Documents

Documents can be uploaded to the website and subsequently linked to inside a message. The upload process is managed by the Communications Department.

Documents are an easy and familiar way to get our ideas out there, but they come with more constraints and problems than other forms of communication when used on our websites.  These include accessiblity issues, ageing, and maintenance complexity.

Avoid Using Documents When Possible

While documents are great for creating print materials or drafting your ideas, they are not great for digital communication.

In general, PDF and PowerPoint documents are a poor way to communicate on the web. Often these documents are not accessible to those with disabilities. Web based documents are generally not easy to view on mobile devices. They also stagnate quickly and require significant upkeep in order to remain relevant.

In instances where a large amount of information needs to be conveyed, such as a school handbook, we will continue posting these documents. Documents we post to our websites must be accessible.

We will also continue to post PDF forms when information collection is required, however, we encourage conversion to an online form, such as Office 365. This allows the form to be kept current without changing the link or uploading a new document.

Contact the communication department if you are unsure if you need to post a document, how to convert it for use on the web, or to have a file uploaded to one of our websites.

Document Disparities

While there are many different tools for word processing such as Microsoft’s “Word” or Google’s “Docs”, they all have their subtleties for communication, and offer different ways of doing things. Various word processors also do not typically work well across different platforms. Many times, formatting and functionality gets lost.

Document Constraints

• Not mobile friendly
• Provider specific
• Not indexed well by search engines
• Are easier to break formatting and contrast
• Oftentimes require a download
• Can carry viruses

When to Use a Document

Documents are used when:

• A signature or data collection is required.
• When your content if long and complex, like a handbook.

Alternatives to documents

Webpages

The best alternative to a document on the web is to convert the document into a webpage. The resulting page is accessible, translatable, printable and is mobile friendly.

Converting a document into a webpage is almost never a one-to-one experience. Documents are often written with significant amount of detail or unnecessary information. The doucment may need to be partially edited to be suitable for the web.

E-mail

Emails are intentionally much shorter than a document. This means that, as with webpages, the content in a document must also be adjusted and paired down to smaller bits, and incorporate other types of formatting.

Web-based Forms

When information is being collected, such as name, address, etc., a web-based form is ideal.  The form can be linked in a message. When the fom is updated, there is no need to upload a new document.

Other advantages include:

• better data collection
• automated processes can be tied to the form such as auto reply and email confirmations
• additional information or instructions are easily added
• the form can be updated without changing its url or uploading a new document