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Using Mega Panels

Mega Panels is our new layout option for the Drupal Panels module. It's quick and flexible, allowing administrators to create layouts with multiple rows and a variable number of panels in each row. 

Accessibility

Suitcase is designed with web accessibility best practices in mind, and makes it easy for content owners to create accessible content. 

For more resources and guides about web accessibility, visit ISU Digital Access.

Using Images in Mega Panels

A flexible Mega Panels layout works best when images are properly sized.  An example use-case would be having three panels in a row, each with an image that fills the width of each panel. 

Screenshot of three panels, each with an example image filling the space inside

In order for the image to fill the space allowed in the panel, create the images with the correct width to correspond with the size of the panel.

Typography

Iowa State University has digital font recommendations. One of these recommendations is to use the font called Nimbus Sans. This font is available through Adobe Typekit. ISU has a license to use the font for digital development. Nimbus Sans is the base font for the Suitcase theme. The font family is indicated in CSS as follows: 'Nimbus Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;

Clear Contrast

Text and links in the Suitcase theme have sufficient color contrast with the background. We help content editors maintain this standard by not allowing them to change text color.

Example: Text links are red (hex color code: #cc0000). This red has a contrast ratio of 5.89:1 with a white background which meets the WCAG AA standard of 4.5:1.

clear contrast checker

Meaningful Content

HTML elements like headings, subheadings, lists, and tables carry important meaning, and the correct use of these elements improves the experience and navigation for all users. Suitcase is built on a semantic HTML foundation, and content editors are equipped with the tools to create content with a meaningful structure.

Screencapture of a text editor showing proper use of Headings

Keyboard Navigation

Suitcase sites can be navigated with just a keyboard. How?

  • Users can use the Tab key to move through menu items, links, and form elements in a logical sequence.
  • All menu items, links, and form fields have a clear visual indicator for the currently focused item.
  • Content editors are instructed to make sure their links provide clear context for where a link will go. (Instead of just 'click here')
  • Keyboard navigators also have the option to bypass long navigation menus and 'Skip to Main Content'

 

Mini Panels

The Mega Panels module bundled with Luggage allows site builders to create Panel layouts and place them in blocks. 

Example Mini Panels

In this example a Mini Panel block contains a Mega Panels layout. Each pane contains a Custom Block with a link styled as a button.

Multiple Ways to Find Pages

All content in Luggage can be found multiple ways, which makes navigating websites easier for everyone to use.

Search

Luggage's powerful faceted search allows users to search all content in a few different ways:

  • By keyword
  • By category
  • By tag
  • By content type

There's no need to know exactly where a page exists in the page structure.

Resize Text

The Suitcase theme allows users to increase the text size to up to 200%. When text is resized, it resizes proportionally and the layout of pages and components is not compromised. 

Try it yourself!

iOS: hold down Command and tap + until the text is 200% bigger.

Windows: hold down CTRL and tap + until the text is 200% bigger.

Pages