# TYPO3 Structure

Purpose: To maintain a coherent and unified user experience across all sites, it’s essential that both page templates and content elements are standardized. TYPO3 offers a range of built-in, ready-to-use elements that can be implemented consistently.

#### Template Consistency

**Uniform Design**

Templates for similar types of pages (e.g., homepage, landing pages, information pages, event listings) should follow the same design and structural guidelines to ensure a consistent user experience.

**Centralized Management**

Utilize TYPO3’s template management to create, update, and distribute templates across all sites, ensuring that any design or layout updates are reflected uniformly.

**Customization Within Limits**

While slight modifications may be necessary for site-specific content, the overall structure, header, footer, and navigation areas should remain consistent.

**Documentation and Guidelines**

- Follow this guideline’s recommendations for each layout structures, grid systems, and placement of key elements.
- Define naming conventions and versioning for templates to streamline maintenance and future updates.

#### Content Elements Consistency

**Ready-to-Use TYPO3 Elements**  
TYPO3 includes a diverse range of built-in content elements that should be used consistently.

**Text Elements**

- Standard Text  
    A paragraph should follow the font family, size, and line height defined in the typography section of this guideline.
- Rich Text Editor (RTE) for formatted content  
    The RTE content should automatically inherit styles for H2, H3, and body text as defined in the typography section.

**Media Elements**

- Text & Image 
    - Pair descriptive text with an illustrative image.
    - The text is aligned alongside the image, with consistent margins and spacing that match the design’s grid system.
- Image Gallery/Slider 
    - All images in the slider should have the same dimensions, consistent border styles or gradient overlay if applied, as well as navigation controls and bullets.
- Video Embed 
    - The video container should maintain a consistent aspect ratio, and a fallback image or caption should be provided as per accessibility standards.

**Header Elements**

- Page Titles and Section Headers 
    - These headers should use consistent typography, font size, color, and spacing to reinforce the site’s identity.

**Lists and Tables**

- Bullet List 
    - The bullet style, indentation, and spacing are uniform across all pages.
- Numbered List 
    - The numbering format and list styling are consistent across all pages.
- Data Table 
    - Data tables should have consistent borders, header styling, and cell padding to ensure readability and visual uniformity.

**Custom Elements**

HTML elements may be used for specialized content if needed, following accessibility and design standards.

#### Usage Guidelines

**Consistency in Application**

Use the same content element types for similar data presentations across all sites. For example, use the “Text & Image” element consistently for sections that combine visuals with text.

**Visual and Functional Uniformity**

Ensure that the styling, spacing, and behavior of these elements are aligned with the identity guideline. This includes using the same CSS classes, grid configurations, and responsive behaviors.

**Maintenance**

Standardized templates and content elements make it easier to update and manage sites over time, as changes to a core element or template will automatically propagate across the network.

**[TYPO3 Structure Document](https://guidelines.risa.gov.rw/attachments/96)**