttered and diminishes the importance of the buttons. If there are more than three links you wish to emphasize, consider placing the other links above the buttons, at the top of Zone 2B (local navigation) on your homepage, or doing something creative in Zone 8 (content area) of your homepage to call attention to these links.

The button library is found at www.smu.edu/webservices/buttonlibrary/. Instead of graphic buttons, you may also use text buttons in red, blue or gray. Using more than three text buttons makes Zone 2A look cluttered, and it diminishes the importance of those links.

The links below the buttons are the main areas of your site and should make it possible for the site visitor to easily jump from one area to another.

More information.