Instructor
- Professor
- Mark D. Thompson
- Office Address
- Adjunct Office
- Email Address
- thompsom@tcnj.edu
- Office Hours
- By Appointment
Course Description
“Design Fundamentals for the Web” is an introductory course allowing students to develop and practice specific, foundational skills in web production, while simultaneously developing
an understanding of and strategies for effective visual communication in general. Students will learn when and how to use tools such as HTML, CSS and Javascript. Through readings, lectures and
demonstrations, students will also develop an appreciation for fundamental issues of graphical communication, including color, typography and composition.
Course Purpose & Learning Goals
This is an introductory course designed to help students develop and practice specific, foundational skills in web production, while simultaneously developing
an understanding of and strategies for effective visual communication.
Students will learn to:
- Structure a web site using hand-coded HTML
- Stylize a web site using hand-coded CSS
- Understand fundamental principles of graphic communications and apply them to the design of visually engaging web sites
- Reconcile traditional approaches to design with the unique concerns of designing for a flexible and interactive medium that can be accessed through a wide variety of platforms
- Explore current trends and emerging standards in interactive design
- Organize content using standard tools and processes for information architecture
- Plan and facilitate formal usability tests
Course Requirements
In addition to regular readings, exercises & discussions, students are required to develop a vision document for their final project. For their final project, students will develop their own personal/portfolio website using
the concepts and tools presented in class.
Grading
Grades with be determined according to the following formula:
- 25% Final Presentation
- 25% Vision Document
- 50% Weekly Assignments
Course Materials
Books
Tools
Frameworks & Fonts
Developer Resources
Course Schedule
- Tues, 1/21/2014
-
- Subject
- Course Overview, The Design Process, User Personas & User Stories
- Reading
- Chapters 1 & 2
- Assignment
- User personas & user stories
- Tues, 1/28/14
-
- Subject
- Organizing Content & Intro to HTML
- Reading
- Chapter 4
- Assignment
- Create a sitemap & first pages from your User Stories
- Tues, 2/4/14
-
- Subject
- CSS Basics & Intro to Type
- Reading
- Chapter 3 & Appendices 1 & 2
- Assignment
- Apply a type treatment to your work from last week.
- Tues, 2/11/2014
-
- Subject
- CSS, Composition & Layouts
- Reading
- Chapters 5 & 7
- Assignment
- Create a layout for you site using CSS positioning
- Tues, 2/18/2014
-
- Subject
- CSS & Design Principles
- Reading
- Chapter 6
- Assignment
- Rework your site with an eye toward the design principles discussed in class
- Tues, 2/25/2014
-
- Subject
- CSS & Color
- Reading
- Chapters 8 & 9
- Assignment
- Rework your site to use color as an additional dimension to your visual hierarchy
- Tues, 3/04/2014
-
Vision Document Due
- Subject
- Bootstrap, Mobile & Responsive Design
- Reading
- Assignment
- Apply the Bootstrap framework to your site and rework your site as a mobile-first, responsive design
- Tues, 3/11/2014
-
Spring Break
- Tues, 3/18/2014
-
- Subject
- Intro to Javascript & jQuery
- Reading
- Assignment
- Add behavior to your site using jQuery
- Tues, 3/25/2014
-
- Subject
- Intro to Forms & PHP
- Reading
- Assignment
- Create a Contact Form for your Site
- Tues, 4/01/2014
-
- Subject
- Forms & PHP continued, Intro to JSON & Web Services
- Reading
- Assignment
- Prepare for next week's Design Review & User Testing session
- Tues, 4/08/2014
-
- Subject
- Design Review & User Testing
- Reading
- Review notes from the Design Review & User Testing feedback
- Assignment
- Revise your site design based upon feedback received in class
- Tues, 4/15/2014
-
Travelling
-
- Subject
- Implementation
- Reading
- Assignment
- Contrinue developing your site
- Tues, 4/22/2014
-
- Subject
- Implementation
- Reading
- Assignment
- Continue developing your site
- Tues, 4/29/2014
-
- Subject
- Implementation
- Reading
- Assignment
- Continue developing your site
- Tues, 5/06/2014, 7:30-10:20 pm
-
Final Presentations