Checklist
This page lists all of the standards and recommendations found within this site.
What we mean by standards are guidelines that should not be broken, whereas recommendations have some latitude in compliance. You may wish to learn more about the standard or recommendation by clicking on it.
Legend:
: standard
: recommendation
Links to sections: Development | Security | Accessibility | Multimedia | Search Engine Optimisation | Branding
Development
Code validation
CSS
- All NTU web documents will use CSS to style and format the presentation of information.
- All CSS must pass validation with the W3C CSS Validation Service.
Forms
- All important information related to a form, such as form instructions, must be presented before the form itself.
- All form fields must be associated with their labels using the < label> HTML tag.
Frames
Hyperlinks
- Text hyperlinks should be underlined.
- If the hyperlink points to a non-HTML document format (e.g. Word, PDF), specify type and size of file.
- Open non-HTML documents in new windows.
Meta-data
- All NTU web documents will contain the description meta-tag.
- NTU web documents will use the 'index, follow' specification for the robots meta-tag.
- Use keywords in page title, headers, and hyperlinks.
- Mention your keywords near the top of your page, and repeat throughout the page as appropriate.
Naming
- NTU web documents will not have spaces or non-alphanumeric characters in file and folder names
- Underscores and hyphens are not recommended, use upper and lower casing to denote separate words instead.
- Use meaningful file and folder names.
- Keep names (and hence URLs) short.
Navigation
- NTU websites shall not make use of splash pages.
- NTU websites should not be reliant on scripting for them to be navigable.
- Provide indicators (like breadcrumbs) to aid user location.
Newsfeeds
Page loads
Redirection
- Redirectional pages should not have a meta-refresh tag timing of less than 5 seconds, and should contain a simple explanation, and a text hyperlink to the redirected page.
- Build helpful server error pages
Proprietary code
Screen resolution
Scripting
- Client-side scripting on NTU web documents will be done with standard Javascript (ECMAscript)
- NTU web documents will not use VBscript
- Critical functionality must not be lost when user turns off Javascript in their browsers
- NTU web documents should not trigger automatic pop-up windows
E-newsletters
- All NTU e-newsletters must allow users to choose between rich HTML or plain-text formats
- All NTU e-newsletters must have a confirmed opt-in and unsubscribe feature.
Security
Access control
Content segregation
Accessibility
ALT-text
- All NTU web images must contain an ALT text attribute
- Images that are purely decorative must use an empty ALT value (i.e. alt="")
- Graphics that display text must have the same text information in the ALT text.
Browser compliance
Content accessibility
Multimedia
Images
- All images on NTU web pages must be optimised for web display (72 dpi, and appropriate dimensions (< 600 pixels in width)).
- Use JPEG for photographic images, or images with large graduated colours. Choose Progressive JPEG format if the image is large. A quality setting of 75-80 will render sufficiently well.
- Use GIF for graphics predominantly made of a few solid colors, and simple animations. Try to have the least number of colours in the palette and yet not lose image quality. Dithering can help to reduce colour blocks.
- Graphics relying on the variable opacity feature in the PNG format should be avoided.
- A guideline is that most medium sized graphics (example 200 x 200 pixels JPEG at Quality = 75) should not exceed 20Kb.
Image maps
- Each active region of an image map must include appropriate ALT text.
- Provide redundant text links for image maps on the same page that contains the image map.
- Use client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape.
Flash
- NTU web sites cannot use Flash as the sole content delivery format.
- A link to download the Flash player and key accessible text about the Flash content should be made available on the same web page.
- Developers should employ a Javascript Flash player detection and embed script to display the Flash content.
Streaming media
- Streaming Media (including audio or other music files) should not "autostart".
- Streaming Media must include accessible controls allowing for start, stop and when required audio adjustment.
Search Engine Optimisation
Keywords
- Choose keywords that are specific, descriptive, communicate action and are user-centric.
- Use online keyword tools to help you with your selection.
- Insert keywords in the title (<title>), header (<h1>, <h2>, <h3>), and link text.
- Arrange for the keywords to be positioned near the top of the page, preferably in a short summary at the top of the page if the document is long.
- Use only a small number of keywords for each page.
Link-building
- Ensure that your site has good authoritative content that is frequently updated, so that external people would want to link to you.
- Submit your website to directories, write publications, online press releases, and post in blogs, forums and newsgroups.
Branding
Visual Identity
- NTU web documents will use a common colours palette.
- The NTU logo on web documents must have minimum size, proportional scale and clear exclusion zone around it.
- All NTU web documents will use the Verdana typeface.
- The use of third party icons and logos must be pre-approved by the NTU Corporate Communications Office.
Image choice
- Choose images that are consistent with NTU's branding.
- Avoid using icons that users have to guess the meaning of. Use supporting text if necessary.
Writing
- Build NTU web documents to help user accomplish goals, are easy to scan, and present useful options.
- Trim, chunk, and reorganise your text so that the most important information is presented first.
- Support page context and structure with good headers, titles, and hyperlinks.
- Be clear and write in a human voice.