MSU, Course Website - Writ 573 (G) and Writ 373 - John Simmer

Writing and Designing for the Web, Writ 573 (G)

Course Overview for Spring 2010

Summary: Writ 573 (G) is a continuation of Writ 373. The focus is three-fold. First is developing a sound understanding of web based communication and how to apply what you learn to any website through effective writing and design. Second is learning how to build your own website from the ground up using best practices. You will also learn how to analyze, critique, and improve any website. The culmination will be service learning projects where students will redevelop existing websites for non-profit organizations in the community. These will serve as real-world portfolio pieces for students and a community service for the respective organizations.

Core Knowledge Areas

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

Practical Application

  1. 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)
  2. HTML CSS coding: Learn the fundamentals of marking up content (HTML) and style (CSS) using a Web Standards approach
  3. Image editing and creation: Learn how to create new graphics and edit images for use on the web
  4. Navigation and Web Page creation: Create web pages in multi-column layouts and navigation systems using Web Standards authoring
  5. Authoring Tools: Use Dreamweaver to manage websites with templates and Adobe Contribute, plus open source non-Adobe alternatives.

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

  1. Create websites using the latest Web Standards authoring techniques.
  2. Analyze websites in terms of writing, design, and structure and know what works and what doesn’t work.
  3. Effectively communicate the above using language and concepts common to the web professional discourse community.
  4. Propose effective web solutions for new sites, as well as re-designs and modifications of existing sites.
  5. Understand and conduct a web usability test.
  6. Understand and create effective writing for the web.
  7. Either do the work yourself, or understand projects so you can effectively communicate or delegate specifics to other team members.

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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?

— What everyone says at some point during the first usability test of their web site.
Steve Krug