Using figure and figcaption

Usually a figure is an image, illustration, diagram, code snippet, etc., that is referenced in the main flow of a document, but that can be moved to another part of the document or to an appendix without affecting the content.

Most images in your sites will not need the figure and figcaption tags. While the figcaption tag isn't required for the figure tag, it is useful to ask yourself if you will be captioning the image. If you are, perhaps it should be considered "information-bearing."

A few things to help you make the decision:

Never use figure for the following:

Visual Representation of Data

Approximately 375 million people speak English as their first language. English today is probably the third largest language by number of native speakers, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. However, when combining native and non-native speakers it is probably the most commonly spoken language in the world, though possibly second to a combination of the Chinese languages (depending on whether or not distinctions in the latter are classified as "languages" or "dialects").

Pie chart showing the relative numbers of native English speakers in the major English-speaking countries of the world.

Anglosphere is a neologism that refers to those nations with English as the most common language. The term can be used more specifically to refer to those nations which share certain characteristics within their cultures based on a linguistic heritage, through being former British colonies. In particular, this includes the United Kingdom, from where the language originates, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland and the United States.

Image Relating to Specific Content

chancellor mone
Dr. Mark Mone, Chancellor of UWM since 2014

Mark Mone was appointed Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2014.

He has put the University on a strategic course for strengthened student success, research, partnerships, entrepreneurship and innovation while managing unprecedented challenges facing higher education, and the consolidation of two regional campuses into branch campuses of UWM.

Dr. Mone has taken a leading role in the M7 Regional Talent Partnership to increase the number of college graduates to address the growing need for highly-skilled talent in the state. Chancellor Mone has positioned UWM to address societal issues through strategic re-invention and research and collaboration. He co-leads the M-cubed – a critical initiative of the three major public education institutions in Milwaukee that together serve more than 140,000 students – to close the achievement gap. Dr. Mone is the co-founder of the Higher Education Regional Alliance.

Not a figure

Chancellor's Update: Planning Our Future

The "header" image in this page heads up all the messages from the Chancellor's Office. It is not an information-bearing graphic.

chancellor header

Dear UWM Faculty and Staff,
I hope your start of the fall semester is going well. This is many peoples’ favorite time of the year, and it certainly is mine, with all the renewed energy and focus on students that accompany a new school year.

This new biennium brings with it many positive developments: state appropriations are increasing, we will be implementing a 2%/2% compensation plan, and UWM received $192M in the capital budget which includes construction of a new chemistry building. I’ll soon be sharing encouraging news on the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, an alliance among all UW campuses to address water challenges, that UWM is leading. On August 30, Governor Tony Evers toured UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences to learn more about the project, which is under consideration by the state for $27.6M over three budget cycles. I have also participated in many meetings with legislators in recent months, with more lined up to advocate for resources and support. And on Sept. 12, we will be celebrating the finale of UWM’s largest comprehensive campaign, “Made in Milwaukee, Shaping the World”, with the announcement of our final campaign total.