Associate Professor Thomas Sakoulas
State University of New York at Oneonta : Art Department
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WEB DESIGN

Web Design is a course taught by Thomas Sakoulas at the State University of New York at Oneonta.This site is designed as an auxiliary tool for the students participating in this class.

Course Syllabus
(iMPORTAND DATES AND DEADLINES AT THE END OF THE SYLLABUS)

REQUIREMENTS

ASSIGNMENTS


Required:

Purchase a portable Hard drive

Buy your own portable hard drive and save your work in it.

DO NOT USE THE SCHOOL SERVER ("P" DRIVE), OR THE LOCAL COMPUTER TO SAVE YOUR WORK.

If you choose to ignore this requirement, remember: you are responsible for your own work.

Back up your work daily (suggestion: use your "P" drive as a backup drive)

Hard drive guidlines:
Any USB portable Hard Drive would suffice for this course. Thumb/Flash drives would not be sufficient because they are too slow for some tasks.

If you plan to use your drive to share files between Mac and Windows systems, make sure to buy a drive that comes already formatted with FAT32, or format it yourself (be aware that all the content of the drive will be erased when you format it).

If you own your own portable computer with Dreamweaver and Photoshop CS4 you may bring it to class and do all your work on it.

 

How to submit your work for grading
(Critiques)

In order to evaluate your work I need to be able to find it. Please make it easy by following these simple instructions:

  1. Create one simple html page that we'll call "Projects Page".

    Name this page "projects.html" and save it in the root of your server folder.

    The "Projects Page" should contain a list of text links that take me to each completed project you have finished. Please include your full name, your email address, and the semester on top of this page.
    (Here is an example).

  2. Email me the URL to your "Projects Page" by the deadline (check your syllabus)

    Click here to email Thomás
    (only use this email to contact me. I don't monitor my other accounts as often)

    Subject: CART206-01 (or 206-81) yourlastname
    Body: your URL

    NOTE: After you email me the URL to your "projects page" in the beginning of the semester, there is no need to email me every time you finish a project. Simply add a link to this page an I can find it. I check your projects through this Projects Page often throughtout the semester, and I grade your work after the due dates.

    If your work is not linked from our Projects Page by the due date, it will be considered a "late" project.
    Make sure the Project Page links represent the assignments in numerical order, and that are appropriately labeled.

Please TEST your pages to make sure that they are working properly on a browser. I use these links to grade your work.

A WORD ABOUT THE CRITIQUES

Critiques are a valuable part of the studio experience. Think of them as exams, and don't miss any critiques during the semester.

A critique is an oral presentation of your work.

Our critiques have several purposes. First, they allow you to gain experience with organizing and verbalizing your thoughts regarding your work. They also allow you to gather valuable feedback from your professor and your peers on how your work is perceived, and how it can be improved.

After each critique, I take the time to evaluate what I consider to be the finished projects and I assign a grade based on the quality of the work. What you say in the critique also gives me a good insight into your thought pattern. It is possible to devalue your work in my mind with a sloppy presentation, and it is possible that you can elevate the value of your work with a professional and methodic presentation.

Since critique time is finite and to ensure that each student gets a fair chance to present their project, we will start the critiques as soon as the class starts. This means you will not have time to work on your project during critique time, and it also means that I can't help you if you come up with last minute problems.

Please keep your presentation under five minutes. Prepare a written statement if this would help, and/or practice before the critique with a friend to ensure that your presentation is concise, precise, and efficient in delivering your message.

Reworked assignments

If you go back to improve an assignment after a critique, save the improved version in a different folder in your web structure.

I need to see both the original and the improved assignment if you want me to re-evaluate it.

Re-working and improving old assignments is allowed throughout the semester. The deadline to submit all improved assignments is the last class of the semester.

How to submit your work For the Final Critique

In addition to linking all your finished assignments from your "Projects" web page, burn your www directory on a CD, label it with:
Year, Semester, Class, your name, assignment numbers contained, and submit it on the due date.

Submit this CD with the entire semester's work after the final critique.

IMAGE USAGE

Don't use images you download from the web without permission. Get used to creating designs that don't rely on other artists' work. Only Royalty Free or images you have permission to use will be accepted as part of your designs.

 

Assignments:

#

Check the class calendar (on the back of your syllabus) for dates and deadlines

 

Required Set up:

Create server space and submit URL

Setting up your local site:

In your portable hard drive create a folder and name it www

Setting up Dreamweaver:

Perform the following actions every time you sit on a computer for the first time.

Open Dreamweaver

Site > New Site (or "Edit Site" if you already have one created)

Select "Advanced" (on top)

Select "Local Info" and fill it the form like this.

Click "Remote Info" and set it up like this

 

Your Home page URL:

http://students.oneonta.edu/yourusername/

Your Projects Page:

http://students.oneonta.edu/yourusername/projects.html

 

Complete these Assignments

Check the class calendar for dates and deadlines. The calendar was distributed with the syllabus you received the first day of classes.

1

Complete and submit the following during the critique:

  1. One page desgin in two differnt page versions (you will create two web pages).
    One page should present a fluid design and the other should present the same design in absolute measurements.
  2. Create a design and present it in three different target resolutions (you will create three pages, one for each resolution targeted):
    1024 x 768
    800 x 600
    640 x 480
    Include Lorem Ipsum text to fill the cells and use one image (the same one) in each design.
  3. Create one page that contains two images as "thumbnails" and link them to
    a) an html page that contains a larger version of the image
    b) the larger version of the .jpg file
  4. Create one page with an image background and include two links: one relative link and one absolute link.

You will create 7 total pages for this assignment.
Make one page that contains links to all seven pages. Use descriptive text as anchor for each link. Name this page as1.html and link to this one from your "Projects Page".

Some more useful links:

Google Search: Background Tutorials

2

Social Commentary

Create an entire web site dedicated to a social issue you care about.

Your web site should demonstrate good awareness of the concepts at hand, and it should demonstrate technical understanding of the web as a medium.

Your site must have:

  1. An external CSS file that controls formatting.
  2. Images in the right formats and optimized
  3. Efficient navigation between the pages
  4. Organized page content in invisible tables
  5. Image background on at least one page
  6. Efficient navigation between pages
  7. Buttons
  8. A logo/header on top (some good examples)

Your site should reflect understanding of all the things you learned in assignment 1:

  1. Page size control
    Control both width of page and file size. Target a common resolution and adhere to it.
  2. Font control
    Don't use fonts that won't appear on other computers
  3. Image optimization
    Show control of file size, format, width and height
  4. Table control
    Control width, cells, borders, formatting, padding, and cell spacing
  5. Backgrounds
    Control tilling and interaction with the other page elements (tables, text, and images)

Your site must be

Remember that your assignments are graded on how good the art/design is and not only on presenting the "required" elements.


Look at some of the sites included in the the following sites and analyze them:

Design Inspiration | Vandelay Design Blog

Consider these questions as you look at the different designs:

  • What makes them appealing?
  • Do the pages appear to be part of the same site?
  • How does the visual style reflect the content?
  • How do the visual elements (fonts, backgrounds, color schemes, banners) enhance the unity of the pages?
  • How are they organized in terms of navigation?

3

Templates

For this assignment you will finish 5 separate pages based on the design of one template as follows:

  1. Use Photoshop
    Your templates must be made in photoshop using the "slicing" concept. Export the html and the images to your www directory (you should make a separate folder just to save these pages in).
  2. Use Dreamweaver
    In Dreamweaver, you should be able to further prepare exported pages to receive content.
    1. Add "editable regions" and save them as "Dreamweaver Templates"
    2. Process the backgrounds
    3. Add photographs
    4. Add at least five paragraphs of text (use Lorem Ipsum as text holder)
  3. Upload your templates to your server and test to make sure everything works as it should .

As you work on your design keep these requirements in mind:

Your design must be able to accommodate:

  • Text that's different for each page which will be based on the template.
  • An advertisement banner 468 x 60
  • At least one image that's different for each page which will be based on the template
  • Footer with contact and other auxiliary information

Remember that your assignments are graded on how good the art/design is and not only on presenting the "required" elements.


Take a look at the designs in this link and in this link.
Do you relate to any of them? If yes, what makes them interesting (composition, color, image/space utilization, lines, typeface). Can you use some of the same elements in your design without copying? Can you create competent designs without resorting to animation or scripting tricks?

4

Due:

Mon. 4/26

Professional "sales" or "information" web site.

For this assignment you will create:

Create three (3) templates using the concepts you learned in assignment 2 and 3.

Use these templates to create a web site that simulates real product sales, information services, or subscription services.

Each template needs to serve a specific function of the site. For example, one template needs to present a number of products the viewer can choose from.

Another template should allow the viewer to see more details of a particular product (if they clicked on one from above).

A third template needs to be the page where even more details of a particular product.

Each of the last two templates need to have a button to either "buy now" or "subscribe now"

Study online shops you frequent and try to simulate their look and functionality.

Create a logo, images for the products, buttons, navigational bars etc.

Remember that your assignments are graded on how good the art/design is and not only on presenting the "required" elements.

Some live examples:
amazon.com - B&H - Nike - Levi's

Some design examples:
web templates




5

Personal Portfolio, a complete web site.

Plan, design, execute, and upload a comprehensive web site.

Place emphasis on a clean, mistake-free design, and try to find a creative way to deliver your message. Concentrate on creating a visually compelling design that frames your best work in a mutually beneficial way.

During the final critique your entire site must be in perfect shape, and available for viewing. If during the critique your site is unavailable you are responsible for it. Make a CD back-up and have it handy just in case the server that hosts your pages is down.

All work must be original, the entire site must be technically immaculate, and all pages must be live on your web server.

This is your final assignment. Present it during the final critique.

Remember that your assignments are graded on how good the art/design is and not only on presenting the "required" elements.

 

Final Critique:

Note that the final critique might be at a different time than the class meetings.

CHECK THE FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE PUBLISHED BY THE REGISTRAR FOR THE DATE AND TIME OF TH E FINAL EXAM.

  • Present the final Assignment
  • Submit a CD with ALL the assignments (include your entire WWW folder.
  • Update "projects.html" page on the server to include the final assignment.

Note: The work on the CD you submit will not be returned. Label your CD as indicated at the top of this page under "For the Final Critique"

Another Note: Your work will be graded from the live "Projects page". Make sure all links work and that your site is up for at least two days after the final critique.

 

 

 

Resources

[ Use your SUNY id and password if prompted ]


Student HAll of Fame

Ben Bridges
DiDiego, Juan (dreamweavertricks.com)
Greg Rowe (Greg: send me your url!)
Jimmy O'Meara (2)
Godshalk, Ryan M.
Scardino, Nicholas P.
Hester, Paul
Sunpituksaree, Pakawat
William French
Nick Dauria

Student Work This Semester

Conti, Gina
Fotinatos, Michael G.
Gibson, Casey R.
Griffin, Kyle P.
Ho Sang, Kadeem P.
Hubbley, Stephanie M.
Johnson, Meagan L.
Lambert, Kristen M.
LaRowe, Steven J.
Osborne, Jennifer M.
Peprah Jr., William K.
Reilly, Michael C.
Rondinaro, Chelsea C.
Schanz, Liesl R.
Stone, Jason R.
Tinker, Travis J.

 


Gallery of links to older student work


Resources

This page (from Introduction to Computer Art) contains instructions on how to set-up Dreamweaver to connect to your server, how to create pages, how to optimize images, and much more.

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Some Links and code samples ...

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HTML: a Quick Reference Guide
A good explanation of Div elements
IFRAME elements

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Royalty Free Image Sources:

SXC
GettyImages
CGtextures

FONTS

DaFont

COLORS

Adobe Kuler
Color Scheme Designer

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Some interesting web sites

gestdesigns.com

2advanced
anamorph
belief
bestflashanimationsite.com
blprnt
chemotion
cubadust
derbauer
daydream
DHKY
Dubtastic
evilpupil
explodingdog
eye4u
fatoe
Flight 404
front424
gmunk
Happy Pencil
Jonathan Yuen
krening
leschinois
n.fusegfx
once-upon-a-forest
oringe
peter hielscher
plasticbag
progression
singlepixel
TheBestDesigns.com
The Remedi Project
volumeone
warprecords
XL5

And now, something completely different:
cats!