Content Management System

Design Elements

Winthrop's CMS allows Web authors to work within attractive, well-branded, and approved Web page templates — the framework for creating Web sites that wow!  Some elements of the new CMS design are required to ensure a consistent Web experience.  Branding through global elements such as a header and footer, as well as similarly located information (i.e. left side menu and contact information), create a familiar environment that is simple for the Web user to navigate.  At the same time, some parts of the design, like buttons and banners, are unique to various departments and audiences, allowing for a personalized Web site.

Colors and Fonts

The CMS Web pages use a color scheme that pulls in our official garnet and gold, as well as colors from a secondary color palette.

View the  Web colors .

In addition to the consistent use of colors, the CMS pages utilize a specific set of font styles.  Some of the specified fonts are for those elements that are part of a Web page structure, like the six levels of HTML headings.  Other font choices are provided for authors to further customize and/or draw attention to various parts of the Web page.

View the  CMS cascading style sheet (CSS) .

Required Template Parts

Refer to the screen shot below for the location of each element.

1. Header logo
   The Winthrop logo at the top of page is clickable to return to the university home page from any page within the site.
2. Header utility navigation
   E-mail, Wingspan, Blackboard, and Map links in the upper left corner as well as a Search Engine in the upper right corner of all pages provide easy access to important content.
3. Primary navigation
   An audience menu at the top of every page (under the header), offers another means of navigation that is familiar to many site visitors.
4. Secondary navigation 
   Every Web page will display an area-specific content menu on the left side of the template design. 
5. Contact information
   By providing contact information in the upper right of all Web pages, the site visitor always has easy access to this important information.
6. Footer navigation
   Just as with the header navigation, the footer navigation provides easy access to frequently accessed information.
7. General contact information
   Lastly, general Winthrop University contact information is accessible from the bottom of any page within the CMS.

View the university's standard header and footer .

Optional Parts

The following design elements may also be incorporated into the Winthrop Web pages. 

• Quick Links - used to showcase links to information that might otherwise be difficult to find on Winthrop.edu and that would be of interest to visitors of a particular site
• Buttons - positioned beneath the quick links box, custom buttons allow for department-specific and common content to be highlighted in a graphical way
• Banners - typically used to feature a special event (i.e. Winthrop Day), individual banners may be added to departmental home pages