91Ö±²„

Answering the call...to update our call to action blocks

Call to action blocks get a new, brand-aligned look and some important customizations.

As mentioned a few weeks ago, we're moving forward with redesignedĀ WMS call to action blocksĀ (including the "enhanced" call to action block style).

What's changing

The new blocks will have a more open, brand-aligned style; limited use of the 91Ö±²„ red; and more deliberate use of left-aligned versus centred text. We also added new options forĀ button and heading styles, and put some thought into how to improve the mobile experience with the blocks.

Button styles

To create more pleasing, content-centric layouts, the regular call to action blocks will now useĀ different button styles for the call-to-action (CTA) link. The style used will depend on the size of the block, which generally correlates to the level of visual emphasis desired.

  1. TheĀ full-widthĀ versions will use 91Ö±²„ red.Ģż
    1. Generally a full-width call to action block is used to call attention to an important item on the page, so the red CTA will help these blocks stand out.Ģż
  2. TheĀ half-widthĀ will use a solid black button.Ģż
    1. This will reduce visual clutter, while still providing important visual emphasis for the CTAĀ buttons.Ģż
  3. TheĀ third-widthĢż²¹²Ō»å sidebar options will use a transparent button with contrasting text and outline (also calledĀ a "ghost" button)
    1. This makes the CTA buttonĀ easy to find, but minimizesĀ visual competition between elements.

For text-only full-width blocks, including enhanced call to actionĀ blocks, the CTA link will use a typography-based styling. The larger type and thick underline giveĀ a balanced look with more visual appeal. Here's a comparison of a mixed-block layout in the original design (at left) and the updated designĀ (on right).

before and after image of call to action blocks

Heading sizes

All call to action blocks (regular and enhanced) will now allow display your choice of heading style (heading 2, heading 3, etc.) used in the "body" area of the block. Previously, all heading styles were displayed as a "heading 3," regardless of your selection. Now, you can use different styles to add structure and visual hierarchy to your block layouts.

This means that you shouldĀ verify that the blocks on your siteĀ use the heading style that's appropriate for the content. In particular,Ā check your half- and third-width blocksĀ to ensure that the heading styles match the block(s) directly beside them. If the heading styles are mismatched, the blocks may look a little odd!Ā 

Mobile experience

On desktop, full-, half-, and third-width blocks typically correspond to very, moderately, and less important content in the page’s hierarchy. The button styles (and perhaps your choice of heading sizes) help reinforce this. However, the length of the blocks and the size of the screen make this hierarchy less evident on mobile. For this reason, we removedĀ images for third-width blocks on mobile.ĢżThese blocksĀ leadĀ with the typography instead, which createsĀ a sense of visual hierarchy, reduces page length, and has the potential to lighten page load times.

LeftĀ versus centre alignment

Our new call to action blocks use left-aligned text and buttons in all blocks that include images. This generally has a more modern look, and aligning the text with the left edge of the page (anchored by the image) creates an obvious visual grouping and facilitates users’ typical page-scanning behavior. It also allows us to fit slightly more information on a single line of text, helping shorten block-heavy layouts. For these reasons, we’re trying to make left-alignment our ā€œdefaultā€ in the WMS, and limit centred text to specific instances where we want to ā€œbreakā€ the pattern.

When a block has no image (on desktop orĀ mobile), the typography becomes more important. We thought centering the content for these blocks made sense, since the change in alignment would add visual interest and helpĀ create a clearerĀ visual grouping.Ģż

The changes to alignmentĀ mean that call to action blocksĀ will look best when following typical use patterns: using square or rectangular images (square being the preferred format for our new branding) and/or including some supporting information, like a heading or descriptive text in addition to the button. If you're looking for more flexibility or to accommodate a different use case, we suggest building a custom layout with ghost buttons.Ģż

What's next

One of the next things on our radar isĀ widening the WMSĀ to a more modern page width. In addition to making more efficient use of screen real estate, this allows us to rethink (and add!) space between elements in the WMS. This will affect the call to action blocks above, as well as most other features of the WMS. Stay tuned!

Questions?

For more information on how to use call to action blocks, check out our original articles on regularĢż²¹²Ō»å enhanced call to action blocks.Ģż

If you have anyĀ questions, concerns, or urgent support requests, pleaseĀ  through our new self-service IT Support site.ĢżFor consultation services, fill out theĀ request form.

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