the wonderful world of dkg websites · • on screen, sans serif fonts are easier to read than...
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The Wonderful World of DKG Websites
(Or, Using Weebly to Create a Stylish and Standards-Compliant Website)
What is Weebly?
Weebly.com is a website where anyone with basic word processing skills can create a website at no cost. No special software is required and there are no hosting fees.
Weebly uses a drag and drop interface and has a familiar-‐looking text editor.
Some useful features are photo albums, slide shows, multiple columns, and over 100 designs from which to choose.
For detailed instructions to help you use Weebly.com to build a state or chapter website visit http://alphastatetexas.org/resources.html and click “How to Build a Website Using Weebly.com.
Let’s Talk About Style
Left Alignment: Very Important
Lack of alignment is probably the biggest cause of unpleasant looking web content. The alignment can affect the mood of the page as well as how effective it is at getting its message across. Information should never be center aligned. The eye doesn’t know where to focus.
Left align is the preferred alignment.
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Styling Text: Also Important • Underlines indicate a link.
• Bold should be used sparingly.
• A variety of colors is distracting.
• On screen, sans serif fonts are easier to read than serif.
• Ample white space is desirable.
Images Add Interest • Free and low-‐‐cost stock images are available.
• Avoid outdated clip art.
• Use clear, crisp images.
• Transparent (png or gif) images work best on a colored background.
• Take advantage of the stylish logos provided by the Society.
Additional Tips • Keep pages short.
• Aim for easy navigation between linked pages.
• Check the website on a variety of web browser and computers.
• Set external links so that the linked page is opened in a new window or tab.
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Standards for Society Website Certification Website information includes:
1. Chapter name and state organization geographic name in the header along with the official name of the international organization (The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International)
2. No more than two of these fonts: Arial, Courier, Garamond, Geneva, Georgia,
Tahoma, Times New Roman, Trebuchet, or Verdana
Types of fonts:
• Serif looks like this. • Sans serif looks like this.
• Sans serif is considered to be easier to read on a monitor and is recommended for use for the text of a website.
• If using two fonts, consider using serif for headings and titles and sans serif for text.
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3. Body fonts of a minimum size of 3 for the web, a 12 point size in print
If Using a Template or Pre-‐‐Set Theme:
• The font sizes will be pre-‐‐set.
• The templates and themes are created professionally and will include the appropriate font sizes.
4. Headers/headlines with a larger font size than body text size
5. Black text for body (Dark gray may be used. It is easier on the eyes of the reader.)
6. Pale or white body background
7. Information that is current and updated at least quarterly
• Regularly updated information on your website will encourage members to visit.
• Pictures from most recent meeting, current newsletters and chapter news are all valid updates.
8. Latest revision date of any part of the website listed in the bottom section of the home page, formatted using month and year
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9. Current certification seal placed in the bottom section of the Home page, and in original size
When the seal is too small, the date of certification is difficult to read. Only the current seal should be displayed.
A collection of seals is not recommended.
10. Mission, Purposes and Vision statements of the Society
The wording of Purpose Five has been changed.
To Endow scholarships to aid outstanding women educators in pursuing graduate study and to grant fellowships to non-member women educators.
11. No political or religious affiliation
12. Society Web sites will include no direct advertising except for International non-‐‐ dues-‐‐revenue partnerships for fundraising by members that benefit the state or chapter organization. A one-‐‐sentence acknowledgement of donation of an electronic site is acceptable. (International non-‐‐dues-‐‐revenue partnerships include Society jeweler, insurance partners and approved international affiliates. Fundraising by members does not include third-‐‐party business agreements.) This was approved by board Nov 2010.
Something like this is acceptable.
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13. Clearly labeled, active links that allow readers to navigate easily between pages
14. Links to state organization/international websites
• International -‐‐ http://www.dkg.org/
• DKG Educational Foundation -‐‐ http://dkgef.org/
• Texas -‐‐ http://alphastatetexas.org/
15. E-‐‐mail link for Webmaster on home page
The actual email address should be displayed for the benefit of those who use web-‐‐based email only.
16. Specific written consent filed at state organization/chapter level for
• Addresses (mailing or electronic) and telephone/FAX numbers of any individual Society members
• News and/or pictures of an individual or group
• Copyrighted materials, with credit cited on the website
17. The following state organization/chapter information:
• Project/or program activities
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• Officers of state organization/ chapter
May include group photo, individual photos, and/or email links as well as names and office held.
• Newsletter and schedule of meetings
The newsletter may be made available by a download link or by embedding into a webpage (or, both).
The schedule of meetings may be a simple as date and topic or may contain more detailed information.
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How to Apply for Certification or Re-certification
• Photos that reflect state organization/chapter activities, projects, programs and honored members
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To apply for Website certification, visit the International website at www.dkg.org.
• Click Forms and then, Website.
• Open Certification Request-‐‐Form 72
• Complete the form and save it to your computer hard disk.
• Send the completed form to the Communications and Publicity Committee Chair
as an email attachment.
• Pay the one-‐‐time set up fee using the “Pay website rental fees and set up fees
here.” link on the Website Forms page.
• There is no need to pay the website rental fee unless you are using the Society
server for website hosting.
• When your website has been approved for certification, the official seal will be
emailed to you for placement on the bottom of the first page of your website
and the site will be linked to the Society website.
• It is necessary to apply for re-‐‐certification once per biennium.
A site will be unlinked if a recertification request form is not received by the
Communications and Publicity Committee chair by October 31st of the first year of the
international biennium.
To apply for re-certification, follow the same procedure as for applying for initial
certification. It will not be necessary to pay the set-‐‐up fee.
Diane Moose
Texas State Organization Webmaster
Carol McMillan
Texas State Organization Editor