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Overview
Your home page is more than just an entry to your website; it is your chance to
make a good first impression of your agency. Organization and consistency is the
key to the development of a successful website.
Common look and feel
The goal in Arizona is to achieve a common look and feel among all state agency
websites. The Arizona @ Your Service look and feel is similar to the
layout of a magazine cover, or newspaper. If you select any 5 magazines,
you will notice that the layout is basically the same, yet you are always
certain which magazine you are reading. Each sets a tone for the subject
matter found inside. You can clearly see the content is different, but can
determine quickly if what is on the cover is what you want to find on the
inside. A magazine cover is similar to your homepage. Your homepage
should capture everything the reader can expect to find inside in an organized,
consistent manner. You have a limited screen size to place any mention of
all your web content without cluttering your page and confusing the reader.
Following a common layout design will help the reader to move seamlessly through
state agency websites. Consistent use of a common layout design will
ensure the user knows they are accessing an Arizona Government web site, and
will know immediately what content they can expect to find, by viewing nearly
any page in your website.
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Define your customer needs
Before placing content on your page, it is important to know your audience.
Reorganize page content to ensure integration with the AAYS look and feel, and
design for the needs of your users. When a customer enters your place of
business, you wouldn’t hold up a sign with your agencies mission and force them
to read it. Avoid doing this on your home page. It only distracts your
customer from finding the information they came for. Provide links to
frequently requested information so your customers can easily find what they
need. For example: Most requested forms and contact information.
Stay clear of forcing information on your users; provide only a link to your
agency mission or other content from your homepage.
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Consistency
You may desire to be unique and stand out from the rest, and assume that by
having too many commonalities you will bore your readers with the same layout as
every one else. On the contrary, your readers will more likely have a
reaction of familiarity. They won’t be disoriented by a new look each time
they click on a link and they will be able to navigate with ease. You can
provide uniqueness through your branding, but give the reader a layout design
that is comfortable, and recognizable.
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Header
 Agency
branding should be reflected in the header section of the page. If your agency
has a logo, it should be placed on the top left hand side of the page, and
include a link to the agency homepage. Graphics can be incorporated around
the logo, but together, the header graphic should not exceed 100 pixels in
height. The agency tag line should be placed to the right of the logo or
graphic. The font “Bank Gothic” in a 16 point size or larger should be used.
Each agency should have a search form on their site. The search entry
field should appear on the right-hand side in the header section with the AAYS Logo
above it. Use the gradient image for the background.
Below the branding, include global tools and directories that are not intended
for the Navigation section, such as “home” or “FAQ’s (Frequently Asked
Questions)”. Design pages so they appear in 100% of the screen.
Agency Header Image
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Global Navigation
Developing the categories for your navigation requires organization of all your
content in an efficient and intuitive manner so it will be easy for users to
find what they are looking for, quickly! When people navigate through
websites, they expect the same structure of the categories when they go to the
next page. If you have several categories, consider placing them in
alphabetical order or put them in order of user importance, with frequently used
links on top. Navigation should always be placed on the left-hand side of
the page in a boxed format with alternating colors for each link, and be visible
on the screen without the need to scroll. The general rule for links is
that users should not have to click more than 3 times to obtain information.
You may consider using a drop-down menu to facilitate this.
Common navigation should exist on all pages within your website. This can be
accomplished through the use of server side includes, shared borders in Front
Page, templates or other means. The use of frames is discouraged to
accomplish this. Refer to the Website Accessibility Policy on use of
frames. (http://azgita.gov/policies_standards/pdf/P130%20Web%20Site%20Accessibility%20Policy.pdf)
Java Script:
If you intend on using the drop down menu used by
Arizona @ Your Service, you will need these files:
Templates:
Home page template
Level 2 Page
Search Template
Java Script: azUtils.js
Style Sheet:
globalStyles.css
Refer to this section for
some layout and placement guidelines
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Main Content
A title should appear on every page to describe the content. The heading
font should appear larger than all the text on your page. Select a
sub-heading that is somewhat smaller than the heading. Choose a consistent
style to follow for all bulleted items.
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News or Updates
The news section should be placed on the right-hand side in a boxed format with
a grey background. The news item should begin with a date in bold, then the
title of the news item. Capitalize each word in the news title and make
the title a link to your news page. This allows your reader to see the
most recent news items, and doesn’t clutter the page.
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Footer
The footer should include links that are separate from your global navigation.
Each agency should include a link to their
privacy policy, contact information, site map (if available), user help (if
available) and copyright (optional) in the footer. Use of General or Specific
disclaimers can and should be included in this section. Disclaimers are
typically used to provide the visitor with a clear understanding of the accuracy
of the information being provided. Disclaimers may also be used to relieve the
agency of liability in the event of any unauthorized use of the information.
Agencies should seek counsel of their respective Assistant Attorney General to
develop any and all applicable disclaimers.
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Contact Page
Arizona state agencies are now open-24-hours! On the web they are. All
too frequently, websites avoid placing their contact information in plain view,
preventing the user from receiving needed help. Your contact page should contain
names, email addresses, phone numbers and mailing addresses. Consider
including contact information for all departments in your agency, and include
other helpful information as if someone had called to request it.
Establish a system that ensures response to emails in a time sensitive manner,
and track frequently asked questions to update your website. Doing
business online will continue to increase, so treat your website as an extension
of your place of business.
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