PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

This lab course explores the technical and conceptual challenges facing designers working online. Students construct Web sites engaging directly with notions of interactivity, graphic user interface, image sequencing, navigation and innovative ways of organizing and disseminating information.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To develop critical skills used in the production of websites
2. To explore design elements using digital materials
3. To explore theoretical and critical literature of the field.

GRADING POLICY

DEPARTMENT STANDARD FOR ABSENCE:
As a Departmental policy, a maximum of two absences per term is tolerated, after which an official medical note (containing the date of the visit, the dates impacted by the medical condition, the M.D.’s name, license/registration number, and contact information) or other valid reason must be provided. Justification must be given in writing to the instructor. Three unjustified absences per course will result in an automatic failure. Notification in writing will be sent to students after two missed classes. If you have started a course late, each class you missed will count as an absence. In all cases, students are responsible for any material that is not submitted. Information will not be repeated due to absence or tardiness, except for a legitimate medical or other emergency.

FINAL GRADE:
The final grade will be based on the University grade point equivalents as listed in the DCART Syllabus

Work habits/ethics will influence your grades.
All grades will be averaged together.
Late work or class participation will also weigh heavily on your grade.
Late work will be penalized a letter grade for every day late.

• 10% Attendance and participation
• 10% Reflections on weekly readings.
• 10% Weekly practice assignments
• 10% Assignment 1 (personal site)
• 20% Midterm project (final website proposal)
• 40% Final project

EVALUATION:
Specific conceptual, technical and aesthetic objectives associated with each individual assignment and exercise will be clearly identified and evaluated by the following criteria.

• Conceptual ability (understanding of the exercise).
• Creativity.
• Use of design elements and properties.
• Use of digital media.
• Aesthetic criteria (realization of the idea).
• Critical thinking - critique of your own work and that of other students.

PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS

Design and innovation within the medium will be considered during the formulation of your grade; highest grades will be given to projects that not only meet the requirements of the assignment, but also engage the web creatively (in both form and function). All projects must be published online in your personal class web site and submitted to Moodle. Any file not available online will be considered incomplete. A zipped version of the project's root folder should also be submitted to the instructor on Moodle Late projects are deducted one letter grade.

10% Assignment_01
Using HTML5 and css, students will create there own personal web site for the course. It must contain well structured assets, semantic tags and organizational conventions. Sections should be organized around readings, exercises and projects.

20% Assignment_02_Midterm
Students must submit a well designed and organized proposal for their final project.

• It should contain a well written and properly cited (MLA) 750 - 1000 word essay (3-4 pages double spaced).
• Students should also submit thumbnail sketches of their proposed site in jpeg or png format.
• a Photoshop or Illustrator Mock up of the proposed final version of the site (3 pages or sections, including mobile devices).
• A moodboard containing examples of typography, color palette, and inspirational images is also required.
• Finally, the work must be published online.

40%_Assignment_03_Final
Students will develop (alone or in groups of 2-3 maximum) a web site that exemplifies techniques and skills learned throughout the semester.

• It must contain well structured assets, semantic tags and organizational conventions.
• It must use HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript
• It must show use of design elements and properties, with a particular attention to innovative design techniques.
• It must show the realization of the idea (what does it mean?)
• It must be published online.

ONLINE RESOURCES

A Small collection of tutorial websites:
w3schools.com
codepen
csstricks
jen simmons' css grid lab
flexbox
freecodecamp.org

A Small collection of javascript websites:
javascript.info
codecademy
MDN Web Docs

DCART Computation Lab

RECOMMENDED READING

Weekly readings will be provided digitally in the schedule below.

Introducing HTML5 (Voices That Matter)
Basics of Web Design: HTML5 and CSS3
Essential JavaScript & jQuery Design Patterns

Schedule * subject to change

Week_01
Theory:
Overview of the course
Lab:
Basic web design

Week_02
Theory:
Vannevar Bush, "As We May Think," Atlantic Monthly
Johnny Ryan, How the atom bomb helped give birth to the Internet
Lab:
HTML5 and CSS review

Week_03
Theory:
Roy Rosenzweig, Writing the history of the internet
Lab:
Grid systems. CSS basics and layouts

Week_04
*assignment_01 due
Theory:
The Virtual Revolution: The Great Leveling
Lab:
Basic JavaScript

Week_05
Theory:
Nicholas Carr "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"
Video: "Are We Digital Dummies"
Lab:
Basic JavaScript

Week_06
Theory:
Benjamin Wittes "Databuse: Digital Privacy and the Mosaic"
Alexis Madrigal "I'm Being Followed"
Video "The Big Story: War For the Web"
Lab:
JavaScript continued

Week_07
Theory:
Net Neutrality and the open internet
The future of the open internet
Lab:
JavaScript

Week_08
*assignment_02 due
Theory:
presentations and peer evaluations

Week_09
Lab:
jQuery

Week_010
In-class Workshop

Week_011
In-class Workshop

Week_012
In-class Workshop

Week_013
Theory:
presentations
Lab:
presentations