A guide by
麻豆社 Academy
Why are image standards important?
Images are visual storytellers. One of the most effective ways to encourage someone to stay on a page is a good quality image.
This guide's been designed specifically for people who are creating images for the 麻豆社 Academy online. It'll help you make the right choices when selecting, sourcing, cropping and titling your pictures.
Meeting our standards will mean your images are enticing and accessible. It'll also ensure we stay out of trouble legally.
Do I have a good image?
Your images should aid your storytelling.
Muse performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury music festival.
Relevant: This image is relevant for Glastonbury stories but a shot of the Pyramid Stage would be misleading or irrelevant if used with a story about another festival
Singer Wolf Alice
Context: The microphone is providing context so that we know this is a singer. This image reveals more than a simple head shot would
Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin
Motion: This image is striking because of the movement. Avoid static poses unless you鈥檙e creating portrait shots
Where can I get images from?
麻豆社 Academy training manager Mark James presents a guide to staying on the right side of copyright law.
How can I crop effectively?
You can transform an image by cropping it. Play the video to learn about the rule of thirds, looking room and how to crop images of people.
Cropping to size
The Academy鈥檚 publishing platforms, Gomo and iSite, require specific image sizes. Download the PDF to learn what sizes your images need to be depending on whether you鈥檙e making a course, a web page or a guide.
Image specifications for Academy platforms
How should I label my image?
Your image should be accurately labelled for two reasons: search and accessibility.
Make the title short but include keywords so that it can be found through search engines. If your image is of a person, it's sensible to use the person's name as your image title.
Title
Make the title short but include keywords so that it can be found through search engines. If your image is of a person, it's sensible to use the person's name as your image title.
Alt text
The alt text (alternative text) will be read out by screen readers that are used by users who are blind or have low vision. It therefore needs to describe the picture. In iBroadcast, treat the short synopsis as the alt text. Include keywords if you can.
Caption
Only caption an image if you have something to say that adds value. Otherwise remove it in iSite.
Which title is best?
Click on the hand and view the labels A to D in sequence to find the best title and alt text.
Title: Singer
Alt text: Singer.
This is very poor image labelling.
The title should contain keywords. Who is this singer?
The alt text should describe the image. This doesn't.
Title: Tiny Giant
Alt text: Tiny Giant performing on the 麻豆社 Introducing Stage.
This title is better because it contains keywords - but maybe not the most relevant ones.
The alt text describes the image - as it should do - but this isn't the most accurate description. The image is of one woman singing, not the Tiny Giant duo.
Title: Chloe Alper of Tiny Giant
Alt text: Tiny Giant鈥檚 Chloe Alper sings on the 麻豆社 Introducing Stage at the Reading Festival in 2016.
This is how images should be labelled. The title contains the important keywords.
The alt text describes what's happening accurately. It also brings in other keywords that will help make the image findable through search.
Title: Chloe Alper
Alt text: Tiny Giant performing at the Reading Festival in 2016.
The title is good. It's the subject's name, which are the best keywords.
The alt text is good too because it includes other important keywords. However, it's still not an accurate description of the picture. Someone using a screen reader would presume this image is of the Tiny Giant duo.
