High-quality communication requires a balance of visual clarity and strategic brevity. Whether designing for a digital screen or a social feed, these standards ensure our message remains professional, accessible, and easy to digest. Think of digital graphics as billboards on the highway.
The DIGITAL Rule
This applies to all assets, including PDFs, images, and icons:
Always use files labeled "-DIGITAL" for web/social. Using "-PRINT" (CMYK) files online is a compliance violation as they lack the structure for screen readers and will not display colors correctly on screens.
HTML Over PDF
To ensure the highest level of accessibility and mobile responsiveness, we follow a "Web-First" approach:
Native HTML Preference: Information should be published as native HTML (live text on a webpage) rather than as an attached PNG or PDF.
Why it matters: HTML is automatically responsive for mobile users and is the most reliable format for screen readers to interpret correctly.
When to use PDFs: Use PDFs only for documents intended for professional printing or for complex, multi-page reports that cannot be easily converted to a webpage. All PDFs must be "Tagged" for accessibility.
Visual Clarity and "Images of Text" rules
To maintain engagement and ensure readability, we follow a "Less is More" principle:
The Background Rule: Text must always be placed on a solid, high-contrast color block—never directly over a photo or a "busy" texture. This ensures legibility for all users.
Avoid "Images of Text": WCAG strongly discourages relying on images of text when real text (native HTML) can be used. When designing social graphics, ensure the critical information is also repeated in the post's caption or alt-text.
Native Content: Whenever possible, information should be published as native HTML (live text) rather than just a PNG or PDF. This ensures screen readers can access the information.
Maximum word count limits for digital layouts
Excessive text or cluttered layouts cause readers to tune out or miss critical details. Adhere to these maximums:
TV / Digital Slides: 15 words (Includes headline, sub headline, date, and time).
Social Media Graphics: 25 words.
Messenger / Calendar Thumbnails: 6 words.
