UCSF School of Pharmacy

Page Architecture

Our site uses the following methods to logically group information on a page into easily digestable pieces for Web viewing:

1. Pages are kept as short as resources, politics, and intentions allow; pages that would otherwise be very long have been broken into smaller pages, each of which is a child from the overview or index or parent page.

   When it is likely that a visitor might want all the smaller chunks on one page (say, for printing), we use server-side scripting to include all the smaller chunks on one page without creating duplicate data on the server. Example: Pharmaceutical Care Pathway Requirements.

2. 1-, 2-, and 3-column layouts and custom layouts provide flexibility in arranging information.
3. Multiple levels of headings hierarchically group information both visually and structurally.
4. Where appropriate, charts and tables are used to improve understanding of data relationships.
5. Lists are used instead of paragraphs where appropriate. Nested lists are used appropriately to indicate further hierarchies.
6. Boxes are used to draw attention to blocks of information.
7. Differences in typeface weight and color are used to draw attention to words, phrases, and small sentences.

Go To: Information Architecture or Style Guide