To meet the needs of ITS web publishers, as well as facilitate a unified ITS web experience, ITS Communications had made available web templates, including the ITS Brand Template and ITS Divisional template.

ITS Divisional Template. 

The ITS divisional template is to be used for the primary content of each ITS division. These templates meet an immediate template need and also ensure a well-planned transition toward a global ITS web and content management strategy. The divisional template contains 3 Column layout and 2 Column layout.

ITS Brand Template. 

The ITS Brand template is intended for ITS web projects that do not constitute primary divisional web content. The template's main menu is independent of an overall ITS navigation system, unlike the divisional template. It is flexible and will easily scale for ITS web content sites of various sizes.

ITS Single Column Template. 

The single column template is a "fluid" layout and may be used for smaller projects or single page screens such as a login.

The ITS web templates have incorporated a technique known as server-side includes (SSI). This means that certain elements of the template, such as the header and footer, are stored in one place. Each instance of the template will reference the exact same code. For the web developer, this means much less code to view and understand . For the end user, this ensures a consistent, unified look and feel .

Below are the elements of each template that use includes:

This is an ITS Divisional Template include tag:

<?php include("includes/footer.php") ?>

This is an ITS Brand Template include tag:

<!--#include virtual="/includes/footer.html" -->

Help documents includes user manuals, tutorials, FAQs and how-to articles about ITS services. These are maintained in the Knowledge Management Tool (KMT) and for a consistent customer experience they are displayed on the [ http://help.unc.edu/ ] Help site. However, you can also pull Help documents into your own pages or applications in order to meet particular customer needs.

Publishing a Help document in either ITS template is simple. KB.php (divisional template) and KB-brand.php (ITS Brand) are supplied for this purpose. All you do is copy the appropriate template into place, open the file and insert your document ID number in the include tag. (Those with more complex publishing needs, such as Java integration, should contact KM staff for assistance.)

Web Standards. These templates were created with "web standards" in mind. This approach ensures less markup, a separation of content and presentation, improved accessibility, and wide browser support. ITS web developers are strongly encouraged to develop sites according to web standards. Learn more:

XHTML. Template markup is written as XHTML. ITS web developers are strongly encouraged to create their web sites using valid XHTML code. Learn more:

Semantic Markup. Template markup has been created with semantic, or structured, markup principles in mind. Semantic tags imply meaning rather than presentational instruction. For example, each header id is labled as "header," the side column ID is "sidebar," and footer is "footer." ITS web developers are encouraged to incorporate semantic markup. Learn more:

Accessibility. UNC Chapel Hill is "committed to serving all the people of the State, and indeed the nation, as a center for scholarship and creative endeavor." For this reason, ITS web authors should develop sites in accordance with the university's accessibility guidelines. Learn more:

Clear, Relevant Content. Implementing the templates (particularly the divisional template) provides an opportunity to "clean up" code, remove outdated legacy content, and present users with easy-to-find information.

Good Information Architecture. An essential step in the web design/development process, is establishing an effective information architecture (IA) framework. Techniques such as sitemaps, content inventories, and the identification of common user tasks, can ensure that ITS web sites have usable navigation systems, intuitive layouts, and well-categorized content. Learn more below:

Usability. There are many factors that contribute to a successful web site. To ensure that our visitors have a good experience, ITS web developers and content publishers are encouraged to incorporate accepted usability practices into their site design and development. Learn more:

After determining the appropriate template, contact the Web Services group to get the necessary files and assistance. You can reach the team Manager, Wendy Dascoli, by email at <dascoli@email.unc.edu>. You can also submit your request through the Web Services [ http://its.unc.edu/divisions/communications/web-services/request/form01.php ] Project Request Form or through the Remedy [ https://www.unc.edu/ar-bin/websub/index.pl ] Online Support Request.