In our team update from 1-14 October you will have seen a mention of a new module we’ve added to our Go Mobile training: Website Media Management. We developed this in response to requests from the first cohort of Go Mobile editors for more help managing images.
Our training on planning and writing web content, and using the T4 content management system, cover some of the ways images can be used in the new template. The new media training takes things a step further. It covers:
- when to use images
- sourcing images
- selecting images
- preparing images for publication
- best practice for documents
- uploading assets to T4’s Media Library
Sourcing and selecting images for your website
The primary source for images for your website should be the University photo library. In the library you can:
- browse or search for photos
- save relevant images to your lightbox so you can easily find them again
- download the approved University logos
- access student profiles
In the training we cover some tips for getting the most out of the photo library. These include using multiple lightboxes, browsing by keyword and viewing all photos from a selected photographer.
When it comes to selecting images, we provide guidance on how to select images for the four core themes identified in the University branding guidelines; student experience, sense of place, teaching and learning, and research.
The most important thing for image selection is to choose photos that are natural or appear to be observed, rather than staged. That means nobody looking directly into the camera!
Editing images for use on the web
We recommend that our editors use the free, online photo editing tool, Fotor. Its clean user interface makes it easy to upload, crop and resize images to the required dimensions.
Even if you have access to Photoshop, if you’re not a regular and proficient user it can be overwhelming. Fotor is a straightforward alternative.
I wrote a post earlier in the year that includes advice on editing images for use on your website.
Feedback from attendees
There have been three sessions so far, with more to follow in December. The feedback has been very positive:
‘Great information on the use of appropriate images in terms of context on the web page’
‘Really useful advice on when to use images and how to select the most appropriate ones’
‘Good to get practical, hands-on opportunity to edit and save images’
Further information
For Go Mobile editors, you’ll find lots of guidance on using images on our demo site.
Not yet part of the Go Mobile programme and want to improve the imagery on your website? Get further information from the image guide on our website (University login required). This includes a step-by-step guide for using Fotor.
And I’m always happy to take questions in the comments.
