Summary
Block patterns belong to each campus. Because each is fixed in code within a custom UMS plugin, Web Technologies needs to curate the changes / additions to the plugin. Campuses can plan changes / additions to patterns on the same quarterly basis as the WordPress theme / plugins release schedules. The following guidance outlines the campus responsibilities for implementing the changes.
Rationale
Campus web teams may want to make changes to existing patterns, remove patterns from their set, or add new patterns.
Pattern Parts
Each pattern has a few important data points:
- Title
- Description
- The block code for the entire pattern
- Keywords (for searching)
- Category (e.g. “Buttons”)
Timing
Each release cycle, well-tested pattern changes are due at least one week prior to the code freeze of a quarterly release (earlier is better). These deadlines are listed on the Google Calendar UMS WordPress Release Schedule, tentatively at first and generally finalized a month or more ahead of the deadline.
Colors
Suggestion: Where possible, use the custom color palette swatches as opposed to choosing from the color wheel or typing hex values. Colors in patterns and content that are chosen using your campus color presets can be changed site-wide with future theme updates, should your brand colors ever need to be updated.
Images
Please limit the number of “placeholder” images that are embedded in your patterns (re-use them whenever possible). Any “placeholder” images that you expect to appear in your patterns should be mounted in your production environment in a subsite media gallery where they are likely to remain safe from being changed or deleted. You must provide the production media library URLs for each placeholder image used in your campus patterns if you are building out your new / changed patterns in a dev / staging environment (such as for the December 2023 release). This only applies to new placeholder images, once existing patterns reference production image URLs. We will manually replace your image URLs in the pattern code for the quarterly release.
Method
Please follow these guidelines to ensure your patterns make it into a release on time:
- Place only desired new / changed patterns onto a production (sandbox) page Web Technologies can access.
- Please supply the production site media gallery image URLs for any pattern(s) with placeholder image(s) embedded in them.
- Pattern CHANGES: Provide the title above each changed pattern as it is listed in the Patterns inserter / selection panel.
- NEW Patterns: List and display any *new* patterns in a section of the page. Include title, description, keyword(s) and category for each new pattern.
- Pattern DELETIONS: List (and display) any pattern + title that should be deleted with clear designation on the page.
- Pattern title, keywords, or category changes must be included with the pattern with clear instructions what you want us to add / change.
- Accessibility testing should be completed for each campus pattern prior to requesting inclusion in an upcoming release.
- All testing of pattern behavior on various browsers and device widths has been completed by the campus staff prior to submitting pattern changes for the upcoming release.
- When patterns are ready for Webtech to copy into code, submit a ticket by emailing webtech.support@maine.edu
IMPORTANT NOTE: Changes to patterns do not have any effect on block patterns that were placed in content previously. Only *new* instances of pattern designs appear on the page with the changes after the release goes LIVE.