Montreat College Website Style Guide

Requesting Edits

Project proposals should be submitted via the MarComm Project Request form. Please attach all images separately rather than embedding them directly in documents such as Word or Google Docs.

Turnaround time

• Minor adjustments (submit one week prior): Text edits, additions, or removals from existing templates
• Moderate revisions (submit two weeks prior): Significant modifications to page layouts or image assets; creation of new forms or sections
• Major undertakings (several months ahead): Entire site launches, complete redesigns, rebranding initiatives, or overhauls of current branding elements

Brand Colors

Montreat Primary Palette

• Blue #0a2240
• Gold #aa9767

Alternate Grid Colors

Updated 8/1/25

• Light Brown #e1e1d6
• Light Brown #bcc8a2
• Teal #00a4b3

Carolina Cyber Center Palette

Last revised 3/15/22

• Dark Blue #171a45
• Light Blue #65c0ec
• Red #ef4123 (restricted to header and footer buttons)
• White #ffffff
• Medium Blue #3064ae (print only)

Style Guide Essentials

Montreat College adheres closely to AP Style guidelines. This summary adapts key recommendations from Professor Jack Gillespie’s lecture at Rowan University.

Alumni Naming Conventions

Format as First Name Last Name Year. Examples:

• Annie Carlson ’04
• Jen & Barbour OR Justin & Barbour (Justin & 01 Barbour) or Jen (Haynes ’01) Barbour
• Andrew Bobilya PhD ’95

Title Usage

• Official titles generally capitalized (President Paul Maurer, Registrar Fred Miller)
• Occupational titles typically lowercase (attorney John Smith, editor Gertrude Miller)
• Avoid Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. except in obituaries
• First mention: include abbreviation (Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rev., Sen.) followed by last name. Subsequent mentions: last name alone
• Direct quotes retain full title formatting

Academic Credentials

• Spell out full terms—associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate
• Abbreviations acceptable when referencing multiple graduates (Ph.D., B.A., M.A., M.B.A.)
• Use full abbreviations immediately after initial mention (Don King, Ph.D.)
• Never pair multiple titles with a name (e.g., Dr. Don King Ph.D.)

Acronym Usage

• Commonly recognized acronyms may appear without explanation (FBI, CIA, YMCA)
• Introduce acronyms in parentheses after full organization name (Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition SECCDC)

State Abbreviations

States remain uncapitalized unless paired with a city name. Exceptions include Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah. Examples: Alexandria, VA; Montreat, N.C.; Austin, TX

Image Specifications

File Formats

• Logos: Save as SVG with outline option enabled in Adobe Illustrator export
• Transparent-background graphics: Save as PNG
• General imagery: Save as JPG at 80% compression

Dimensions

• Page headers & hero banners: 2000×550px
• Half-width image modules: 1000×550px
• Profile avatars: 800×800px

Page Components

Visual Elements

• Headers & full-width images: Limit to one per page for optimal Core Web Vitals performance
• Half-width images: Keep quantity low to maintain performance
• SVG icons: Must originate from Montreat’s design team; downloadable web icons may carry malware risk
• Embedded YouTube/Vimeo content
• Call-to-action buttons
• Contact forms

Restricted Features

• Accordion components: Generally discouraged due to negative impact on SEO and accessibility; only permissible on pages hidden from search results
• Toggle switches: Same limitations as accordions
• Image sliders & video carousels: Not SEO-friendly; push pages beyond Core Web Vitals thresholds
• Autoplaying video: Non-compliant with ADA standards
• Pop-up modals: Labeled as intrusive interstitials by Google; penalized since March 2026
• Non-functional tabs: Inaccessible to screen readers

SEO Best Practices

Montreat College strives to align with Google Webmaster Guidelines while prioritizing user-centric content.

Core Ranking Factors

1. Content relevance matching user queries
2. Authority & comprehensiveness (typically ~2500 words for competitive topics)
3. Natural backlinks from authoritative sources

1. Avoid artificial link-building schemes
2. Maintain original, substantive material
3. Ensure pages deliver clear answers to user questions

Technical Excellence

• Core Web Vitals metrics: LCP, FID, CLS
• Avoid excessive scripts (chat widgets, analytics, tracking)
• Limit multi-image galleries to prevent CWV failure
• Prioritize user experience over search engine manipulation

Ethical Guidelines

1. Never deceive users
2. Do not participate in link schemes or paid link exchanges
3. Provide descriptive link text instead of generic phrases
4. Maintain transparency in navigation and labeling

Accessibility Compliance

Montreat College must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

Text Alternatives

• All non-text content requires captions or alt text
• Images must include descriptive alt attributes
• Video transcripts mandatory

Color Contrast

• Minimum 4.5:1 contrast for normal text
• Large text may achieve 3:1
• Keyboard navigation functionalities verified

Navigation Structure

1. Consistent menu placement across all pages
2. Clear breadcrumb trails
3. Descriptive headings hierarchical and logical

Media Safety

• No flashing content exceeding three flashes per second
• All pages include meaningful titles and labels
• Link text conveys purpose without context

Interface & UX Principles

Design should prioritize simplicity, consistency, and user comfort.

• Maintain uniform navigation patterns throughout site
• Use familiar interaction models (menus, hamburger icons where appropriate)
• Optimize for short attention spans; update incrementally
• Ensure smooth transitions between states without jarring effects

Privacy Statement

User data handling must comply with evolving U.S. and international regulations. Transparency about collection and consent is essential.

C3 Form Design

Blue Theme

• Background #171a45
• Font Lato; all input fields uppercase display
• Fields occupy full width of container
• 10px spacing between inputs
• Labels positioned above fields with white (#ffffff) text, 1.3em font size, 2px padding
• Required fields marked with yellow star #ffffff
• Input text color #000000, 1em size, 15px top/bottom padding
• Field borders #65c0ec, 5px width, 20px border-radius
• Error messages white (#ffffff) highlighting problematic fields
• Submit button #65c0ec background, #171a45 text, 1.6em font, 20px rounded corners
• Hover effect: button darkens, text lightens

White Theme

• Background unchanged #171a45
• Label color reversed to #171a45