GD430 - Advanced Web Design - Syllabus
Week 1/2 - January 14: Web Site Design Project, Design Review
- Lecture: Visual Design Review - Web Style Guide, Basecamp Project Management
- Class Assignment: What are your strengths and weaknesses in regards to Web Design?
- List three strengths. They can be in reference to your design skills as a whole. What are you good at? Concept development? Typography? Strong Dreamweaver skills? Professional work experience? Give us a few sentences on each strength.
- List three weaknesses. What areas and skills need improvment or refinment? Share your concerns with us, let us know where you might need help this term, and we can all work together to provide support.
- Project Assignment:
Review the websiteproject due at the end of class
- Based on your strengths and weakness and those of others in the class, select a student to be your partner for the class web site design project. Your partner needs to have strengths that will help you with your weak areas. If you prefer to work one-on-one with a client, please note this as well.
- Select a client for the site project
- Notify the instructor so that you, your partner and client can be set up in Basecamp.
- KGA Web Site Project
- Clients:
- Larry Beer, Aurora City Council, Ward III - Redesign of site
- Collapsing Convention - Rock Band - Kyler Frey kylerado2003@yahoo.com 303-396-4305 - New site
- North Star Restaurant & Brewery - Kyle 303-919-7942 - New site
- South Denver High School
Week 3 - January 21: Project Management & CSS Review
- Lecture: WEBMONKEY.com: What is CSS?
- Reading Assignments: Chapter 1 and Now Try This Exercises
- Project Assignment: Web Site Proposals including client requirements, Set up project with Milestones, at least one To Do with Task List
- Web Site Review: Select two or more sites in your client's industry for competitive analysis. Review the sites in terms of content, layout, colors, typography, design, graphics and animation. What do you like/dislike about the sites and why? Include your competitive analysis in your project proposal.
- Links:
Week 4 - January 28: Menus, Information Architecture & Design drafts
- Lecture:
Information Architecture, Wireframes
and Site design drafts
- Reading Assignment: Chapter 2 and Exercises
- Project Assignment: Create a complete site architecture and design drafts for the site. This will require understanding what pages/content the client will want to have on the site. Create 2 drafts for the home page and 2 sub-pages. See project requirements for details.
- Class Activity: Invite your client to visit the class. Introduce them and have them discuss what the purpose of the site will be. How will they evaluate the success of the site?
- Class Presentations: websiteproposals & Basecamp project outline
Week 5 - February 4: Site Designs & Site Content
- Lecture: Creating Site Designs
- Reading Assignments: Chapter 3 and Exercises
- Project Assignments: Contact client regarding content for site, including graphics. Create the final site design based upon feedback from your client, peers and instructor. Please review the web site guidelines when creating your final design. Get approval from your client on the final design and note when this occurs in Basecamp.
- Class Presentations: Site map/Proposed site designs for home page and 2 other pages
Week 6- February 11: Project Review, Building Sites in Dreamweaver
- Lecture: Creating site design, Basecamp project review
- Reading Assignments: Chapter 4 and Exercises
- Project Assignments: Start building the site using CSS and tables, create/use a template and an external CSS. Show the client the site home page live and get feedback. Test the site in different browsers.
- Class Presentations: Final site designs for home page and two other pages
Week 7- February 18: Flash and Dreamweaver
- Lecture: Standards Friendly Web Design
- Reading Assignments: Chapter 7 and Exercises
- Project Assignments: Continue building the site. At least 6 pages need to be completed (half the site).
- Class Presentations: websitehome page with external style sheet.
Week 8 - February 25: JavaScript & Forms
- Lecture: JavaScript and Forms in Dreamweaver (possible guest lecturer)
- Reading Assignments: Chapter 5 and Exercises, DreamweaverCS3 book - Forms
- Project Assignments: Site needs to be completed with all pages ready for testing.
- Class Presentations: websitepages completed to date.
- Use the Web Site Guidelines when building out your pages.
Week 9 - March 3: Search Engine Optimization, Web Designer Perspectives
- Lecture/Class Discussion: Search Engine Optimization, Please choose an interview from 2004 or 2005 and let us know what you learned. Make sure you tell us who was interviewed, what they were interviewed about and if there is anything you took away from the interview. http://www.digital-web.com/types/interviews/
- Reading Assignments: Chapters 6 & 9, Exercises optional
- Project Assignment : Sites need to be put live and tested by client with search engine optimization and site statistics software (Google analytics or other) placed on site page for tracking purposes.
Week 10 - March 10: Presentation of Sites to Class
- Lecture: Getting final client approval and sign-off
- Class Presentations: Final feedback from class and instructor. Project summary due with URL for site. Completion date noted in Basecamp and client sent thank you message/email.
Recommended Reading
- Sam's Teach Yourself Books (JavaScript in 24 Hours)
- Web ReDesign: Workflow that Works - Goto & Cotler
- Usability for the Web - Wood
- The Elements of User Experience - Garrett
- Don't Make Me Think! - Krug
Resources
Project Management Resources
Westwood College site redesign samples - Industrial Wisdom
Resources provided by Students
Client Management Resources - Jack McDaniel
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