Technical Standards

File Naming Conventions

All files uploaded to UNA digital platforms must follow these rules:

• Lowercase only: a-z, 0-9, hyphens (-)
• No spaces: Use hyphens to separate words
• No special characters: No underscores, apostrophes, accents (á, ê, ï)
• No punctuation: Except hyphens
• Descriptive names: admissions-application-2026.pdf (not app.pdf)

PDF Standards

Avoid PDFs when possible. HTML pages are more accessible, easier to maintain, better for SEO, and mobile-friendly.

When PDFs Are Necessary

• Must be tagged and accessible (WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Save as PDF/A format for archiving
• Include logical heading structure
• Provide descriptive alt text for images
• Test with screen readers and accessibility checkers

Image Standards

• Format: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency
• Optimization: Compress for web (aim for <200KB)
• Resolution: Minimum 1200px wide for full-width images
• Alt text: Required for all images (descriptive, not decorative phrases)
• File names: descriptive-image-name.jpg

Video Standards

• Format: MP4 (H.264 codec)
• Captions: Required for all videos
• Transcripts: Provide for accessibility
• Hosting: University-approved platforms only (YouTube, Vimeo)
• Sign-off: Creative Services approval required before publication

Audio Standards

• Format: MP3 (320kbps) or WAV
• Settings: Stereo, 44.1kHz sample rate, 16-bit depth
• File size: MP3 required for files >10 minutes
• Transcripts: Required for all spoken content
• Sign-off: Creative Services approval required

Code & Development Standards

• Follow established coding style guides for the project
• Semantic HTML5 markup required
• Responsive design (mobile-first approach)
• Page load time under 3 seconds
• Cross-browser compatibility (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
• No inline CSS or JavaScript (except when necessary)