Branding of 3rd party web systems
ECU's Digital Marketing, Experience and Analytics team employs a mobile first, fully-responsive design strategy for managing the visual style of the corporate ECU website. This strategy is based upon the latest web frameworks.
As these frameworks are bespoke by nature, designed to be touch-friendly, only support the latest browsers and are built around HTML5, they are often incompatible with many 'off-the-shelf' web application systems. Our current corporate web styles include the following:
- 2014 Corporate web style (Simply Red) - ECU Internet webpages,
- 2014 Corporate web style (Blue Steele) - ECU Intranet webpages,
- 2018 Corporate web theme (World Class) - ECU World Class Research webpages,
- 2019 Corporate experience theme (New Students) ECU My Uni Start webpages,
- 2020 Corporate experience theme (Current Students) ECU Current Students Portal,
- 2023 Corporate experience theme (Creative Thinkers Made Here) - ECU Future Students webpages.
Under no circumstances are the six styles visual styles above to be used or adapted to a web application system or externally developed website. These visual styles are exclusive to the ECU WebCMS and select Salesforce environments and their use outside those environments is strictly prohibited. The source code for most of these designs will contain a statement similar to the below to re-enforce this position.
################################################################################## ### ### ### ECU 2014 Corporate Web Style (Simply Red) for EXCLUSIVE use within ### ### the ECU WebCMS. It is absolutely forbidden to copy this style, use ### ### this style for web applications, or implement within external systems. ### ### For further information please contact the Digital Marketing Manager, ### ### Digital Marketing Team, Marketing and Communications Services Centre, ### ### via https://www.ecu.edu.au/webadmin ### ### ### ##################################################################################
Our Corporate Web Styles
Public Site
Intranet sites
World Class Research
Our Corporate Web Experiences
Future Students
New Students
Current Students
Using the ECU Logo
Use of the ECU Logo is governed by the ECU Branding and Logo Policy. You must consult this policy and apply for approval to use the ECU Logo prior to implementation. Where existing web application systems are in place, or you are undertaking an upgrade, you aren't expected to seek approval if previously obtained.
Branding a 3rd party web application system
The Digital Marketing, Experience and Analytics team does not supply customised 'visual templates' or 'html code/styling' for 3rd party web application systems. Instead, any direction given in relation to visual branding of 3rd party web systems is based on a scale of grading.
This grading ranges from the highest level (maximum compliance), through to the lowest level (no compliance). You can first determine your web application system's level of current compliance, or intended level using the information below, and then engage with the web developer with the aim fo achieving the highest level of compliance possible and practicable.
It should be noted that ECU is not in the business of branding externally developed web systems/websites to 'look like the ECU Website'. Rather we respect the 3rd party design already applied to a system being implemented or developed. Past experience has shown that heavily 'branded' web application systems are prone to issues, such as incompatibility with prescribed templates (mobile first, responsive, etc.), upgrade issues when the web application is changed, and generally poor implementation of the ECU visual brand - as neither is fit for purpose.
If you're unsure, please contact the Web Experience Manager, via corporateweb@ecu.edu.au to seek further advice.
Once you have considered your desired grading below, and have selected the most appropriate visual design that best suits your web application system, you can download our sample HTML files to adapt to your purposes.
Grade 3 - Maximum compliance (most common)
This is the most common level of compliance for web systems. This level leverages the ability of most web systems to customise the 'header' and 'footer' of the web application.
Systems of this level are characterised by the following;
- Adherence to style header and footer.
- Include a correctly-sized and placed ECU Logo.
Grade 2 - Minimal compliance
Systems of this level are usually purchased from a vendor, and the vendor allows for very little customisation. Most commonly, these web systems facilitate changing 'the logo'.
Systems of this level are characterised by the following;
- Include an ECU Logo.
Grade 1 - No compliance
Systems of this level are usually purchased from a vendor, and the vendor allows for no customisation. Web applications that fall into this grade are actively discouraged.
Systems of this level are characterised by the following;
- No ECU branding whatsoever.
Branding a 3rd party web application system - colour palette
The two primary colours used within the sample download available are included below. The sample download also includes some example CSS, Font, PhotoShop and HTML code.
Compliance with the ECU web accessibility initiative
Edith Cowan University is committed to making our web pages and systems meet accepted web accessibility standards. We have a commitment to providing accessible websites that comply with the W3C Web Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA Conformance. To assist web developers in achieving these standards the Digital Marketing, Experience and Analytics team have developed a simple Website Quality Assurance Checklist. This checklist covers three broad areas:
- PART A: Web-based publication standards and usability
- PART B: Web-based content
- PART C: Accessibility
In order to meet our web accessibility standards you should ensure your web application system passes all the guidelines within the 'PART C' section. Failures can indicate that the web system being tested would not be accessible to all parties. This checklist should not replace proper testing against the full standards.
For further information about the W3C WCAG guidelines, visit the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.