Web Design 1

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Web Design 1 is a 1 semester course in the Business/Marketing/Technology Department. Students completing it successfully will earn 1/2 credit in Occupational Education.

DESCRIPTION

This course is an introduction to creating professional-quality websites for business, community, entertainment, or personal uses.

Students will develop the knowledge and skills to create attractive and functional websites, emphasizing both the technology and design processes. They will learn the fundamental concepts and tools for creating websites using HTML (the language used to structure web pages and online content) and CSS (the language used to give a website its form and visual style). Students will develop a final project of their own choosing, using a high-level Content Management System (CMS) to create a fully functional website.

PREREQUISITES

Basic familiarity with computers and software applications such as Word, plus an interest in learning about design and technology.

OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students should:

  • Understand the architecture of the internet and how to navigate and search it effectively, safely, and with discrimination.
  • Understand how to plan and construct a website’s navigation structure and visual form using information architecture and wireframe design techniques and tools.
  • Be able to recognize, understand, and use basic HTML tags to structure, code, and analyze web pages.
  • Be able to prepare and incorporate images and other rich media in a website.
  • Grasp and utilize the basic principles of visual and interactive design, usability, and effective site navigation.
  • Be able to recognize, understand, and use basic CSS language elements to create internal and external style sheets for a website’s appearance.
  • Understand and use a high-level CMS to design and implement a complex, multi-page website.
  • Know how to develop a complete website for a client, including project planning and management, user research, site design and implementation, beta testing and site refinement, and portfolio documentation.

TOPICS

A summary of the units of study and topics for the course is listed below. Detailed information about assignments and assessments may be found on other pages of this site.

Unit Topics Duration
Internet/Web Basics Internet Architecture
Website Survey
Website Rubrics
Design Process		 2 weeks
Site Content Page Elements
Images & Media
HTML Coding		 3 weeks
Site Form Visual Design
Style Sheets
CSS Coding		 3 weeks
Site Structure Information Architecture
Usability Analysis
Development Tools		 2 weeks
Content Management Systems (CMS) Blog Site Development
Themes, Pages, Posts, Widgets		 2 weeks
Site Planning Client Research & Analysis
Site Design & Documentation		 2 weeks
Final Project Project Proposal
Project Documentation
Project Prototype
Project Implementation
User Testing		 4 weeks

MATERIALS

There is no textbook for this course, although there will be reference books available in the classroom. Most of the teaching materials (handouts, presentation slides, resource lists, assignments, etc.) will be found online, either on a website that I have developed specifically for this course (see below), or other public website resources.

Please be sure to have a composition book for the class (as well as writing instruments, of course), as you will need it for notes and keeping a journal. If you intend to work on your projects outside of school, you will need a flash drive to transport digital files back and forth.

We will be using many different software tools in the course. All of them are installed on the computers in the lab. Most of the software is “open source,” which means it is free and available for anyone to download and use on their own computers. So you can also work at home or anywhere else you have access to another computer.

COURSE WEBSITE

You have obviously found the course website online, since you are reading this text.

I intend to use the website, with its announcements blog, as the main source of all assignments, reference materials, and communications. Grades will be posted on the Source, but I won’t be posting detailed information about assignments there.

ASSIGNMENTS

This course is based primarily on the philosophy of project-based learning. This means that students will learn by designing and implementing website projects.

There will be regular assignments to complete, typically one per week or every other week, depending on the topic. These assignments will involve applying the principles and techniques of web design in increasingly complicated exercises and small projects.

The final project is an investigation of what it means to develop a website for a client. This project will require the the development of a full-featured website and focus as much on the process of web design as the technologies used to create websites.

There will also be a number of short quizzes during the semester to reinforce understanding of the concepts and technical details of web design.

Finally, a component of all Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses is a demonstration of professionalism. Students are expected to actively participate in class, show leadership, and exhibit responsible behavior in preparation for life beyond high school. There will be activities and tasks in the classroom that emphasize these skills.

GRADES

Grades will be based on the components as shown below.

Assignments 60%
Final Project 20%
Quizzes 10%
Professionalism 10%

Grades will be posted on the Source, generally within two weeks of the due date of the assignment.

LATE WORK

This course is structured so that you can accomplish all of the required work during class sessions, because much of it requires software and supplies that are in our lab and not generally available on other school computers.

But things always come up, from absences to illness to just needing extra time. Late work will be accepted, without regard to cause, because I would rather have you do the work and learn the material we cover than not.

However, to be fair and to encourage you to keep up with the work, late assignments will be marked down 10%. You can submit late work not more than two weeks past the due date, without extenuating circumstances.

POLICIES

A complete list of general course policies can be found on the “Course Policies” page of this site.

SUPPORT

I will be available most days during lunch periods and after school for extra lab time or individual help. Email (ahdavidson@seattleschools.org) is also a great way to get in touch with me for questions or problems.

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