Consider the Page Type

There are endless categories and types of web pages, as all websites serve a different purpose. Think about what your user needs to accomplish on your website — are you informing the user of upcoming programs? Need them to sign up for something? Providing them access to important media or files? Consider how the design can help them complete the purpose of their visit.

Common web pages

  • Home: Acts as the user’s starting point, providing core information and guiding their journey through linking to other pages.
  • About: Provides information about your division, office, or college. It is an opportunity to share your vision, history, and purpose, as well as introduce team members.
  • Contact: Provides contact information, such as a phone number, email, or form, with which to contact your division, office, or college.
  • Directory: A catalog or list of people, programs, resources, and other information.
  • Form: Used to obtain information or feedback.
  • News: Share press releases, articles, stories, and other news-related content.
  • Biography: Feature faculty information, such as title, education, publications, awards, contact, and general biographical facts.
  • FAQ: Address common questions and provide answers to help users find information quickly.
  • 404: An error page when the requested web page cannot be found.
  • Sitemap: A simple list of all pages within a website.

Get Support

Want to go deeper into page design? Find support resources, policies, and self-paced training courses.

Choose a Page Template

Gato templates create a consistent appearance and feel for your entire site. It's recommended that most website utilize the up-to-date Calico templates. Some offices with unique needs may have access to a customized template. The Calico and TXST Standard templates are fully responsive and designed to cater to desktop and mobile users.

Calico templates

  • Calico: Standard web page design, used to create and manage content, including: text, images, video, and document links.
  • Calico Feature: Geared toward home page and other special communication needs.
  • Calico Form: Used to capture information through a form. Functions similarly to the TXST Form template, but with an updated Calico design.
  • Calico Filterable Search: Used to create search pages containing large lists of resources and people. Functions similarly to the TXST Filterable Search template, but with an updated Calico design.
  • Calico Timeline: Geared towards building linear timelines and procedures as a web page. Includes unique content types and navigation options.
  • Calico Article: Suitable for pages specifically geared towards large amounts of copy, with a design that promotes readability. Suitable for news stories, research, as well as instructional text and documentation.
  • Calico Page Listing: Allows editors to create a dynamic, curated index of pages found within their site, which will automatically update itself with new content as its published. Suitable for creating news archives, documentation hubs, and the like.
  • Page Redirect: Sends users to a specified page. Often used when a URL has been updated or changed.

TXST Standard

TXST Standard is an outdated Gato theme. Its templates share the same purpose as their Calico equivalents, and includes the following:

  • TXST Standard
  • TXST Form
  • TXST Filterable Search
  • Page Redirect

If your site is still using TXST Standard templates, it is strongly recommended you begin planning to rebuild your site in the Calico theme soon. The Standard theme is no longer being updated and will eventually be made completely unavailable for use.

Next Step

Design doesn't stop at choosing a page type. Check out the different types of pre-built sections available within Gato.