Comparing Apps
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Content App
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Content App Pros
- Allows complete control over image (size, position, etc.)
- Can link the image to a URL.
- Text can wrap around the image.
- Allows border of any pixel width.
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Content App Cons
- Can be difficult to get a caption to appear properly underneath an image.
- If you have multiple images with text wrapping, getting things to line up the way you want can be an issue. The view you see in the editor will not exactly match how the site looks on the front end. (Note: Try using the Announcements app or Content Accordion app if you need thumbnails with descriptions.)
Figure App
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Young students working in a classroom
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Figure App Pros
- Newer and more robust than Image app.
- Allows left, center, right aligned image.
- Allows caption that can be left, center, or right aligned under the image.
- Allows 1, 2, or 3px border around image.
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Figure App Cons
- Cannot link image.
- Text cannot wrap around image.
Image App
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Image App Pros
- Simple app, easy to use.
- Allows 1, 2, or 3px border around image.
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Image App Cons
- Cannot link image.
- Cannot center image (only allows left or right alignment).
- Text cannot wrap around image.
- No caption options.
Multimedia Gallery
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Multimedia Gallery Pros
- Designed with accessibility in mind.
- Can link image to URL.
- Can embed videos.
- Image stored in Files & Folders.
- Can pull from Shared folder
- Can be added to other apps in the same section w/o reupload
- Can access original, full-res version - images are not downsized upon upload - allows flexibility down the road
- Dedicated title, caption, and alt text fields.
- Can hide title and caption
- No borders - clean, modern look.
- Height adjusts for each image (better to see portrait orientated photos) - some may see this as a "con" since content below the gallery can shift or flicker as images render different heights. *
- Allows you to deactivate individual images so they do not display but are saved for later; can also set start/expire dates/times on each image.
- Supports tagging & filtering.
*Note that the MMG app at the top of Homepages behaves somewhat differently in this regard.
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Multimedia Gallery Cons
- Must upload each image individually (unless you mass upload into Files & Folders but then you still have to select each image individually).
- No thumbnails for easy skip-ahead (generic dots instead).
- Cannot select different transition styles.
- Cannot adjust transition delay.
*Note that the MMG app at the top of Homepages behaves somewhat differently in this regard.
Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery Pros
- Can upload up to 100 photos at a time.
- Can link an image to a URL.
- Can select from a variety of transition styles.
- Can adjust transition delay.
- Thumbnails at bottom for easier skip-ahead.
- Can add background music.
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Photo Gallery Cons
- Has been flagged by OCR in audits for Accessibility concerns.
- Must set gallery width at initial setup; cannot change width later.
- Images are stored in the app itself.
- If the app is deleted, the images go with it.
- Cannot use the images in other apps within the same section unless you reupload (cannot access them from Files & Folders).
- Images are downsized to whatever the gallery width was set at.
- No access to original, full-res version: Can right-click on thumbnail, choose get image link, replace Thumbs with Large, and access the image, however it will be the downsized version
- File name is used as default image title (e.g., DSC00456.jpg), which is used as Alt Text for accessibility (image title can be edited but users are not forced to)
- Title/captions not visible unless user clicks Info icon - icon info is not not navigable via keyboard, an accessibility concern (there is code you can add to the page that will force the title/caption to show).
- All images have a black border around them.
- Portrait oriented images render smaller, with large black bars on the sides.
- No way to deactivate an image; must delete to remove.
- Must remember to click Publish after making changes/additions.
Photos in Google Folder
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Google Folder Pros
- Can upload hundreds of images very quickly.
- Visitors can click on an image to view it larger or download it.
- Can add/remove images to/from folder and website is updated.
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Google Folder Cons
- Images are not scanned by Ally.
- Cannot provide alt text for these images (accessibility concern).
