Designing SharePoint sites with beautiful headers
Published Feb 02 2021 09:00 AM 120K Views
Microsoft

One of my favorite quotes about design comes from Mad Men. This quote says a lot about how we think of site headers for SharePoint Online and how we create layouts.

 

“Make it simple, but significant.” – Don Draper, Mad Men, Season 4, Episode 6, “Waldorf Stories”

 

Hand holds open a color swatch book displaying multiple colors.Hand holds open a color swatch book displaying multiple colors.

 

 

Branding your site header is an easy way to provide impact and expression to your SharePoint sites. Over the years we have heard great feedback from our customers that they would like more options for site headers. With this feedback in mind, we recently introduced 2 new site header layouts – Minimal and Extended. But this is not all we heard, so we added more header configuration options giving you more control over the elements in your headers. These simple and small changes can have a big impact on the look of your site. Each header can be used for different reasons and we want to go through a few of these options and recommendations with you.

 

By combining site logos, site headers, footers, and themes you can make striking changes to emphasize your brand within each site. Picking the right combination of options amongst the site header layouts and configuration options can emphasize or minimize the impact and focus of the brand and content.

 

When you begin to think about your site header, it is important to first understand what information is available to be included in the header. With this knowledge you can make informed choices about the layout and configuration options to truly make your brand shine on each site.

 

Content can be included in site headers:

Element

Description

Site Type

Recommendations

Site Logo

Larger logo that can be non-square and transparent based off design uploaded

All

Size: 192 px width 64 px height

Format: PNG, JPEG, SVG (svg not allowed for Group connected sites)

Site Logo Thumbnail

A square logo thumbnail that is used if no site logo is uploaded or in places that a square format is required

 

This element is required.

All

Size: 64 px width; 64 px height

Format: PNG, JPEG, SVG (svg not allowed for Group connected sites)

Site Title

Text displayed for the site title.

 

This element is required.

All

Avoid repeating text in the site logo and site title if both are desired to be displayed

Extended Layout Site Logo

The extended header layout has an extended site logo width.

All

Size: 300px wide x 64px height

Format: jpeg, png, svg

Extended Layout Background image

A new background image that can be utilized with the extended header.

All

Size: 2560px wide x 164px height

Format: jpeg, png

Horizontal Site Navigation

Navigation specific to the site in either Mega Menu or Cascading format

Communication

 

Vertical Site Navigation/Quick Launch

Navigation specific to the site that appears on the left side of the site

Team

 

Site Label (4 types)

 

1. Site Classification sets a label on a SharePoint site to protect and identify the content within the site.

2. Sensitivity labels are used across containers and can be applied to SharePoint sites as well as other Microsoft 365 products consistently. 

3. Information Barriers indicator if configured and applied to the site.

4. Privacy Setting is a setting applied to the M365 Group for the site.

All

The type of site label is defined by what is configured for your tenant and type of site. This can vary from site to site based off your organizations policies.

Following

 

An indicator of whether the user has followed the site or not.

All

 

Share

 

A quick action icon to easily share the site with other users.

All *except private channel sites connected to Teams

 

Membership

A count of the current members of a site/group are displayed if available.

Group connected team sites *except private channel sites connected to Teams

 

Multilingual Picker/Language

 

A language selector for the page if multilingual has been configured for the site.

All where configured

 

With all these potential items that could be included in your site header, you will need to decide for each site how you want to present the content and intended use of your site. With these factors in mind, you can make the right choices for layout and configuration. For many sites, the focus might be the brand or showcasing a new concept, while for others the focus might be the contents of the site and information on the pages. Each header layout can assist in promoting the intent of your site and highlight your brand at the same time.

 

Let us start with the common header elements, once you determine the purpose of your site and select the theme that you wish to utilize, you can look towards the site header to provide information and impact for the site. The theme selected is an important related factor for your site header as it will determine the colors utilized in the header. You will make these selections through the Change the Look panel accessed through the Settings gear.

 

ChangeTheLook_Display.jpg

An expanded view of the Change the Look panel for Headers.

 

 

The site logo is one of the first visual elements that a user will interact with and view on your site. You can use this logo to highlight your brand, create a wayfinding element, or provide information about the site. In the past you could utilize a non-square transparent logo or the provided square icon.

 

However, we heard feedback that many people would like to utilize the non-square transparent logo and control how their site logo appeared in the square aspect ratio utilized in some SharePoint features. With this in mind, we are introducing the site logo thumbnail. The site logo thumbnail is required for every site and upon site creation we provide an icon that is autogenerated using an Office color and the initials of the site title.

 

In addition to the site logo thumbnail, we also have the site logo. This optional logo allows the upload of a non-square, transparent logo that will be displayed in the site header and other SharePoint features not utilizing the square aspect ratio.

 

The next visual element that a user will interact with in the site header is the site title. The site title is a required element in a SharePoint site, but is often repeated as text displayed within the site logo. As we heard from our customers, this repetition has a negative impact to the users. With the understanding of the value of having a text site title for uses within SharePoint, we have included the option of hiding the visibility of the site title text in the site header.

 

Once you have made decisions about the site title and the site logo, you will want to shift your attention to exactly how these elements will be presented on the site. The site header layout options will give you multiple options for combining all the possible elements into a single presentation. SharePoint now has 4 different site header layout options, each with advantages and potential visual impact for your site.

 

 

Minimal Header

 

SharePoint Minimal site headerSharePoint Minimal site header

 

The Minimal Header layout option is our smallest site header and will work best for sites where you want to provide a clear focus on the content or the hub navigation. This header utilizes the smallest height and the smallest site logo size possible. With the minimal nature of this header, it provides the least visual weight and impact on your site.

 

To best create a minimal header, we have minimized the content that is included in this header layout, you will find additional content in the overflow menu to the right of the header, including the multilingual language selector. The minimal header should be used very strategically on sites where this restricted content in the header will work best.

 

It is important to note that if you choose to use this minimal header layout for a multilingual sites the language selector is included in the ellipsis overflow menu.

Compact Header

 

SharePoint Compact site headerSharePoint Compact site header

 

If you use the site header layout of Compact, you will see an increase in the height of the site header and a single line of content across the header area. This layout option is best suited for most of your communication and team sites, allowing you to optimize the space afforded for your site content with a smaller height that includes the most information. Due to the flexibility of the compact header, it is the default header layout provisioned with each site.

 

With the compact layout you can provide additional wayfinding and identifying information by uploading a site logo. The site header background color, you can also add visual impact to your header with a header background color from your selected site theme.

Standard Header

 

SharePoint Standard site headerSharePoint Standard site header

 

The standard header layout increases the height of the site header and splits the site information into multiple lines for display purposes. This header layout is a good choice if you have a site not connected to a hub and have additional room to allow for the larger height.

 

You can also optimize the standard site header with a header background color from your site theme and site logo to highlight the site and give emphasis to site specific wayfinding.

Extended Header

 

SharePoint Extended site headerSharePoint Extended site header

 

The extended header layout is the largest layout option that introduces a secondary area to provide a separate area for a background image or color. This layout should be utilized for sites that want to provide impact or become a showcase site for your organization brand or concept within your organization. For additional visual weight we have increased the maximum width site logo that can be included to provide additional impact and introduced the ability to align the logo left, center or right within the header. The site information and navigation (depending on site type) are moved below to a separate site theme colored bar for increased accessibility on these items.

 

There are some notable exceptions in behavior based on site type for the extended header. If your site is a Hub site and has been designated as Home, and you are utilizing the Extended Header, the site navigation will be removed. For these Hub + Home sites the Hub navigation bar will move to the bottom of the background image as the only navigation presented. If you are utilizing a team site template, you will notice that the navigation will continue to be presented on the left as the quick launch and not in the site header.

 

As you begin to explore using the extended header, there are a few design recommendations for how you should think about and design the extended header background images. These images will need to scale to fit both wide and small screens, without conflicts and introducing accessibility issues for the site logo and site title. We encourage you to think about these header background images in 3 distinct categories:

Brand Pattern:

By utilizing a pattern that is related to your brand in either shapes or colors, you can create a design that is visually appealing, while maintaining the appropriate open spaces for the site logo to avoid conflicts and potential accessibility issues with the site logo. These patterns will add great visual detail to your site.

 

Tips for creating brand patterns for your site headers:

  1. Use colors that are a part of your brand and related to the site theme.
  2. Repeating shapes, colors, and details can provide interest and simplicity.
  3. Keep your pattern simple.

Brand Pattern samples for extended SharePoint site headerBrand Pattern samples for extended SharePoint site header

Brand Photography:

A picture speaks a thousand words as they say, however photography is especially challenging in reduced height spaces like the site header that will need to scale for large and small width screens. Utilizing photography tied to your brand allows you to be specific on the items included in the photographs so that it relates to the content within the site, while also controlling the amount of visual focal draws within the image to keep clear focus on the site logo and site title.

 

Tips for picking photography for your site headers:

  1. Avoid the introduction of numerous visual elements.
  2. Keep colors to a minimum.
  3. Be aware of color contrasts.
  4. Provide clear open space for your site logo and site title.

Brand photography samples SharePoint extended site headerBrand photography samples SharePoint extended site header

Brand Illustration:

By creating an illustration for your site header, you can tie the content of the header to the visual elements of your image in a noticeably clear way. By custom tailoring an illustration for your brand and the site contents, you are able to increase the connection impact of your visual elements to the subject of the site.

 

Tips for brand illustrations in your site header:

  1. Minimize colors utilized in your illustration.
  2. Create or use illustrations that reinforce the content or focus of your site.

Brand Illustration samples SharePoint extended site headerBrand Illustration samples SharePoint extended site header

 

 

Brand can play a vital role in your portals and sites; these options will allow you to create the perfect introduction of your site to your users. As you can see, all these changes to site headers really took Don Draper's advice to heart. While they are simple, they are significant.

 

No matter if you want to make a big splash, or provide minimal interruption, you cannot go wrong with any of these site header options. The additional configuration options for the site title and site logo thumbnail allow you to control the presentation of the visual and text elements for your site and brand throughout the SharePoint features. With these great options for site headers, we are excited to see the great ways that you use each of these layouts to enhance your SharePoint portals and experiences.

 

Want to learn even more about designing beautiful SharePoint sites, watch a full session in the Video

Hub: 

 

28 Comments
Copper Contributor

Fantastic overview.

Copper Contributor

Amazing, I am happy to finally see the minimal header and the ability to disable the site title when your logo has the name. How can we get the ppt presentations used on the video

Helpful features & overview. Here's my blog I wrote last month on "New Site Header Options in SharePoint Online": https://ganeshsanapblogs.wordpress.com/2020/12/08/new-site-header-options-are-coming-to-sharepoint-o...

Copper Contributor

Fantastic!

Brass Contributor

Is there a roadmap item for this? Not seeing it in our tenant just yet so I suspect this is just rolling out?

@TrevorStyler 

Yes, this feature is rolling out currently, here is roadmap for this: Roadmap ID 63776 .

You can find more information at: New Site Header Options are coming to SharePoint Online 

Microsoft

@dkdenniskorir the PowerPoint should be linked on the Video Hub site. Please let me know if you don't find it. 

 

@TrevorStyler this began rolling out to all customers this week, so you should have it very soon. 

 

Thank you all for the excitement and interest in these new site headers. We can't wait to see the beautiful sites you create using them!

Iron Contributor

This looks epic. I can't wait to have a play around with it. Thanks for sharing. 

Copper Contributor

Hi @Cathy Dew , it may be a stupid question but where is the Video Hub site? I looking for the ppt slides as well... 

 

Thanks in advance,

Thiago

Copper Contributor
Iron Contributor

Hi @Cathy Dew 

I'm a bit late to the conversation here, but I've just begun experimenting with the extended header on my tenant.  I have discovered that if I turn off the site title visibility so that I can have a large logo with the site name in that logo, when the user scrolls down to the point that the site header automatically changes to minimal, because the text site title is turned off, there is no meaningful title for the site visible to the user - just the logo thumbnail. 

I think there might be a need to change the way that's working to that the 'site title visibility' setting is ignored for the minimal header that kicks in as the user scrolls down.

Brass Contributor

Hello,

 

Following bugs are showing:

If i am on a Home + Hub Site - i get the navigation just at the bottom as expected and looks great.

  • If i navigate to an associated site - the hub navigation is missing and requires the user to refresh.
  • Now i have refreshed i have the hub navigation at the top of the screen.
  • If i navigate back to my home + hub site i now have navigation at the top and bottom duplicated until I refresh.
Copper Contributor

When adding a shaped divider, why is the image clickable after publication?

 

Is there any solution so the image isn't clickable?

Copper Contributor

We received the following notice in our Message Center 4/16/21:

 

We are rolling back the minimal and extended layout options for the SharePoint site header because these layouts have not yet migrated to Microsoft Search.

After April 30,2021, if you take no action, SharePoint sites that incorporate the minimal header will automatically transition to the compact header. Sites using the extended header layout will automatically transition to the standard header.

 

As of today (5/11/21) the extended and minimal are still available on our sites.  The message states the roll back is due to the search box not functioning in these two headers.  The search box is not even present on these two headers.

 

Do you know what the future for these headers is?  The message center doesn't say anything about them coming back.

 

 

Iron Contributor

Hi @Dev_Robb 

Have you got the Message Centre reference for that message? I don't see this in my Message Centre among April 16 messages.

The extended header is fairly important for me as we're planning to launch our new intranet soon and the extended header finally gives us the ability to make it look a bit like our organisation. 

BTW as it's after April 30, and I can still see the extended header option in my Change the Look > Header settings perhaps Microsoft have been able to fix the issue?

Copper Contributor

Hi @Jenny Bruce

After doing some digging I realized this is likely only impacting GCC and GCC high customers.  Apparently MS hasn't rolled out their new Microsoft Search (putting the search box in the suite bar) for them yet. Roadmap says Sept. 2021.  The extended header is still available, so don't know if they are going to just leave them available to use and just not have a search option. 

Copper Contributor

Hi All,

 

Is there any way to set this background image of header through powershell or Template Provisioning(XML). Any suggestions are appreciated.

Iron Contributor

Hi @mas787  - I understand you can do this with PnP PowerShell Set-PnPWebHeader.

 

At an AMA I went to recently this is still more or less in 'preview' as you need to be using the 'Nightly release' version of PnP PowerShell.

 

Copper Contributor

The User Voice page doesn't seem to be functional at the moment. But I'm wondering if there's a way to add a background color to one column of a multicolumn web part so that it appears like a magazine sidebar. Also, is there a way to add more space between columns or add a vertical rule to provide more separation between columns? I know there are divider and spacer options to provide separation above or below web parts, but sometimes columns need more air between them. Thanks!

Iron Contributor

Hi @Diana_Robinson 

The User Voice service was replaced by Microsoft's new  Feedback Community a while ago.  

You can apply one of your theme colours to the right vertical column if you want to have something that looks like a magazine sidebar - this setting is in the section layout tools .  Unfortunately you can't at this stage apply a background to a single column in the other page layouts.  However, you can add other sections to your page and apply a background to those which may help you achieve your desired look and feel. 

 

The new Feedback community has a number of existing suggestions related to background colours that you might like to upvote.

Copper Contributor

Hi All,

So we have two options of logos 

1. Site Logo 2. Site Logo Thumbnail

I wanted to put different images for Site Logo and Site Logo Thumbnail using programmatic way(powershell or c#).

Does anyone know how we can do that in Programmatic way.

 

@Jenny Bruce@Cathy Dew can you please help with this.

 

Thanks.

Copper Contributor

I don't have many of the features you have when building pages, such as full-width columns, and specific headers, colors, and font sizes, etc. How do I get those features to show up in Sharepoint?

Brass Contributor

@mas787 - yes you can update many things programmatically in site header.  Following are some posts from folk who regularly blog about such things :

SharePoint diary (Salaudeen Rajack) article on changing site logo - scroll down to heading "SharePoi... 

C# Corner article by Akash Sonare - PnP PowerShell Update SharePoint site logo

 

@LindsayNewhouse - Is your site using the Team site template? If so the Full-width section for page layout is only available in the Communication site template.  

Also, if you are not seeing the Change the look option in the Settings menu

(this is where you find header, navigation, theme colors options etc) you don't have the required permissions to access these settings - speak to your company's SharePoint Administrator.

 

Copper Contributor
Copper Contributor

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Copper Contributor

I think Microsoft needs to be a little clearer about the home site branding capabilities vs. other SharePoint online sites. The fact that you cannot display site navigation for a home site while using the Extended Header makes literally no sense. I've built this beautiful intranet, registered it as a home site (following best practices), but now I'm not able to show my users local site navigation, and that is by design? Why exactly is that by design? How is it helpful to the user to not show both hub site and local site navigation with the Extended Header. 

 

Here is Microsoft's explanation: "There are some notable exceptions in behavior based on site type for the extended header. If your site is a Hub site and has been designated as Home, and you are utilizing the Extended Header, the site navigation will be removed. For these Hub + Home sites the Hub navigation bar will move to the bottom of the background image as the only navigation presented."

 

Great summary, but why?

Copper Contributor

@Jenny_Bruce yes, I have the site as a Communications site and Im still not getting a full width component option. And I can see the "Change the Look" settings, but I am not given all the options that I see in this tutorial.

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