Course
Description:
Principles of Web Design - This course examines the basic
design and usability issues for web development. Current platforms and
technologies for web applications are evaluated. The course focuses on
usability of web sites in terms of content organization, navigation, page and
site design, and the general principles of human computer interaction.
Course Readings:
1. Due to the fast pace
of technology developments in the area of web design, there is no required
textbook. Current readings will be posted during the semester.
2.
Students are required to have access to Macromedia Dreamweaver MX (can be
purchased by students at GSU bookstore for $ 99.98). Access to Macromedia
Studio MX would be better (can be purchased by students at GSU bookstore for $
199.98).
Recommended Readings:
Students can take online tutorials on various tools such
as Dreamwaver, Photoshop, HTML etc. at
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwwbt/index.html
Note: The following books are short
introductions into their respective topics. The books are not required.
- The Web Wizards Guide to HTML; Wendy G. Lehnert;
Addison Wesley; ISBN: 0201741725; 2001
- The Web Wizard's Guide to XML; James Smith;
Addison Wesley; ISBN: 0201769905; 2002
- The Web Wizard's Guide to DHTML and CSS; Steven
G. Estrella; Addison Wesley; ISBN: 0201758342; 2002
- Internet & World wide web: how to program,
Deitel & Deitel, Prentice Hall, 2nd Ed, ISBN 0-13-030897-8
- Search Engine Optimization on an Extreme Budget,
by Nonstop Internet, ISBN: 0972311017, 2002
Course Objective:
Upon completing this course, the student should be able
to:
- Understand and apply key concepts and principles of
human computer interaction (HCI) and usability that are the basis for
effective web site design.
- Understand and apply different approaches to site
navigation and design.
- Understand how to organize and display site content.
- Understand and be able to apply key Information
Architecture concepts
- Be able to objectively evaluate and critique the
overall usability of web sites.
- Be able to design an implement a web site that
demonstrates the best practices of current usability guidelines.
- Understand and apply key concepts of search engine
optimization technologies, aspects of the semantic web and web services
Class Policies:
Grading
There is no curve, nor extra credit, available.
Quiz #1
16.66 %
Quiz #2
16.67 %
Quiz #3 (Final) 16.67 %
Critical Analyses
20.00 %
Web Site Design
12.50 %
Web Site Report 12.50
%
Oral Presentation
05.00 %
Quizzes will test your
ability to apply class concepts and material. Candidate quiz questions
will be distributed in advance and will require prior preparation before the
quiz date. Class attendance is important! I will try to take
roll at the beginning of each class, not to police attendance per se, but to
help me to learn your names. Although class attendance does not formally enter
into the grade calculation, an excess of absences (more than two), or excess
tardiness, will indirectly affect my judgment of your scholastic commitment.
Further, it can affect your grade if you are ‘borderline’ between any two
grade categories.
Withdrawing
'W' grade
will be assigned to a student if he withdraws before the middle of the quarter
while doing pass work. 'WF' will be assigned to the student who withdraws
before the middle of the quarter while doing failing work or withdraws after
the middle of the quarter.
Class
participation
Your
class participation grade will be based on the quantity and quality of verbal
contributions that you make to the class as well as your class attendance.
Your project presentation will also ‘figure into’ your class participation
grade. Class attendance is important! If you miss more than one class your
class participation grade will be jeopardized.
Grades will be assigned at
the conclusion of the course based on your numeric average as follows:
90 percent or higher is
assigned an ‘A’
89.99 to 80 percent is
assigned a ‘B’
79.99 to 70 percent is
assigned a ‘C’
69.99 to 60 percent is
assigned a ‘D’
Less than 60 percent is
assigned an ‘F’
Individual
Assignments: Note: all assignments are due on the date indicated. Any late
assignment will be reduced in grade. Assignments that are submitted more than
one week late will not be accepted (and will consequently be assigned a grade
of ‘0’). Also, all assignments are to be completed individually, not in teams
of students.
(1) Web Site
Pairs Critical Analyses of Usability (20 % of final class grade);
(2) Usable
Web Site Design/Implementation (25 % of final class grade);
(3)
Presentation “15 Minutes of Fame” (5 % of final class grade)
(1) Web Site Pairs
Critical Analyses of Usability: Each student will write two critical
essays that compare and contrast pairs of ‘like-minded’ public sites (i.e.
MSNBC versus CNN; Circuit City versus Best Buy), critiquing them in terms of
their respective usability and ‘suitability for purpose.’ Each (pair of)
critical analysis will count 10 % towards your final class grade (20 % total),
and each will focus on one particular topic of overall web site usability, as
assigned by the instructor (for example, (i) home page design, or (ii) overall
site design including primary and secondary navigation, or (iii) overall
presentation and organization of content). The critical analyses are
individual assignments. Electronic submissions are required as a cumulative
library of all critical analyses submitted from previous CIS 8120 classes is
maintained. More details about conducting each assignment will be provided
later, but in general, experience has demonstrated that each of the (pairs of)
critical analyses that are assigned grades in the ‘high A’ range generally
have the following characteristics:
?
Focus on pairs of sites that have notable and explicable
contrasts, i.e. one of them is generally ‘good’ in terms of the focused
usability topic while the second is ‘not so good.’
?
Focus on pairs of sites that are ‘like minded,’ that is, that
target the same purpose, user population, etc. (note that this is a
requirement).
? Are well organized, and
written, in coherent essays exceeding 2,000 words (excluding images and screen
shots).
? Contain embedded
annotated screen shots that illustrate the arguments in the analysis.
(2) Usable Web Site
Design/Implementation: Students will develop a working web site that
incorporates the principles of usability as taught in the course (using i.e.
Macromedia products Dreamweaver MX, Flash MX). Students will develop a written
report on their site that substantiates that the site meets acceptable
standards of usability. Two distinct grades for this assignment will be
assigned based on: (1) the merits of the site itself (12.5 % of your class
grade); and on (2) the quality of the accompanying report substantiating why
the site meets high standards of usability (12.5 % of your class grade). For
their ‘15 minutes of fame,’ students may choose to demo their site to the
class and explain how it meets usability objectives. More details about this
assignment will be provided in class, but in general, experience has
demonstrated that those projects that are assigned grades in the ‘high A’
range generally have the following characteristics:
?
Are substantive, well-developed sites that incorporate
principles of usability as taught in the class.
?
The sites contain perhaps thirty or more individual nodes.
?
Are accompanied by a well-written essay of 3,500 words or more
(excluding images and accompanying screen shots) that cogently and
persuasively argue why the site is usable. Note that the accompanying written
report is mandatory.
? Comprehensively cover
the various important topics and aspects of web site usability as taught and
practiced in the class.
? Contain embedded
annotated screen shots (in the written report) that illustrate the arguments
for usability.
(3) “15 Minutes of Fame”
Each student will make a 15 minute presentation to the class (5 % of your
total class grade). On the third week of class, each student is required to
commit to a specific class date in which you will achieve your fifteen minutes
of fame. More information about this assignment will be provided later. In
general, you have three options for the topic of your fame legacy. You may
choose to present a discussion of: (i) one of your submitted critical analyses
(anytime during the semester); (ii) your developed web site and arguments for
usability (late in the semester); or (iii) some other current topic pertinent
to web site usability or technology (but not exclusively to web site
design per se) that you find intriguing. By the third week of class, you are
required to submit the date that you will present. A few more details about
this assignment will be provided later, but in general, experience has
demonstrated that those presentations that are assigned grades in the ‘high A’
range generally have the following characteristics:
?
Are substantive, enthusiastic, energetic and informative
presentations that relate to topics of web site usability from the class.
?
Are well received by fellow students.
?
Are accompanied by visual examples and/or slides that illustrate
your topical points.
?
Engage the class, both in evident interest, as well as by
eliciting class interaction and discussion.
Course Schedule Readings
The schedule on the following
page outlines the required topics and readings for each weekly class. Weekly
readings and slides for each scheduled class will be posted at least one week
in advance. Students are responsible for all readings assigned, regardless of
whether they are fully discussed in class. I reserve the right to make changes
to the class schedule as the semester progresses. In addition, I will also
present material for discussion in class that is not covered in the required
readings. Students will be responsible for all material presented/discussed in
class.
Learning Objectives
In the
following class schedule, ‘web usability topics’ will include material from
the following list. There will also be in-class demos using i.e. Dreamweaver
MX. Topics and readings will be posted for each class not later than one week
in advance. Upon course completion, students will be able to:
? implement page and site
design (including home page design and unique characteristics);
? identify examples of
good/bad home page and site design;
? identify and
appropriately apply site information architecture, including site topologies
and approaches to navigation;
? present site features
and content for any selected series of Web sites;
? develop search
strategies and demonstrate search engine optimization techniques;
?
properly incorporate web graphics and multimedia;
?
demonstrate e-Commerce usability in a Web site of their own
design.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Weekly breakdown of classes, subject to change:
Week 1:
Syllabus and class introduction, HCI Principles
Week 2:
Overview of current Web Technologies I (X/D-HTML, XML, CSS)
Week 3:
Web Technologies II (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Flash, etc.)
Due: Presentation Topic & Date
Week 4:
Web Site Analysis and Design
Week 5:
Quiz 1
Week 6:
Principles of Page Design
Week 7:
Designing Content and Writing for Web
Week 8:
Principles of Site Design - Information Architecture 1
Week 9:
Information Architecture 2 Navigation
Week 10:
Quiz 2
Week 11:
Search Strategies and Search Engine Optimization / Presentations
Week 12:
Site Usability - Critiquing web sites / Presentations
Week 13:
E-Commerce usability / Presentations
Week 14:
Web technologies III (N-tier, web services, Java/NET)
Week 15:
Class Web Site Presentations
Week 16:
Quiz 3 (Final)
CIS Department
