Introduction to Writ 573 (G)

Course Overview, Syllabus, and Assignments for Fall 2008:

Documents posted prior to course.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

Create websites using the latest Web Standards authoring techniques.
Analyze websites in terms of writing, design, and structure and know what works and what doesn’t work.
Effectively communicate the above using language and concepts common to the web professional discourse community.
Propose effective web solutions for new sites, as well as re-designs and modifications of existing sites.
Understand and conduct a web usability test.
Understand and create effective writing for the web.
Either do the work yourself, or understand projects so you can effectively communicate or delegate specifics to other team members.
There will also be a session on creating and managing larger projects using Dreamweaver templates and Contribute.

You will also develop portfolio pieces in the form of your own website and a collaborative community service website for the group project. Refer to the student portfolio page (main navigation).

Core Knowledge Areas

Web Usability: learn about that which allows users to effortlessly utilize key functions, access information, and identify goals for any website.
User Centered Design: Learn how to methodically develop a web presence centered on the user experience
Effective Writing for the web: Learn common approaches for effective written communication in the context of the web
Aesthetics: How important are aesthetics in terms of design considerations and how does it relate to user centered design

Practical Application

Internet fundamentals: Understand internet basics including the relation between servers and individual web browsers (client); how to create a local development environment; how to transfer files to a server (FTP), and when to process functions on the server or in the web browser (client-side)
HTML CSS coding: Learn the fundamentals of marking up content (HTML) and style (CSS) using a Web Standards approach
Image editing and creation: Learn how to create graphics and edit images for use on the web
Navigation and Web Page creation: Create web pages in multi-column layouts and navigation systems using Web Standards authoring.
Dreamweaver: use Dreamweaver to manage websites with templates and Adobe Contribute

Required Textbooks for 2008

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (2nd Edition)
by Steve Krug
Beginning CSS Web Development: From Novice to Professional
by Simon Collison

Recommended Texts for Advance Reference

CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions
by Andy Budd, Simon Collison, Cameron Moll
Bulletproof Web Design: Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
by Dan Cederholm

People often ask me:

What's the most important thing I should do if I want to make sure my Web site is easy to use?

The answer is simple.
It's not"Nothing important should ever be more than two clicks away," or "Speak the user's language," or even "Be consistent."

it's...

"Don't make me think!"

Steve Krug

Why didn't we do this sooner?