Testimonial

A testimonial showcase quotes, feedback, or endorsements from students, faculty, or researchers.

It can be used to highlight real people’s experience with a program, unit, or the University in general.

Development

The Folwell Testimonial component is unique in the following ways:

  • The template uses the Content Block Template module, which allows the style of the Testimonial to be consistent when used in Views and content references.
  • The three different display styles are created and templated using custom View Modes. Users can easily switch between View Modes in the Block UI, and Views can be created that use the View Modes for style output.
  • The Testimonial is made responsive using CSS container queries, rather than media queries. This makes it more flexible when placing in a layout as the component responds to the size of the region rather than the size of the screen.
  • Style adjustments have been built-in, so if the Testimonial is placed on different Fowell backgrounds, certain design elements change.

Feature view mode

Professor holding advanced robot

I love that Minneapolis is a working city, not just a college town. Plus, the University of Minnesota has incredible opportunities for research and medical development, with strong connections to top companies and hospitals, giving students a head start on their careers.

Faculty Member
Department of Example Content

Testimonial - image on right

Doctor in blue scrubs in front of maroon background

The idea of a story is that it can take people to places that we may not have been ourselves. So when I think about story and marginalized communities and experiences, I think about the opportunity to share stories with people who may have never heard or experienced such things before.

Anthony Williams
Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program

Default view mode

My experience with the National Association of Black Accountants student group on campus has been phenomenal, from the very first time I walked in for a ‘meet the board’ event. I could tell everyone was driven. But their purpose for being there wasn’t just, ‘This is going to help me get a job.’ It was, ‘How do I cultivate a community on my campus for students who look like me?’ I thought that was really fantastic.

Ayman Elhassan
Ayman Elhassan
Management information systems
Read more about Elhassan’s experience

My favorite thing about the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is ... the turkeys. And I just love a big campus full of students with diverse life experiences! Plus, the campus is unbeatable for walkability.

Jakupcak
Saga Jakupcak
English program

I love that Minneapolis is a working city, not just a college town. Plus, the University of Minnesota has incredible opportunities for research and medical development, with strong connections to top companies and hospitals, giving students a head start on their careers.

Ava Strohoffer
Ava Strohoffer
Kinesiology, ROTC candidate
Kinesiology program

It’s such a lively campus and it’s easy to connect with other people. And I love the football games so much! My high school was big on football, so having that in college is amazing. Everybody there is always so proud to represent Minnesota, and it’s always a blast to attend games.

Text-only view mode

My experience with the National Association of Black Accountants student group on campus has been phenomenal, from the very first time I walked in for a ‘meet the board’ event. I could tell everyone was driven. But their purpose for being there wasn’t just, ‘This is going to help me get a job.’ It was, ‘How do I cultivate a community on my campus for students who look like me?’ I thought that was really fantastic.

Ayman Elhassan
Management information systems
Read more about Elhassan’s experience

It’s such a lively campus and it’s easy to connect with other people. And I love the football games so much! My high school was big on football, so having that in college is amazing. Everybody there is always so proud to represent Minnesota, and it’s always a blast to attend games.

Tabitha Forrey
Early elementary education

My favorite thing about the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is ... the turkeys. And I just love a big campus full of students with diverse life experiences! Plus, the campus is unbeatable for walkability.

Saga Jakupcak
English program

I love that Minneapolis is a working city, not just a college town. Plus, the University of Minnesota has incredible opportunities for research and medical development, with strong connections to top companies and hospitals, giving students a head start on their careers.

Ava Strohoffer
Kinesiology, ROTC candidate
Kinesiology program
Usage

Create new component with Layout Builder

This will create a new Testimonial component with the Layout Builder UI to be used on the page.

  1. After creating and publishing a page, click on the layout button. This will allow you to design and edit the layout of the page.
     

    Highlighted button of text reading "Layout"
  2. From Layout Builder, select + Add Block
     

    A screenshot of a mouse cursor on an "Add Block" button.
  3. In the right-sidebar menu, select + Create content block
     

    Highlighted button to create a content block
  4. Select Folwell Testimonial
     

    Folwell testimonial button
  5. The Configure block window will appear for the Folwell Testimonial component. Add a Title to the block. You may optionally display or hide the title you've added to the block.
     

    Configure Block window with text input box
  6. Upload an image or images. There are two image fields, each with a best implementation, but the component will work with only one uploaded.
     

    Two image field buttons for adding media

    Portrait image - This image field is used in the Default view mode.
     

    Portrait-orientied (vetical) quote in a rectangle followed by an image of the person quoted.

    It should be roughly square in dimension, and will appear as a circle shape. The subject should be centered in the image for best results.

    Feature image - This field is used in the Feature display and Feature display - right view modes.

    Person holding a small robot.

    The Feature image can be any dimension, and the subject does not need to be centered in the image.

  7. Enter the Quote text. You do not need to add quotation marks.
     

    Input box with example quote text.
  8. Enter the Name of the subject
     

    Text input box for a name field
  9. (Optional) Enter the School/Unit/Department.
    This field is optional and will not appear unless it has a value.
     

    Text input box containing example field text
  10. (Optional) Add a Link
     

    Example display of emphasized link
  11. Choose a View mode
     

    Dropdown list of view modes that can be selected

    This determines how the component will be displayed.
    Feature
    Feature displays are meant to use the full width of the page, typically 1200px.
    The image and text each have a 50% width.

     

    Person holding a small robot.
    Photo of a person fixed to the right of text

    Default
    The default view mode styles the image as a circle and places it next to the NameSchool/Unit/Department, and Link fields. This is a more compact presentation, never wider than 617px. 
     

    Text, emphasized link, and image of a student cropped to a circular shape

    Text-only
    Use this view mode if you’d like to have a Testimonial, but don’t have access to a good image.
     

    View mode window example with text and emphasis link example only
  12. Click Add block to complete the component build
     

    Add block button
  13. Scroll to the top of the page and click Save layout to save the changes
     

    Save Layout and Discard Changes buttons

Create Testimonial component as reusable content block

Creating the component this way saves it in the Block library, allowing it to be reused as many times as needed. It can be placed on individual pages with Layout Builder, multiple pages with Block Layout, and in custom Views.

  1. Navigate to:
    Content → Blocks → Add content block – Folwell Testimonial
     

    Drupal menu window expanded multiple levels
  2. Create the Block as you would in the Layout Builder steps
  3. Add the Testimonial to a page with Layout Builder by clicking +Add block
     

    Layout builder add block button
  4. Search for the title of the Testimonial, or look under Content block section
     

    Text input search box and list of block names
  5. Choose the View mode
     

    Dropdown list of view modes that can be selected
  6. Click Add block to add the component to the page

    Add block button
  7. Scroll to the top of the page and click Save layout to save the changes
     

    Save Layout and Discard Changes buttons
Best Practice

Feature images

These images have no specific ratio or size requirement, but it is recommended to have the image size be a good match for the amount of text, or be roughly 1:1 (square) or 3:2 ratio.

For example, a tall image with short text would not be a good match:

Portrait of a student

In smaller containers (mobile devices, narrow column layouts), the image will stack above the quote, and a tall image will take up a lot of vertical space.
 

Portrait of a student

Quote text

The Quote field is a normal Folwell CKEditor field which allows adding media, callouts…etc, but it’s recommended to only enter simple text. Some basic text styling (bold, italics) could be used, but best to keep it as simple as possible.

Adding quotation marks to the text is not necessary.

Accessibility
  • Images must always have "alt" text. See the Accessible U website to learn more about the importance of "alt" tags and how to use them.
  • Use keywords in the alt-text descriptions that label photos. Meaningful alt-text helps not only with accessibility, but also SEO.