Prerequisites / Expectations
The catalog says: "Students should have basic understanding and skills using the Internet including e-mail, basic search strategies, download of existing Web page files, basic HTML tag structure, and GUI Web page construction utilities." The latter two items are what you'll be learning in this class. This is an introductory class on Web design, not on how to use a computer and the Web. My assumption is that you know how to use a computer and a Web browser, and have browsed the Web at least a little bit.
Each student will design and create their own Web site over the course of the class. Each week, assignments will require you to expand and refine different aspects of your site. You will present your site on the last evening while the rest of the class follows along.
Things You Will Learn
- How sites are structured, and how Web servers provide Web pages.
- How to use a WYSIWYG editor and Web site tool.
- How to design a simple Web site.
- Basic HTML and CSS style sheets.
You'll also learn a new way of looking at the Web – from the inside. The better you understand how things are put together, the more likely that the final creation will meet your goals for the site, and look good doing it.
There is a vast amount of material that could be taught for this class, so we will be taking a breadth-first approach to covering the material. Each student will be encouraged to more deeply pursue topics of particular interest. There will be more information than anyone can possibly absorb, but that's OK. Don't be intimidated by the detail!
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of syntax and good typing. 90% of the errors that beginners make are either from typos or misapplication of the rules of HTML syntax. These are both alien concepts to non-programmers: (1) that you must type accurately at all times, and (2) that all of the picky details of syntax must be correct, especially including commas, semicolons, colons, and quotes. This will be the hardest thing about this class for most people, since you really must pay attention to this or your code won't work.
Some of the time, you'll be learning how things work. Some of the time, though, you'll just be getting familiar with things so that you know they exist when you need them. We have some excellent reference materials available to us, between the textbooks and the Web. Don't obsess about knowing every option and variation -- that's why we have ready access to references. Mark the sections in your books that have the handy reference charts for HTML and CSS syntax, or bookmark the cheatsheets you want to use.
Work at your own pace -- it's not a race. Everyone will know different things, and that's perfectly OK.·I will have much of the material on the class Web site in advance, and I am available via email to discuss specific topics or ideas. If you already know some HTML, some of the beginning material will be basic -- but necessary. If you learned HTML informally, then this will provide a good opportunity to take it to the next level by gaining a firm understanding of the key concepts. You can also use the time during presentation of the introductory material to explore the class Web site and other relevant sites.
The class Web site and the other references have a whole lot of words about an intrinsically visual thing. That means that the logical thinkers out there will get the words and concepts, but maybe struggle to understand the big picture. At the same time, the visual thinkers may struggle to work through the words, but will likely understand the visual concepts easily. In either case, the overall picture will click pretty quickly for most people, and it will make a lot more sense.