Web Guidelines
Web site identity guidelines are important for several reasons. Using these guidelines:
- Creates a consistent visual brand for all UMass Amherst sites.
- Shows that your site, and your department or program, is part of UMass Amherst.
- Provides a search function on each page.
- Creates consistent navigation back to the UMass Amherst home page.
- Shows who owns your site and who is reponsible for the content.
The Web guidelines apply to all sites representing UMass Amherst schools, colleges departments, programs, units, research centers, and administrative offices. Personal Web sites, and sites created through Blogs at UMass Amherst are currently not required to adhere to this policy.
The guidelines consist of four mandatory elements which must be included on each page of of your site and updated as necessary. The elements are:
Colors and Typography
Using UMass-identified colors and typefaces is the most important thing you can do to give your site the "UMass Amherst look." It's important to use the right colors on Web sites to show that your site belongs to UMass Amherst. 
More about Colors
More about Typography
Top Banner
The banner strip across the top of the page brands your site as part of UMass Amherst, links back to the home page and provides a site search. 
Footer
The page footer shows site ownership, both as part of UMass Amherst and within your specific department or group with the unviersity. 
Page Titles
The page title displays in the border of each Web page and is an additional way to identity your site. It also helps to make the site identifiable in Google and other search engine results.
Site Validation
There are many other standards, conventions and best practices for web site design. One important tool that you should be familiar with is site validation. Validating your site pages can tell you if your work complies with the latest standards and lets you quickly detect errors.
Have questions or need help? Contact Nina Sossen at 413-577-4741 or via email.