Liftups visualise content
Here, you will find a short description of and a link to the different liftup components available to you at aalto.fi. With them, you can visualise and highlight the versatile content on the site.
Tips on using links, liftups and attachments
We explore three different ways of directing users to other pages or files.
Providing users with links to other content online is essential for a good website experience. It’s like directing the reader to a specific page in a book where they can learn more on the topic. A webpage without a way to move to another page by clicking a link or an attachment is a dead end - you can only go back and not forward. On the other hand, a page with too many links is confusing, like having too many ways of exiting a room. Think carefully about how and where you want to direct your reader.
Link text
Link text is the clickable word or phrase in a hyperlink. Formally called hyperlink, it is the most common way to direct users to other webpages and a great way to provide them with more information.
Steer clear of links without a text. URLs should be used as links inside the text. Go for Visit the ACRE website as opposed to Visit www.acre.aalto.fi. This good practice will boost your webpage accessibility.
In addition, check that your inserted links work as intended. Also remember that URLs sometimes change, so make sure to re-check your links from time to time to avoid broken links. You can do this with SiteImprove.
Lastly, use anchor links to directly link to a heading of an aalto.fi page. In order to find the exact URL, click on the the heading to copy the link to your clipboard.
Liftups grab the user's attention
When directing to other content at aalto.fi, liftups are often a great choice. Especially when linking to a bunch of departments, people or research groups, liftups generally do the job better than a list of links. A liftup pops out and is designed for the aalto.fi brand, providing a unified look to your page. It also provides a break in the text as well as a visual element. It's also possible to create liftups to external content, such as a research group's website. There are several types of liftups in Drupal, each with a different purpose and design. Below is a manual liftup leading to more information on the topic.
Attaching files
At times there is a need to attach a file to a page. Make sure that your file is as small as possible, with a maximum of 10 mb. The recommended format is .pdf, as it compresses the file and can be read in the browser without downloading. Other files, such as powerpoint, word and excel documents should preferably be provided to staff on an internal platform such as Teams.
When linking to a file instead of attaching it to your page, make sure that the link works and follow instructions for links above. For external files outside of aalto.fi, for example research papers, see if you can link to a webpage with the file attached instead of directly to the file. This saves loading time for the user when clicking the link.
- Published:
- Updated: