Art 39540 4KN Design for the Web 1 [formerly Art 37000]

Workshop on interface design, information structuring and interactivity for screen design for the World Wide Web. Existing web sites are reviewed from the perspective of design, utility and interactivity. This course provides experience in the design of HTML documents, incorporation of images, development of a logical information structure, and the prototype testing of this structure.

Prereq.: Art 29526/369; 3 hrs./3 cr.

The syllabus and weekly handouts will be posted on the website as PDF files: at: . http://www.annetteweintraub.com/courses/39540/39540.html.

If you are absent, you must email someone on the contact list or check the website.


Course Content
Design
Interface/screen-based design with type and image emphasizing effective communication and Web utility.
Coordination of text, graphics, sound, and animation. Separation of content and presentation using CSS.

Software
Writing (X)HTML in a text editor.
Using Photoshop/ImageReady, and other graphics tools to create images.
Processing sound and video for the Web; media integration in (X)HTML.
Use of Dreamweaver and CSS.


Production

Using a flow chart to develop a file structure.
Developing a workflow.
Working between design prototyping (Photoshop/ImageReady) and HTML. |
Site management; maintaining links among files.

Research
Establishing a concept for the site.
Determining the site or client requirements.
Collecting resource materials.
Creating original source materials in text and image.
Development of palettes, formats, design and type style guides for the site from sketches to final art.
Creating a logical navigation and information architecture.

Prototyping
Building the site.
Testing the text and image on the site.
Editing text, checking links, coordinating design elements throughout the site.

Publishing
Uploading to the Web.
Verbal and visual presentation of final projects.


Projects
Portal Exercise
Simple text site using CSS & the box model. [1 page, 2 week exercise]

Information Site
Design of an information site (4 page minimum) with linked text and graphics. Develop content and graphics, use a flow chart for planning and Photoshop for page prototyping. Site should demonstrate good design, effective structuring of infomation and use of a visual metaphor for navigation. 6 weeks.

Culture site
Design of a cultural site—a ‘zine, entertainment or art site exploring an aspect of contemporary culture (2 minimum). Students work as a team to edit text; design graphics, logos and interface; incoporate video, animation and sound; and design interaction. Students will be judged on their original work, and for their contribution to the team. 6 weeks.


Printouts will be required each week for the critique, as well as digital files.

There will also be an oral presentation on a website from the list distributed in class.


Required Texts
HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition: Visual QuickStart Guide (6th Edition), Elizabeth Castro, Peachpit Press, 2006.

Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide
, Tom Negrino, Peachpit Press.

Recommended Texts

Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 Advanced for Windows and Macintosh Visual QuickStart Guide, Lucinda Dykes, Peachpit Press.

the Zen of CSS Design, Dave Shea and Mollty Holzcshlag, New Riders, 2004.

Bulletproof Web Design, Dan Cederholm, New Riders, 2006.

CSS Mastery, Advanced Web Standards Solutions, Andy Budd, Friends of Ed, 2006.

Styling with CSS, Charles Wyke-Smith, New Riders, 2006.

Photoshop CS at Your Fingertips, Get in Get Out, Get Exactly What You Need
, Jason Teague and Walt Dietrich, Sybex Books, 2004.


Materials
USB drive (or other removable storage media), 1GB preferred

BACKUP MEDIA: 2nd USB or CDs

Photo-quality MATTE inkjet paper for printing.

1 Itoya Presentation/Display Book Art Porfolio, 9x12, 24 sleeves


Tools
Xyle Scope [download] Displays CSS in any webpage [license, $19.95] http://www.culturedcode.com
Renders CSS online as you type. http://gregtaff.com/rendar2.html
Renders CSS http://www.webucator.com/resources/css/reference.html
View Source Chart, http://jennifermadden.com/scripts/ViewRenderedSource.html
Edit/Render CSS in Firefox EditCss 0.3.5 http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/179/
Web page layout templates. http://intensivstation.ch/en/templates/
Complete directory of web links. http://www.alvit.de/handbook/


Also:
Examples of one, two and three column CSS layouts. http://www.glish.com/css/
Colored Box method. http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/process/
Building a page template in CSS. http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/wentworth/
Sample CSS Page Layouts. http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/page_layouts/
Markup Guide. http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/Style
List of CSS tools http://www.soxiam.com/Notes/CSSTools
Web Standards Guide http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/workshop/index.htm


CSS Resources & References
Complete directory of web links http://www.alvit.de/handbook/
Useful CSS & web links http://www.wpdfd.com/wpdres.htm
Tutorials and reference http://www.westciv.com/style_master/house/index.html

Links to web design info. http://www.wilk4.com/links/links2.htm
CSS resources http://www.ericmeyeroncss.com/links/resources.html
CSS resources http://cssvault.com/resources.php
Summary of positioning techniques http://coda.co.za/archive/20050616/17:11:16
CSS resources and links http://meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/
CSS resources and links http://www.cbel.com/style_sheets/


Site Examples, good design
http://www.andybudd.com/links/well_designed_css_sites/index.php
http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/current-style.cfm Analysis of current web trends+ definitions
http://www.designshack.co.uk/index.php
http://www.webstandardsawards.com/
http://www.csszengarden.com. Excellent approach to CSS design
http://www.cssbeauty.com/
http://css-galleries.com/ Gallery of web design.

http://piepmatzel.de/
http://www.stylegala.com/
http://www.netdiver.net/


Cheat Sheets [also available in the class download]
http://cdburnerxp.se/htmlcheatsheet.pdf [XHTML]
http://www.ilovejackdaniels.com/css_cheat_sheet.pdf [CSS]
directory of more cheat sheets:
http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2005/10/10/html-css-php-and-more-cheat-sheets/


More Web Tools
A List Apart: weekly magazine on web design and CSS http://www.alistapart.com/stories/
Renders CSS online as you type. http://gregtaff.com/rendar2.html
Links to web tools http://www.protolize.org/.
CSS design tutorial http://www.westciv.com/style_master/academy/hands_on_tutorial/index.html.
Excellent web page layout templates http://intensivstation.ch/en/templates/
Troubleshooting layouts http://www.positioniseverything.net/articles/onetruelayout/
Links to layout examples http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=CssLayouts
Three column layout examples http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=ThreeColumnLayouts
Layout-o-matic tool http://www.inknoise.com/experimental/layoutomatic.php
CSS template gallery [layouts] http://tools.i-use.it/details.aspx
Tutorials and reference. http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
Layout examples http://www.glish.com/css/
CSS markup guides http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/archives/css_mark-up_guides.html
Diagram of nested boxes http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/archives/3d_css_zen_garden.html

Top ten CSS tutorialshttp://www.cameronolthuis.com/2006/04/top-10-css-tutorials/
CSS Help Pile [great list of CSS links] http://www.artypapers.com/csshelppile/

CSS Postitioning in 10 Steps http://www.barelyfitz.com/screencast/html-training/css/positioning/
Tutorials and reference http://www.wpdfd.com/index.htm
CSS from the Ground Up: beginning tutorial+ reference http://www.wpdfd.com/editorial/basics/cssbasics3.html


General References
Guide to web design, interface, color use http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html.
Lynda.com: links for web design resources http://www.lynda.com/resources/links/
Typography resorce: history, definitions, examples, links http://www.rsub.com/typographic/


IE HACKS
Fixes and hacks for IE 5 and 6
http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/css/internet-explorer.shtmlhttp://www.positioniseverything.net/explorer/dobled-margin.html
http://www.positioniseverything.net/explorer/expandingboxbug.html
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=BoxModelHack
http://virtuelvis.com/archives/2004/02/css-ie-only
http://css-discuss.incutio.com/?page=BoxModelHack
http://www.thesitewizard.com/css/excludecss.shtml
http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=170511&rl=1


Website for the XHTML/Castro book:
http://www.cookwood.html/html6ed/

CSS Cheat Sheet Widget:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/developer/csscheatsheet.html

General Requirements

2 unexcused absences only before a grade reduction

three latenesses=1 absence

minimum 3 hours of lab time weekly

Purchase textbooks and bring to class by week 2

everyone must bring a weekly printout to the class critique

Incompletes
Incompletes are only granted for medical or legal reasons and must be requested before the final review date

Incompletes can only be changed by the Academic Standards Committee.

Grading
Grades are given based on:
• creativity of concept
• quality of execution
• preparation for class
• completion of weekly assignments
• participation in class
• meeting deadlines
• quality of presentation
• attendance

A grade of “C” is average.

Students begin with an assumed grade of “C” and move up or down, depending on the quality of work, presentation in class critiques, attendance and attention to deadlines.

BFA students must maintain a GPA of 2.5.

Missing the midterm or final reviews will result in a failing grade.


Lab Reminders
No food/drink in the Lab

At the end of your work session, clean up the area around your computer

Don’t glue or cut on the tables or counters; use a cutting board and either cover the table before
gluing or use Letraset press down mounting tissue.

We will suspend your Lab
account if you break these rules!

Report Lab problems in WRITING, using a copy of the problem report form posted next to Skiter’s office, or email him (skiter@ccny.cuny.edu)

DO NOT try to clean the
computer monitors; Windex cleaners will spoil the anti-glare coating on the screen.


Paper and Printing:

See the handout from the HUB on color printing.

Please schedule your printing so that you complete assignments and color prints for the midterm on time.

You are expected to come to class with a print READY for critique.

DO NOT try to print your work before your class begins.

Be sure to BACK-UP your work onto extra disk(s). YOU are responsible for keeping copies of your work!

Lost work will receive an F.


Syllabus and Weekly Assignments

Syllabus [PDF]

Weekly topics + download links page


Topics for oral reports [PDF]

Weekly Assignments:
Week 1: January 31 [PDF]
download_practicetext.sitx 100K
DOWNLOAD 39540 package[.sitx] [.zip] 1.7MB

cheat sheets and handoutshandouts: copyright, html cheat sheets, flowchart, wireframe, browser grid, doctype, webpage divisions, layout grid, color hex chart, cssformats, browser sizes from the PPT file
Week 2: February 8 [PDF] no class
DOWNLOAD 'writing links' [PDF]
Week 3: February 14 [PDF]
DOWNLOAD WEEK3.sitx

Week 4: February 28 [PDF]
DOWNLOAD WEEK4.sitx
Week 5: March 7 [PDF]
Week 6: March 14 [PDF]
Week 7: March 21 [PDF]
Week 8: March 28 [PDF]
Week 9: April 11 [PDF] MIDTERM
Week 10: April 18 [PDF]
Week 11: April 25 [PDF]
Week 12: May 2 [PDF]
Week 13: May 9 [PDF]
Week 14: May 16 [PDF]

Final Review Checklist

General course information

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