Date

Assignment due

Activities

Week 1

Aug. 25/27

• Class Assignment: Pick one site from the locations listed below or a site of your own choosing. Review the site in terms of design, fonts, layout, navigation and content (including text, images and animation). What do you like or dislike about the site? Be specific and use examples from the site. Write 2-3 paragraphs and be prepared to discuss with the class.
  • http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/
  • http://www.web100.com/listings/1.html
  • http://www.time.com/time/2006/50coolest/index.html
• Bring memory stick.
• Bring login/password for Holly/Lamar account or other ISP
• HTML basics and tag definitions - http://www.w3schools.com/html/DEFAULT.asp

--Course introduction.

Class introductions.

--HTML overview

Setting up CSU Holly or Lamar account (or other ISP)-Review to make sure account is set up properly.

Week 2

Sept. 1/3

• Project 1 Assignment -
  • Gather content (text and images) for the four-page personal/portfolio site.
  • Pages for site - Home, About/Resume, Interests/Portfolio, Contact
• Read Web Style Guide: Semantic Markup (XHTML) and File structure
• Read How to create a site in Dreamweaver and related links as needed.
• Site Critique:
  
  • http://www.audiusa.com (automobiles)
  • Sample Site Critique

--HTML lecture & group exercise

--Dreamweaver review & FTP

--Site maps/flow charts

Site critique.

Week 3

Sept. 8/10

• Turn in Content in Word doc
• Project #1:
  • Site Map
  • URL for Web site hosting
• Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors
• Read Importance of color on Web sites
• Read Web Style Guide: Typography (whole section)
• Read Five Simple Steps to Better Web Typography
• Read Web 2.0 Design
• Site Critique: http://www.apple.com (computers)

--Color & Typography lecture

--Photoshop review

Work on project.

Site critique.

Week 4

Sept. 15/17

• Turn in Site map and URL in Word doc
• Project #1 Assignments:
  • Site design mock-up created in graphic design program
• Read www.thesitewizard.com/archive/css.shtml
• Read CSS Basics and Rules
• http://www.webmonkey.com/authoring/
  stylesheets/tutorials/tutorial1.html
• Site Critique: http://www.target.com (retail)

--Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) lecture.

--Group tutorial on CSS/Dreamweaver

Work on project.

Site critique.

Week 5

Sept. 22/24

• Project #1 Assignments:
• Present site mockup to instructor/class for feedback (RamCT)
• Read http://www.w3schools.com/css/
• Site Critique: http://www.lonelyplanet.com (travel)

--CSS lecture & tutorial cont.

Work on project.

Site critique.

Week 6

Sept. 29/Oct. 1

• Project #1 Assignments:
  • Guidelines for Projects 1 & 2
• Create index page in Dreamweaver with roll-over navigational links & external CSS
• Present index page to instructor/class for feedback (RamCT)
• Site Critique: http://www.jvmediadesign.com (web design)

--CSS lecture & tutorial done

Site critique.

Work on project.

Date

Assignment due

Activities

Week 7

Oct. 6/8

• Project #1 Assignments:
  • Create 4-page formatted site (Save As & modify pages)
  • Put site live (FTP files to hosting company)
  • Test site on multiple browsers before presenting to class
• Read Web Style Guide: Web site design process
• Read JV Media web design guide

--Project management

Work on project.

Week 8

Oct. 13/15

• Present Project 1 to instructor/class
• Project 2, Part 1: Web site proposal and Design Discovery Survey
• Read Understanding Your Web Audience
• Read www.webweaver.nu/html-tips/load-time.shtml
• Read Load time lecture

--Competitive & Audience analysis

Work on project.

Week 9

Oct. 20/22

• Turn in Web site proposal and Design Discovery Survey (Thurs.)
• Project 2, Part 2: Site map/flow chart & preliminary content
• Read Web Style Guide: Information Architecture
• Read Seven Steps to Easier Web Navigation
• Read How to Create Web Content That Works
• Read How We Read Online
• Register for free account with Basecamp (optional)

--Information architecture & Navigation lecture

--Writing for the Web & Domain names

Work on project.

Week 10

Oct. 27/29

• Turn in Site map and preliminary content (Thurs.)
• Guidelines for Projects 1 & 2
• Project 2, Part 3: Site mock-ups
• Read Usability 101
• Read Web Usability Checklist
• Read Web Style Guide - Usability

--Usability design & Accessibility

Work on project.

Date

Assignment due

Activities

Week 11

Nov. 3/5

• Present Site mock-ups to class, instructor, client
• Project 2, Part 4: Layout and Design Report
• Read What is Web Accessibility?
• Read CSU Web Accessibility Standards
• Read Usability Testing Without a Budget
• Read Usability Testing: Why You Only Need to Test With 5 Users

--Usability testing & Accessibility

Work on project.

Week 12

Nov. 10/12

• Turn in Layout and Design Report (Nov. 17)
• Project 2, Part 5: Preliminary site design
  • Site design for five pages completed & presented to class
  • Five pages must be uploaded to server, links working
• Read Basics of search engine optimization.
• Read Keyword Basics Part 4: Using Keywords In Website Copywriting
• Read Stop The Slaughter Of Innocent Copy!
• Read Writing Effective Alt Text
• Read Writing Better Page Titles

--Search engine optimization

--Lightbox 2 Demo

Work on project.

Week 13

Nov. 17/19

• Turn in Preliminary site design (on or before Dec. 1)
• Project 2, Part 6: Usability Assessment/Testing
• Read Interpreting Your Website Statistics
• Read Browser Market Share
• Study guide for test

-- Web site analytics

Work on project.

Week 14

Nov. 24/26

Work on project.

Date

Assignment due

Activities

Week 15

Dec. 1/3

• Turn in Usability Assessment/Testing Report (Dec. 3 - 8)
• Test (Thursday)
• Project 2, Part 7: Final Report and Project
  • Complete building out site pages
  • Upload site to URL for client
  • Get feedback from client on site

Work on project.

Week 16

Dec. 8/10

• Present Final Report & Web site Project to instructor & class
• Site must be uploaded and ready to present Dec. 8
• Final design and report due Dec. 10

Week 17

Dec. 15/17

• No class Finals Week