GDT 150 Design for the Internet

GDT 150 design for the Internet

Contact Information/ Website

Since this is a web design class, all class information will be posted on this site. You can access it from the web when needed, or you can print it out for easy reference. You can email me from the contact page.

Course Objectives

Students will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history, use of, and technology of the internet
  2. Understand the necessary steps for designing and constructing a website
  3. Understand how to lay out web pages in a flexible and media-appropriate way
  4. Understand the optimization of web graphics
  5. Understand the basics of structuring site architecture
  6. Apply basic design principles to the web
  7. Understand the structure of HTML and be able to compose and troubleshoot simple pages

Student Web space

You will be required to get web space on the student server so that you can post and maintain your class projects. Getting your sites onto the web is an important and necessary part of the class.

In order to get web space from the college, point your browser to http://stu.wccnet.org and sign up for a student email account. This will create an email account, as well as a folder on the student server for you to use. Your URL will be http://stu.wccnet.org/~username, so choose your username carefully. Once you have created an email account, it may take a little time before your account has been fully created, so be sure to do it well before you need the space to post a project.

Be sure to record your username and password in a secure place, so that you don’t lose or forget it. After securing your email and web space, let me know your username.

Homework, Projects and Exercises

You can expect to spend several hours each week outside of class working on class projects, including reading and computer time. Additionally, there will be several short written homework assignments.

Projects will consist of designing and building several web pages/sites. Subject matter is up to you, within certain boundaries. You may not build sites that are pornographic, racist, or in any other way discriminitory or offensive, nor may your sites violate the College’s User Rights and Responsibilities Policy.

Exercises will consist of short in-class projects that teach technical skills. They should be turned in the day that they are covered.

Rather than handing in assignments to a general directory, assignments should be posted to the web, with a link added to the homepage of your class web space. One of the first assignments will be to create your homepage on the college server.

Supplies and Textbooks

Attendance

Students are required to attend class in order to get the full benefit of the information and demonstrations offered. Attendence will be 10% of your final grade. If you accumulate more than 3 unexcused absences, your grade will be adversely affected. If you are more than 10 minutes late to class, you will be considered tardy. Three tardies will be recorded as an unexcused absence. Classes will start with lecture and demonstrations-it is important to be on time.

Plagiarism and Piracy

All projects are required to be original. This means that you may not directly copy images or content from another website, book, student, or designer without substantial modification. Plagiarism and piracy of software will not be permitted. Both are illegal and will be reported to the administration. This is not flexible.

Naming Files

All files that you create will require file extensions in order to be recognized by Windows and by web browsers. Appropriate file extensions include the following: .html (not .htm) .gif .jpg .png

Since we are posting our projects to the web, and the college’s UNIX server is case-sensitive, always use all lower-case filenames. Always avoid the use of spaces and any other non alpha-numeric characters other than dashes and underscores.

Projects and exercises that are handed in to me should be named as follows (if the assignment consists of a single file, name it following this convention; if it consists of multiple files in a directory, name the top level directory following this convention): your first initial, followed by the first four letters of your last name, dash, assignment number, followed by the file extension if necessary. For instance, If I were handing in a Photoshop file, the file would be called: ccass-proj1.psd. If I were handing in a website, I would call the top level folder ccass-proj1

Grading

Final grades will be assigned based on the following:

Attendance 10%
Class Participation 10%
Exercises 10%
Quizzes and Homework 10%
Projects 30%
Final Project 30%

Possible grades are: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F

Exercises will be graded on the following criteria: following instructions, technical accuracy, craftsmanship, demonstration of understanding of material, and completion of project on time.

Projects will be graded on the same criteria as the exercises, as well as the following: creative and appropriate use of subject matter and skills; effective use of skills developed in exercises; fulfillment of the assignment objectives; use of color, value, form, and other basic and media-specific design skills.

Projects are expected to be turned in on time. A late project will drop one full letter grade for each class that it is late. Obviously, this will not be the case for any excused absence.

Participation in critiques and discussions is required; participation is 10% of your final grade.