Style guide for Iowa State sites

Official university web sites should follow the same visual guidelines as Iowa State print publications. Web pages associated with Iowa State represent the university worldwide. Ensuring the university's image is reflected clearly and consistently on all departmental and unit web sites will help build a cohesive identity.

Templates

Several templates are available for use by colleges, departments and other units developing web sites. These templates meet the visual standards of Iowa State's identity system. They also meet the coding and accessibility standards of WC3 (World Wide Web Consortium).

Instructions on adapting these templates for your unit's needs are included on the templates site. If you need more assistance, contact dpounds@iastate.edu, 294-4845.

Accessibility

All departmental and unit web sites must meet "priority I" guidelines, as defined by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium).

Fonts

The font-family specification for basic body type in the templates is: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif. If you wish to use serif fonts for larger font sizes on your page, specify: "Times New Roman", Georgia, serif. More about fonts.

Colors

If you're using bars, lines, colored type or other graphic elements on your site, select from the colors in the web color palette. This palette includes web-safe colors that are consistent with colors used in university print publications.

Photography and artwork

Photography, illustrations and artwork are considered intellectual property. Any images used on the web must have the approval of the creator or be appropriately licensed.

Iowa State's Visual Identity System holds all college, units and centers together through a consistent set of graphic elements.