Your grade in this course will be determined primarily by your performance on the following assignments and two exams.
Unit #1: Online Business Card and Résumé (10%)
Your first assignment is to create a simple, two-page website for your newly registered domain. The first page will serve as an “online business card” that will introduce yourself to your site’s visitors; the second page will be an HTML version your résumé. We will spend time in class looking at different types of online résumés and experimenting with simple HTML and CSS code to enhance your résumé. When are done with the assignment, you will write a one-page memo explaining and justifying your code and design decisions. Read more…
Unit #2: Responsive Microsite (20%)
To strengthen your skills in the areas of “mobile first” and “responsive” web design, you will create a small website (3–5 pages) that introduces and promotes your major, your minor, or a campus organization to potential new members. For this project, I encourage you to use one of the various open-source, responsive frameworks that have become popular in the last few years; our in-class activities will focus on Bootstrap. Read more…
Unit #3: Best Practices Article (15%)
Drawing on the readings and exercises you have completed throughout the semester, you will write a substantive article on some aspect of web design, information architecture, usability, content strategy, etc… Your article should be written for your peers (other beginning students in web development) and modeled after the articles found on sites like A List Apart and Smashing Magazine. Read more…
Unit #4: Client Project (20%)
Your final project should demonstrate your abilities as a writer, a coder, an information architect, and a usability specialist. Working in a small group (2–4 people), you will assist a real client who needs a new website. Read more…