Website Guidelines and Standards

All images on the website must include descriptive alt text. It should briefly explain what the image shows and any information that is being communicated.

Avoid using images that rely heavily on text to communicate information. Screen readers often can’t interpret text embedded in images, and that content won’t be supported by the built-in accessibility tools in Brightspot, our website content management system.

Color choices matter. Always refer to BYU–Hawaii’s official color branding guide, and ensure a strong contrast between background and foreground elements.

For example, pairing dark blue text with a black background, or bright pink on purple, can make content unreadable, especially for users viewing the site in grayscale or with low vision. Instead, use high-contrast combinations that make content pop and easy to read. Be sure that text links in different colors contrast with the background as well.

Every video we publish must include accurate subtitles for all spoken content, and all written words on screen must be read aloud.

Keep visual clarity in mind—if your subtitles are black and your video background turns dark mid-scene, those subtitles may become unreadable. Choose subtitle colors and positioning that remain legible throughout the entire video.

In general, avoid uploading PDFs. Web content is more user-friendly when it’s directly on the page.

If a PDF is absolutely necessary, documents must pass an accessibility check using Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Additional videos are available to guide you through this process and show you how to correct any errors.

Once your PDF passes the accessibility check, take a screenshot of the results and send it to your Marketing and Communications contact before submitting the file for review.Making attachments accessible and managing versions online is challenging which is why we try to avoid them if possible.

Headers help organize content, both using visual styling on the page and using code for the screen reader. Header tags should not be used to emphasize or stylize text. They sould be used to organize information and make it easy to scan and navigate. They must follow a logical, consecutive order in Brightspot. Always start with an H2, followed by H3, H4, and so on. Submissions with headers out of order—like H4 followed by H2—will be disapproved.

You can reset the structure as needed. For example: H2 → H3 → H2 → H2 → H3 → H4 is perfectly acceptable.

There are only three approved ways to write our school’s name:

• Brigham Young University–Hawaii
• BYU–Hawaii
• BYUH

Notice that the first 2 version uses an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-). The en dash is the same width as the letter “n” and helps visually and stylistically separate "University" from "Hawaii."

How you type an en dash depends on your device. Check the University Name webpage for platform-specific instructions.

BYU–Hawaii follows AP style, along with additions from the Church’s style guide. For consistency and clarity, refer to our Editorial Style Guide when writing content for the web.

Here are a few highlights:

Department Names

Always use official names or approved variations for university buildings and departments.

For example:

• Joseph F. Smith Library (JFS)
• BYUH Library
• The university library
• The library

Avoid informal names like “the old gym” unless they are officially recognized. Pro tip: If you're unsure, check the editorial style guide for the correct name!

Dates and Months

• Use Arabic numerals for dates (e.g., May 12, not May 12th).
• Omit the year for dates within the current year.
• Spell out the full month unless a specific date is included, in which case, abbreviate longer months.

Examples:

• January 2016 was cold.
• Her anniversary is May 12.
• She said it was Wednesday, Dec. 24.
• Feb. 14, 2021, was the deadline.

Times

• Use colons to separate hours and minutes.
• Write "am" and "pm" in lowercase with no periods and a space after the time.
• Use an en dash between time ranges.

Examples:

• 8 am or 8:00 am
• Noon to 5 pm
• 8–11 am or 8:00 am – 11:00 am

Also:

• Spell out numbers under 10 when they’re standalone modifiers.

  • Example: I work an eight-hour day.

Capitalization

Please follow AP guidelines:

• Use lowercase unless it’s a proper noun (a unique name for a person, place, or thing).

Examples:

• I went to the Housing Operations office today.
• She is a biology major in the Faculty of Sciences.

Titles

• Capitalize job titles only when they are formal titles and appear directly in front of a name or follow specific punctuation.
• Otherwise, use lowercase.

Examples:

• President Kauwe
• Vice Presidents Laura Tevaga and Kala Kau
• James Faustino, the dean of students
• The university president, John S.K. Kauwe III, was inaugurated in 2021.
• Systems analyst Joe Taylor, social media manager Brenda Kim, and administrative assistant Stacy Smith

If you want to add the university logo to a document or form, you can use the primary logo located at Marketing and Communications’ Brand Guide under Identity. However, if you want to use a department logo, email the Branding Team at brand@byuh.edu for an approved copy.

Important note: We no longer use the school medallion logo on the website.

All university-related content should use the new BYUH monogram. If your materials still include the medallion, you’ll need to replace it or remove it altogether.

If your department needs a custom logo, it must follow strict branding rules and be created in collaboration with the Marketing and Communications branding team.

Branding can get tricky—but that’s why we’re here. Be sure to review the linked resources for more details, and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Web Team for help.

If you want to know more about branding, you can request training from the Branding Team.

Mahalo for keeping our university’s brand strong and unified.