The Appalachian State University Drupal community is dedicated to building accessible, high-performing, and user-friendly web experiences. Whether you are managing a departmental site or developing custom modules, our team is here to support the Mountaineer spirit through digital excellence.

Why Join the Drupal Experts Group?

Using Drupal at App State allows us to maintain a consistent brand while providing powerful tools for:

  • Academic Research: Showcasing faculty achievements and publications.
  • Student Engagement: Creating interactive portals for campus life.
  • Accessibility Compliance: Ensuring all content meets WCAG 2.1 standards.
  • Security: Leveraging the robust security updates of the Drupal core.
Sunny day with family on Sanford mall for Open House
Landscape, Full Width | 1800x1200 min | 3:2 Ratio
Session TopicLevelDateLocation
CKEditor 5 BasicsBeginnerOct 12thAnne Belk Hall
Views & Data ListsIntermediateOct 19thZoom
Custom ThemingAdvancedOct 26thBelk Library

 

A Word From Our Lead Developer

"The strength of Drupal at App State isn't just in the code; it's in the community of editors and developers who share their knowledge to keep our digital campus climbing higher." — Yosef the Developer

Standard Procedures for New Sites

  1. Submit a Web Support Ticket via the IT portal.
  2. Attend a mandatory Accessibility & Branding workshop.
  3. Request a sandbox environment for initial content entry.
  4. Final review and Launch!

Important Technical Reminders

Please remember that all images must have Alternative Text for screen readers. If you are embedding videos, ensure they are hosted on verified platforms like YouTube or Vimeo to maintain site performance. For further assistance, contact the University Communications web team.

 

Accordion

Accordions are useful for organizing content in a collapsible format, making long or complex information much easier to navigate.

What Is an Accordion and Why Use One?

Organizing Content Visually

Accordions allow large amounts of related content to be grouped into expandable sections. This helps users quickly locate what they need without scrolling through everything.

Use Cases

They're great for FAQs, resource lists, definitions, or other helpful but not essential content that cannot be displayed all at once.

When Is an Accordion Most Effective?

Ideal Scenarios

Use accordions when your content:

  1. Doesn't need to be consumed in a fixed order
  2. Works well when hidden or revealed interactively

Avoid These Situations

  1. When every user must see all the content
  2. For storytelling or tutorials that depend on linear reading
  3. When the page is already highly interactive (to avoid overload)

Benefits of Accordions for User Experience

Enhancing Readability

By reducing visual clutter, accordions help users stay focused. 

New content.

Mobile-Friendly Format

Accordions condense space, making them ideal for mobile screens with limited vertical real estate.

Encouraging Engagement

Users are more likely to click into content that feels optional and well-organized.

Tips for Writing Effective Accordion Headings

Be Clear and Descriptive

Use titles that clearly indicate the content inside. Good examples:

  • “Key Features”
  • “Step-by-Step Overview”

Remember - Keep It Consistent

Whether you're using sentence case or title case, maintain the same style throughout all headings for a clean, professional look.

Best Practices for Accordion Content

Prioritize Clarity

Break content into short paragraphs or bullet points. Users should be able to get the point at a glance.

Avoid Content Overload

If the content is too long, consider linking to a full page or providing a short summary in the accordion with a “read more” link.

Remember - Stay Organized
Limit each accordion item to one clear idea or theme to avoid confusing users.

Design and Accessibility Considerations

The accordion should respond visibly to interaction with +/—icons, indicating expanded or collapsed states.

Keyboard and Screen Reader Support

Accordions should be fully navigable via keyboard and accessible to screen readers. Use semantic HTML elements and ARIA attributes as needed.

Consistency Across Pages

Use a consistent accordion style throughout the site so users know what to expect.