-
-
- Most requested
-
- Template and pattern library for Canada.ca
+
+
+
-
- Designing and improving Canada.ca
-
-
-
-
- Changes to the design of Canada.ca to continuously improve in response to user needs.
-
-
-
-
-
- Projects the Digital Transformation Office is working on with departmental partners to improve task success on Canada.ca.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Evidence and insights on improving information and services on Canada.ca.
-
-
-
-
-
- Content and Information Architecture Specification, Content Style Guide, templates and design patterns, topic tree, institutions list, theme lead departments.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Learn how the government is working to provide Canadians safe and secure access to its services and information.
-
-
-
-
-
- Data on how people are interacting with the Government of Canada online.
-
-
-
-
-
-
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Designing and improving Canada.ca
-
-
-
- Contact institutions of the Government of Canada.
-
-
-
-
-
- Meet the team that is working with federal departments to improve Canada.ca.
-
-
+
+
+
+ Canada.ca Specifications, content style guide, information architecture and findability, continuous improvement, blog and research summaries
+
+
+
+
+
+ Data on how people are interacting with the Government of Canada online
+
+
+
+
+
+ Find contacts by department or program, most frequent contacts
+
+
+
diff --git a/about/latest-changes.md b/about/latest-changes.md
index 723a59015a..4abe4477f4 100644
--- a/about/latest-changes.md
+++ b/about/latest-changes.md
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ title: "Latest changes to the Canada.ca design system"
November 28, 2019
We made the following changes:
- Mandatory elements : we moved the detailed guidance on mandatory elements to the template and pattern library
+ Mandatory elements : we moved the detailed guidance on mandatory elements to the template and pattern library
Institutional landing page : we are introducing a new beta template for the institutional landing page, merging the institutional and organizational profiles to better reflect the role and purpose of this mandatory template
Report a problem : we modified the guidance to allow for some customization
Transparency template : we are introducing a new suggested layout for transparency and corporate reporting information
@@ -193,10 +193,10 @@ title: "Latest changes to the Canada.ca design system"
how to organize content
how to design content
-
the mandatory elements specify what departments must do to reflect the trusted digital brand of the Government of Canada
+
the mandatory elements specify what departments must do to reflect the trusted digital brand of the Government of Canada
the template and design pattern library contains all detailed information about specific templates and patterns
a new interactive pattern selector makes it easier to find the right template or design pattern
-
the organizing content section simplifies the direction on information architecture, user-need categories and the URL model
+
the organizing content section simplifies the direction on information architecture, user-need categories and the URL model
the topic page template is now only mandatory for the first 2 topic layers, although it can be used at lower levels when appropriate
the home page design reflects the recent changes to the live site
diff --git a/ajax/patterns-01-en.json b/ajax/patterns-01-en.json
index d176afa935..5160fb9436 100644
--- a/ajax/patterns-01-en.json
+++ b/ajax/patterns-01-en.json
@@ -543,17 +543,17 @@
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
}, {
- "NAME": "
Who has to use this design system ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
- "DESCRIPTION": "Which institutions must use the Canada.ca design system for their public-facing web presence",
- "WHENTOUSE": "Which institutions must use the Canada.ca design system for their public-facing web presence",
+ "NAME": "
Who has to use the Canada.ca design ",
+ "SOURCE": "Canada.ca Specifications",
+ "DESCRIPTION": "Which institutions must use the Canada.ca design for their public-facing web presence",
+ "WHENTOUSE": "Which institutions must use the Canada.ca design for their public-facing web presence",
"CATEGORY": "",
"TYPE": "",
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
}, {
- "NAME": "
Mandatory elements ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
+ "NAME": "
Mandatory elements ",
+ "SOURCE": "Canada.ca Specifications",
"DESCRIPTION": "What every institution must follow: colours, typography, header and footer, and mandatory templates",
"WHENTOUSE": "What every institution must follow: colours, typography, header and footer, and mandatory templates",
"CATEGORY": "",
@@ -561,8 +561,8 @@
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
}, {
- "NAME": "
User navigation ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
+ "NAME": "
User navigation ",
+ "SOURCE": "Canada.ca Specifications",
"DESCRIPTION": "How people find tasks on Canada.ca",
"WHENTOUSE": "How people find tasks on Canada.ca",
"CATEGORY": "",
@@ -570,26 +570,35 @@
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
}, {
- "NAME": "
User-need categories for destination content ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
+ "NAME": "
User-need categories for destination content ",
+ "SOURCE": "Canada.ca Specifications",
"DESCRIPTION": "How people find tasks on Canada.ca",
"WHENTOUSE": "How people find tasks on Canada.ca",
"CATEGORY": "",
"TYPE": "",
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
- }, {
- "NAME": "
URL model ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
- "DESCRIPTION": "Canada.ca URL model",
- "WHENTOUSE": "Canada.ca URL model",
+ },{
+ "NAME": "
Improving titles and metadata for findability ",
+ "SOURCE": "Information architecture and findability",
+ "DESCRIPTION": "Use this guidance to write effective titles and metadata.",
+ "WHENTOUSE": "Use this guidance to write effective titles and metadata.",
+ "CATEGORY": "",
+ "TYPE": "",
+ "MANDATORY": "",
+ "TANDP": "0"
+ },{
+ "NAME": "
Domains and URLs ",
+ "SOURCE": "Mandatory elements",
+ "DESCRIPTION": "Government of Canada domains and URLs",
+ "WHENTOUSE": "Government of Canada domains and URLs",
"CATEGORY": "",
"TYPE": "",
"MANDATORY": "",
"TANDP": "0"
}, {
- "NAME": "
Design principles ",
- "SOURCE": "Content and Information Architecture Specification",
+ "NAME": "
Design principles ",
+ "SOURCE": "Canada.ca Specifications",
"DESCRIPTION": "Design principles of Canada.ca",
"WHENTOUSE": "Design principles of Canada.ca",
"CATEGORY": "",
diff --git a/architecture/canada-content-information-architecture-specification.md b/architecture/canada-content-information-architecture-specification.md
deleted file mode 100644
index cbe578e855..0000000000
--- a/architecture/canada-content-information-architecture-specification.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
----
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/architecture/specifications-contenu-architecture-information-canada.html"
-breadcrumbs:
- - title: About Canada.ca
- link: "https://design.canada.ca/about/"
- - title: Design system
- link: "https://design.canada.ca/"
-date: 2017-10-05
-dateModified: 2023-03-28
-description: "The requirements listed in this design manual apply to departments and other portions of the federal public administration as set out in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act. As such, in-scope institutions must apply Canada.ca design requirements for all public-facing web sites or digital services."
-title: "Canada.ca Content and Information Architecture Specification"
----
-
The Canada.ca design system provides user-tested templates, patterns and design principles. The system allows designers and developers to create a more usable, consistent and trustworthy online experience for people who access Government of Canada digital services.
-
-
-
-
-
- Scope of the Canada.ca design
-
-
-
-
-
- Colours, typography, header and footer, mandatory templates
-
-
-
-
-
- Themes and institutional navigation, URLs, content types and content states
-
-
-
-
-
- Template library and design principles
-
-
-
-
diff --git a/coded-layout/institutional_landing_page_guidance.html b/coded-layout/institutional_landing_page_guidance.html
index 60ca45103f..5fa71d9bb8 100644
--- a/coded-layout/institutional_landing_page_guidance.html
+++ b/coded-layout/institutional_landing_page_guidance.html
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
Contact us
You can include links to specific contact tasks in this section.
About the institution
Mandatory
-
Provides links to content from an institution that falls under the Corporate information and Program and policy development categories.
+
Provides links to content from an institution that falls under the Corporate information and Program and policy development categories.
The first 2 links are mandatory: Mandate and Transparency.
Other links in this section can include:
diff --git a/common-design-patterns/canada-dot-ca.md b/common-design-patterns/canada-dot-ca.md
index 03c60d5366..85bbfb463e 100644
--- a/common-design-patterns/canada-dot-ca.md
+++ b/common-design-patterns/canada-dot-ca.md
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ title: Canada.ca domain design pattern
For details on writing Canada.ca URLs, go to
-
+
URL model
.
diff --git a/common-design-patterns/date-modified.md b/common-design-patterns/date-modified.md
index 6f5ad49f8b..32d07aaf77 100644
--- a/common-design-patterns/date-modified.md
+++ b/common-design-patterns/date-modified.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ title: Date modified
The Date modified pattern is mandatory on all pages. In applications, it can be replaced by a version number. For
more information, go to the
-
+
Mandatory
elements of the design system .
diff --git a/common-design-patterns/share-page.md b/common-design-patterns/share-page.md
index 4536725b1d..cbc12cb4e5 100644
--- a/common-design-patterns/share-page.md
+++ b/common-design-patterns/share-page.md
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ title: Share this page
The Share this page pattern is optional on all pages. For more information, go to the
-
+
Mandatory
elements of the design system .
diff --git a/common-design-patterns/what-we-are-doing.md b/common-design-patterns/what-we-are-doing.md
index d9bd0d144f..59f58b7ade 100644
--- a/common-design-patterns/what-we-are-doing.md
+++ b/common-design-patterns/what-we-are-doing.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: What we are doing design pattern
-
+
What we are doing is a pattern that presents links to content that provides background or explanations of
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ title: What we are doing design pattern
Use this pattern to provide relevant links to content that falls within the
-
+
program and policy development
user-need category
diff --git a/continuous-improvement/designing.md b/continuous-improvement/designing.md
index 81cc97112a..6a0db2bc8e 100644
--- a/continuous-improvement/designing.md
+++ b/continuous-improvement/designing.md
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ title: Designing content
-
+
Mandatory elements of the Canada.ca design system
@@ -198,12 +198,12 @@ title: Designing content
-
+
User navigation on Canada.ca
-
+
User-need categories for destination content
diff --git a/designing-content.md b/designing-content.md
index 818705fb18..8f8cd51307 100644
--- a/designing-content.md
+++ b/designing-content.md
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ title: Designing content for Canada.ca
-
+
Mandatory elements of the Canada.ca design system
@@ -165,12 +165,12 @@ title: Designing content for Canada.ca
-
+
User navigation on Canada.ca
-
+
User-need categories for destination content
diff --git a/index.md b/index.md
index f6e3db8751..7c83a545a6 100644
--- a/index.md
+++ b/index.md
@@ -1,39 +1,35 @@
---
altLangPage: https://conception.canada.ca
date: 2021-05-03
-dateModified: 2023-08-19
-description: "The Canada.ca design system holds the reusable styles, templates and patterns that make Government of Canada digital services more usable, consistent and trustworthy."
+dateModified: 2024-08-26
+description: "The Canada.ca design holds the reusable styles, templates and patterns that make Government of Canada digital services more usable, consistent and trustworthy."
layout: "without-h1"
-title: "Canada.ca design system"
+title: "Canada.ca design"
---
-Canada.ca design system
-Use this design system to provide a more usable, consistent and trustworthy online experience for people who access Government of Canada digital services.
+Designing for Canada.ca
+Mandatory elements for Canada.ca, writing principles, how to organize your content to make it easy to find, optimizing web content, evidence for and research on design choices.
-
-
User-tested templates, page layouts, design patterns, guidelines, and code samples
+
+
Who has to use the Canada.ca design, mandatory elements, design principles, information architecture and findability, templates and patterns
-
-
Writing principles and techniques to make content clear and accessible to all
-
-
-
-
Who has to use the Canada.ca design system, mandatory elements, how to organize content and design principles
-
-
-
+
Choosing what to improve, organizing and preparing your team, research and prototyping, designing content, monitoring and measuring success
-
+
Evidence and insights on improving information and services on Canada.ca
-
-
Latest changes to the design system, templates and patterns, style guide and other tools
+
+
Research done to make it easier for people to find and understand Government of Canada information and services
+
+
+
+
Most requested, analytics for Canada.ca, Government of Canada contacts
@@ -62,8 +58,8 @@ title: "Canada.ca design system"
-
- Content and Information Architecture Specification
+
+ Canada.ca Specifications
diff --git a/js/remove-main-container.js b/js/remove-main-container.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3efd7fa149
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/remove-main-container.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Select the main container element
+var mainContainer = document.querySelector('main'); // Adjust the selector if needed
+
+// Remove the 'container' class from the main container if it exists
+if (mainContainer && mainContainer.classList.contains('container')) {
+ mainContainer.classList.remove('container');
+}
+
+// Select the section with the class 'pagedetails'
+var pageDetailsSection = document.querySelector('section.pagedetails'); // Adjust the selector if needed
+
+// Add the 'container' class to the 'pagedetails' section if it exists
+if (pageDetailsSection) {
+ pageDetailsSection.classList.add('container');
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mandatory-templates/theme-topic.md b/mandatory-templates/theme-topic.md
index d8df240405..d168aa41e6 100644
--- a/mandatory-templates/theme-topic.md
+++ b/mandatory-templates/theme-topic.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ title: Theme and topic page mandatory template
provide support for theme navigation rather than institutional navigation of government-wide content (see
-
+
How people find tasks: theme and institutional navigation
)
diff --git a/recommended-templates/campaign-pages.md b/recommended-templates/campaign-pages.md
index 4073dbd622..406bc43c4c 100644
--- a/recommended-templates/campaign-pages.md
+++ b/recommended-templates/campaign-pages.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: 'Campaign pages template'
-
+
Campaign pages are time-limited, promotional pages that respond to the Government of Canada’s desire to communicate, educate, influence, market, raise awareness and call to action.
@@ -125,14 +125,14 @@ title: 'Campaign pages template'
WET
components to the greatest extent possible to ensure accessibility. Make sure your page follows the
-
+
Mandatory elements of the design system
.
You can use a reduced version of the
-
+
header and footer
when there is a need to not use global navigation
diff --git a/recommended-templates/collection-landing-pages.md b/recommended-templates/collection-landing-pages.md
index ad4d999185..874021348a 100644
--- a/recommended-templates/collection-landing-pages.md
+++ b/recommended-templates/collection-landing-pages.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: 'Collection landing pages template'
-
+
Collections are aggregations of common content produced by all or most Government of Canada institutions:
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ title: 'Collection landing pages template'
provide a single location for people to navigate an aggregation of related content types (see section on
-
+
Canada.ca content types
)
diff --git a/recommended-templates/generic-destination.md b/recommended-templates/generic-destination.md
index 302241be90..6a095c6133 100644
--- a/recommended-templates/generic-destination.md
+++ b/recommended-templates/generic-destination.md
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ title: Basic content page layout recommended template
-
+
Mandatory elements of the design system
diff --git a/recommended-templates/promotional-events-pages.md b/recommended-templates/promotional-events-pages.md
index 2cac5283e7..ee67eb144e 100644
--- a/recommended-templates/promotional-events-pages.md
+++ b/recommended-templates/promotional-events-pages.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: 'Promotional events pages template'
-
+
A promotional events page is a destination page that describes and explains an official government-hosted event that occurs in a promotional context, such as a festival, a celebration and an awards ceremony.
@@ -84,14 +84,14 @@ title: 'Promotional events pages template'
WET
components to the greatest extent possible to ensure accessibility. Make sure your page follows the
-
+
Mandatory elements of the design system
.
You can use a reduced version of the
-
+
header and footer
when there is a need to not use global navigation
diff --git a/research-summaries/index.md b/research-summaries/index.md
index b3841d7ca7..429cc605d0 100644
--- a/research-summaries/index.md
+++ b/research-summaries/index.md
@@ -29,3 +29,8 @@ title: "Research summaries"
Weather optimization
Diseases and immunization
+
Past projects with our partners
+
Learn about work we’ve done with other departments and organizations to improve task success on Canada.ca:
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/specifications.md b/specifications.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ce8e71857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/specifications.md
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+---
+altLangPage: https://conception.canada.ca/specifications.html
+date: null
+dateModified: '2024-08-21'
+description: null
+layout: default
+title: Canada.ca Specifications
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ }
+ ]
+---
+
+
+
+ The Canada.ca design helps to provide a consistent and trustworthy online experience for people who access Government of Canada digital services.
+
+
+
+
+ Services and information
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Scope of the Canada.ca design
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Colours, typography, header and footer, mandatory templates
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Writing principles and techniques to make content clear and accessible
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Organizing content, metadata guidance, adding structured data
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Using evidence to design people-first and task-centred experiences
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ User-tested templates, page layouts, design patterns, guidelines, and code samples
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Latest changes to the design
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
What we're working on
+
+
This is a new version of the design system. You can use it as a starting point for a website or application.
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/architecture/templates.md b/specifications/design-content.md
similarity index 63%
rename from architecture/templates.md
rename to specifications/design-content.md
index 5c95d78bf6..542170e142 100644
--- a/architecture/templates.md
+++ b/specifications/design-content.md
@@ -1,27 +1,32 @@
---
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/architecture/modeles.html"
+altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/concevoir-contenu.html"
date: 2017-10-05
-dateModified: 2023-03-28
-description: "Templates and design patterns of the Canada.ca design system."
+dateModified: 2024-08-26
+description: "Templates and design patterns of the Canada.ca design."
+section-title: "Canada.ca Specifications"
title: "Designing content on Canada.ca"
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ }
+ ]
---
-
+
The Canada.ca templates, page layouts and design patterns have been developed to support departments in designing web content that will help people complete their tasks.
On this page
How to design for Canada.ca
When designing content, always focus on the task. All design decisions should make it easier for people to:
@@ -50,20 +55,19 @@ title: "Designing content on Canada.ca"
Design principles
Canada.ca is based on the following principles.
Open, collaborative concept design
- The rules and concepts presented in this design system have been developed in collaboration with Government of Canada Theme lead departments . Other departments and agencies have also provided input.
+ The rules and concepts presented here have been developed in collaboration with Government of Canada Theme lead departments . Other departments and agencies have also provided input.
We are actively engaging with the community in several ways:
- a social media presence, through the use of #Canadadotca
a blog that presents our work
- regular meetings with the Theme lead departments
+ regular meetings with the Government of Canada web community
events and presentations for all departments and agencies
Evidence-based iteration
- The rules and concepts presented here have been designed and revised based on evidence of people’s needs and their success on the site.
- the structure of the main menu canada.ca was based on an understanding what canadians are looking for. this came from a review public web usage data. data collected across government departments and agencies.
- The Canada.ca IA, templates and patterns have been adjusted since 2013. This reflects the outcomes of user research and usability testing with thousands of Canadians. Usability tests have been performed in English and French, on mobile, tablet, and desktop environments, and with assistive technologies.
- As new research and testing is undertaken and departments try new ideas, this design system will continue to be updated.
- This system is a living and evolving toolbox. Its role is to help departments save time and money by using existing patterns and styles for their specific content. It provides a consistent framework for the Government of Canada web presence, while being flexible enough to allow innovative design solutions.
+ These principles and guidelines have been designed and revised based on evidence of people’s needs and their success on the site.
+ The structure of the main menu on Canada.ca was based on an understanding of what Canadians are looking for. This came from a review of public web usage data. The data was collected across government departments and agencies.
+ The Canada.ca information architecture (IA) and templates and patterns have been adjusted since 2013. This reflects the outcomes of user research and usability testing with thousands of Canadians. Usability tests have been performed in English and French, on mobile, tablet, and desktop environments, and with assistive technologies.
+ As new research and testing is undertaken and departments try new ideas, the Canada.ca design will continue to be updated.
+ The role of the design is to help departments save time and money by using existing patterns and styles for their specific content. It provides a consistent framework for the Government of Canada web presence, while being flexible enough to allow innovative design solutions.
People first
Canada.ca is based on user needs. It ensures that the most in-demand information and services are easy to find, understand and use.
Non-priority content must not interfere with someone’s ability to find what they are looking for. Content must be organized to present a government-wide perspective to users, wherever possible. For example, information from multiple departments on the same topic of public interest must be grouped together. When duplicate content is identified, it should be removed.
@@ -72,10 +76,10 @@ title: "Designing content on Canada.ca"
To ensure content is always current, it must be actively managed throughout its life cycle. This is required by the Government of Canada Information Management policy requirements .
Task-centred approach
People visit Canada.ca to complete a task. A task is something a person has set out to do. To accomplish a task, a person may need to read a web page or undertake a complex transaction online. All content supporting a task should be simple, consistent and predictable.
- The Canada.ca design system provides people with consistent navigation, content labels, templates and patterns. Whether they enter Canada.ca pages directly through Internet search engines or by way of social media or direct traffic, consistency helps ensure users can find, begin, and complete the most in-demand tasks.
+ The Canada.ca Specifications provides people with consistent navigation, content labels, templates and patterns. Whether they enter Canada.ca pages directly through Internet search engines or by way of social media or direct traffic, consistency helps ensure users can find, begin, and complete the most in-demand tasks.
Optimized for mobile devices
Canadians are increasingly using mobile devices, including tablets and smart phones.
- The existing Canada.ca design helps people easily find the same content on either their mobile or desktop device. The design system, including Web Experience Toolkit (WET) templates and design components, have been tested and verified as mobile-friendly.
+ The existing Canada.ca design helps people easily find the same content on either their mobile or desktop device. The Canada.ca templates and patterns, including Web Experience Toolkit (WET) templates and design components, have been tested and verified as mobile-friendly.
A separate mobile instance of the site is not needed.
To perform well on mobile devices, the IA is as simple and as flat as possible. In-page navigation is more effective than menus and page sizes must be limited. The content specifications and writing guidance take this mobile context into account. They also specify how to create content that will be easily downloaded on mobile devices. This allows people to access information quickly while on the go.
Integrated with search
@@ -86,7 +90,7 @@ title: "Designing content on Canada.ca"
- Help improve this design system
+ Help improve the Canada.ca design
When designing for Canada.ca, keep in mind that the measure of success is more than just conformity to guidelines. It is equally important to help users successfully complete their tasks. Improving the rules is encouraged. Always share your ideas to make things better with the Digital Transformation Office at {{ site.emails.dto }}.
diff --git a/architecture/images/conceptual-overview-eng.png b/specifications/images/conceptual-overview-eng.png
similarity index 100%
rename from architecture/images/conceptual-overview-eng.png
rename to specifications/images/conceptual-overview-eng.png
diff --git a/specifications/information-findability.md b/specifications/information-findability.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c49c43f083
--- /dev/null
+++ b/specifications/information-findability.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+altLangPage: https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/information-trouvabilite.html
+date: null
+dateModified: '2024-08-21'
+description: null
+layout: default
+section-title: "Canada.ca Specifications"
+title: Information architecture and findability
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ }
+ ]
+---
+
+
+
+ Organize and structure web pages for findability and task success across Canada.ca.
+
+
+
+
+ Services and information
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Themes and institutional navigation, URLs, sub-domains, content types and content states
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Write effective metadata descriptions, add keywords, prioritize search optimization efforts
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ How to add structured data, measure the impact, schema code and examples
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/information-findability/metadata.md b/specifications/information-findability/metadata.md
similarity index 97%
rename from information-findability/metadata.md
rename to specifications/information-findability/metadata.md
index 305a2bc4f3..093d523601 100644
--- a/information-findability/metadata.md
+++ b/specifications/information-findability/metadata.md
@@ -1,19 +1,26 @@
---
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/"
+altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/information-trouvabilite/metadonnees.html"
date: 2024-02-23
dateModified: 2024-07-02
description: "Metadata guidance to improve search findability for Canada.ca web pages"
keywords: "metadata, what is metadata, keywords, keyword research, findability"
-section-title: "Information architecture and findability"
+section-title: "IA and findability"
title: "Improving titles and metadata for findability"
-breadcrumbs: [
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
{
"link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
- "title": "Designing for Canada.ca"
+ "title": "Design"
},
{
"link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
- "title": "Canada.ca Specifications"
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications/information-findability.html",
+ "title": "IA and findability"
}
]
---
diff --git a/architecture/organizing-content.md b/specifications/information-findability/organizing-content.md
similarity index 67%
rename from architecture/organizing-content.md
rename to specifications/information-findability/organizing-content.md
index 0430e65297..39dfedb568 100644
--- a/architecture/organizing-content.md
+++ b/specifications/information-findability/organizing-content.md
@@ -1,21 +1,28 @@
---
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/architecture/organiser-contenu.html"
+altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/information-trouvabilite/organiser-contenu.html"
date: 2017-10-05
-dateModified: 2023-03-28
+dateModified: 2024-08-26
description: "How to organize your content on Canada.ca"
+section-title: "IA and findability"
title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications/information-findability.html",
+ "title": "IA and findability"
+ }
+ ]
---
-
-
On this page
@@ -37,7 +44,7 @@ title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
See where your content fits under themes and their corresponding topics in the Canada.ca Topic tree .
Navigation conceptual overview
-
+
Text version
People who may not understand the operations or organization of the Government of Canada (GC) may access content through theme navigation. Theme pages organize topics in a way that people understand so they can find content that supports their tasks quickly. Theme pages link to topic pages and/or destination content. Topic pages allow people to discover top-task content related to a specific GC-wide topic. They also link to destination content.
@@ -109,10 +116,9 @@ title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
Navigation
- This content must be accessible from either:
+ This content must be accessible from:
- the “What we are doing” section of the topic page and the Institutional/Organizational profile
- the "Corporate information" section of the Institutional/Organizational profile
+ the "About the institution" section of the Institutional/Organizational profile
@@ -137,7 +143,7 @@ title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
Navigation
- This content must be accessible from the “Corporate information” section of the Institutional/Organizational profile.
+ This content must be accessible from the “About the institution” section of the Institutional/Organizational profile.
@@ -162,7 +168,7 @@ title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
This content can be accessible from:
the “Latest news” section of the Institutional/Organizational profile
- the Features on Institutional/Organizational profiles and topic pages
+ the “Context-specific features” on Institutional/Organizational profiles and topic pages
contextual promotions on relevant content pages
@@ -199,56 +205,10 @@ title: "Organizing content on Canada.ca"
URL model
- Each web page has a primary URL, displayed in the browser’s address bar. All other URLs referring to the web page resolve to the primary URL. This applies to URL aliases, vanity URLs, redirected URLs or any other non-primary URL.
-
- How to write URLs
- This applies to all URLs, including vanity URLs and subdomains:
-
- use plain language keywords
- avoid superfluous words such as “to”, “the”, “a”, “an”, “by”, “for” (for example, “/apply-student-loan” instead of “/how-to-apply-for-a-canadian-student-loan”
- separate keywords and path segments by hyphens
- use lowercase
- it is strongly recommended that you use unilingual keywords, in the language of the page
- use only US-ASCII (7-bit version of ASCII) characters (for example, “meteo” instead of “météo”)
- avoid duplicate keywords and apostrophes
- avoid acronyms and abbreviations, unless they are better understood than the full version or perform better on search engines
-
-
-
- Writing URLs for communications products
- When writing URLs for communication products, you can use either the primary URL or a vanity URL.
- Vanity URLs must:
-
- be easy to type and to communicate
- only include 1 path segment (only a single slash)
- hide the file extension for HTML-based pages (for example, “canada.ca/passport”, “canada.ca/weather”)
-
- If the URL will be spoken out loud (for example, in radio and television advertisements), you can also have another vanity URL without hyphens. This will make it easier to read out loud.
- Example – Television advertisement:
-
- vanity URL for print: canada.ca/employment-insurance-maternity
- vanity URL for television or radio: canada.ca/employmentinsurancematernity (spoken “canada dot c a slash employment insurance maternity”)
-
- Note : your account manager can submit new vanity URLs and change requests to the Principal Publisher using the Request form for Canada.ca .
-
- Sub-domains
- Only use subdomains for content or services hosted outside the Managed Web Service.
- When choosing a subdomain:
+ For information on the URL model, domain requirements and sub-domains, visit:
- use plain language keywords that make sense to the user
- a maximum of 2 keywords is recommended
- it is strongly recommended that you use unilingual keywords, in the language of the page
- related sub-sites and digital services must be grouped under the same sub-domain, where possible
- Examples:
-
- Application for Employment Insurance benefits online arrow pointing right employment-insurance.canada.ca/benefits/apply
- Employment Insurance Internet reporting service arrow pointing right employment-insurance.canada.ca/reporting
-
-
+ Government of Canada domains and URLs
- Note : your account manager can submit new Canada.ca sub-domains and change requests to the Principal Publisher using the Request form for Canada.ca . Sub-domain requests are reviewed by Employment and Social Development Canada.
-
-
Content types and content states
Content types
diff --git a/architecture/mandatory-elements.md b/specifications/mandatory-elements.md
similarity index 79%
rename from architecture/mandatory-elements.md
rename to specifications/mandatory-elements.md
index 5e8826d5fe..2ce145f92d 100644
--- a/architecture/mandatory-elements.md
+++ b/specifications/mandatory-elements.md
@@ -1,21 +1,26 @@
---
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/architecture/elements-obligatoires.html"
+altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/elements-obligatoires.html"
date: 2017-10-05
-dateModified: 2023-03-28
+dateModified: 2024-08-26
description: "Mandatory elements for all Government of Canada webpages."
layout: default
+section-title: "Canada.ca Specifications"
title: "Mandatory elements of the Canada.ca design"
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ }
+ ]
---
-
+
Government of Canada web pages must be easily identifiable as part of Canada.ca. Each page must convey the overall brand and feel of Canada.ca, and provide a consistent experience for site visitors.
These mandatory elements were designed to reflect the trusted digital brand of the Government of Canada: modern, open, helpful and credible.
Mandatory elements for all institutions
@@ -29,7 +34,7 @@ title: "Mandatory elements of the Canada.ca design"
The Canada.ca domain
Use the Canada.ca domain for all Government of Canada web pages:
Styles
Apply the following style elements:
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ title: "Mandatory elements of the Canada.ca design"
Layouts
-
Each page from the Government of Canada shares a common header and footer. That is, the upper and lower parts of a page must look the same from page to page.
+
Each web page from the Government of Canada shares a common header and footer. That is, the upper and lower parts of a page must look the same from page to page.
Get the detailed requirements:
Global header
diff --git a/specifications/mandatory-elements/domains-urls.md b/specifications/mandatory-elements/domains-urls.md
index c7c3c6601d..5b0a2c06e9 100644
--- a/specifications/mandatory-elements/domains-urls.md
+++ b/specifications/mandatory-elements/domains-urls.md
@@ -5,10 +5,13 @@ dateModified: '2024-08-23'
description: null
title: Government of Canada domains and URLs
section-title: "Canada.ca design"
-breadcrumbs: [
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
{
"link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
- "title": "Canada.ca design"
+ "title": "Design"
},
{
"link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
diff --git a/architecture/usage-canadaca-design.md b/specifications/usage-canadaca-design.md
similarity index 67%
rename from architecture/usage-canadaca-design.md
rename to specifications/usage-canadaca-design.md
index 2ea039307e..4bcd1119f5 100644
--- a/architecture/usage-canadaca-design.md
+++ b/specifications/usage-canadaca-design.md
@@ -1,22 +1,27 @@
---
-altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/architecture/utilisation-concept-canadaca.html"
+altLangPage: "https://conception.canada.ca/specifications/utilisation-concept-canadaca.html"
date: 2017-10-05
-dateModified: 2023-03-28
+dateModified: 2024-08-26
description: "The requirements listed in this design manual apply to departments and other portions of the federal public administration as set out in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act. As such, in-scope institutions must apply Canada.ca design requirements for all public-facing web sites or digital services."
+section-title: "Canada.ca Specifications"
title: "Who has to use the Canada.ca design"
+breadcrumbs: [{
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/about/",
+ "title": "About Canada.ca"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/",
+ "title": "Design"
+ },
+ {
+ "link": "https://design.canada.ca/specifications.html",
+ "title": "Specifications"
+ }
+ ]
---
-
+
Federal public administration listed in Schedules I, I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act must apply Canada.ca design requirements for all their public-facing websites or digital services
-The Canada.ca Content and Information Architecture Specification is referenced in "Appendix D: Mandatory Procedures for Social Media and Web Communications" of the Directive on the Management of Communications . Its requirements apply to departments and other portions of the federal public administration listed in Schedules I , I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act .
+The Canada.ca Specifications is referenced in "Appendix D: Mandatory Procedures for Social Media and Web Communications" of the Directive on the Management of Communications . Its requirements apply to departments and other portions of the federal public administration listed in Schedules I , I.1 and II of the Financial Administration Act .
These organizations must apply Canada.ca design requirements for all their public-facing websites or digital services, regardless of the technology, domain name (both canada.ca and gc.ca) or publishing platform through which these are delivered.
Out-of-scope situations
The Canada.ca global header and footer design may not be applied or replicated in the following situations:
diff --git a/styles/colours.md b/styles/colours.md
index 504e23d50d..f31dd1006a 100644
--- a/styles/colours.md
+++ b/styles/colours.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: Colours style
-
+
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ title: Colours style
The guidance on colours is mandatory on all pages.
-
+
Mandatory elements of the design system
diff --git a/styles/layouts.md b/styles/layouts.md
index e8f5dbcf83..b46cc7f12b 100644
--- a/styles/layouts.md
+++ b/styles/layouts.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ title: Layouts style
-
+
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ title: Layouts style
The layout guidance is mandatory on all pages.
-
+
Mandatory elements of the design system
diff --git a/styles/typography.md b/styles/typography.md
index 359c510b2f..c31b54190f 100644
--- a/styles/typography.md
+++ b/styles/typography.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ title: Typography style
---
Mandatory
The typography guidance is mandatory on all pages.
- Mandatory elements of the design system
+ Mandatory elements of the design system
Fonts must be consistent across Canada.ca pages, and should be easily readable across devices. Use a combination of Lato for headings, and Noto sans for body text.
Desktop and tablet default font specification
@@ -42,4 +42,4 @@ title: Typography style
Constrain text line length to 65 characters. This ensures that no lines extend beyond a comfortable reading length.
Page layouts may be wider than 65 characters. The line length restriction applies only to lines of text.
Links
-Underline links in an underline style that skips descenders.
\ No newline at end of file
+Underline links in an underline style that skips descenders.