syllabus
info
title Web Design
term Fall 2006
time Friday evenings 5:30pm - 8:30pm
dates Sep 8 and 22, Oct 6 and 20, Nov 3 and 17, Dec 8
place Graduate Center of Marlboro College, Brattleboro VT
faculty Jim Mahoney (mahoney@marlboro.edu)
prereq general computer savy,
previous exposure to HTML, web pages, and the 'net.
Some programming experience recommended.
blurb
While it seems simple enough to create a web page these days (just clicking "Save as Web Page" in MS Word will make one), in fact there's a lot going on in your browser behind the scenes. Moreover, HTML and browsers have changed significantly in the last couple of years as open standards have become better supported and more commonplace. The good news is that you can create sites that load quickly, look good across many browsers (even phones and handhelds), and will still work in a few years - but only if you understand what's going on underneath.
This course covers the modern "client"
(i.e. the parts that run in a browser) technologies
of web design, including XHTML (the structural layout),
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets, the presentation specification),
and the JavaScript DOM (Document Object Model) programming language
that defines the behaviors of buttons, menus, and all that.
We'll also likely cover AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML,
a popular browser technology behind things like Google maps),
forms, mashups, and some other bells and whistles depending
on available time and students' background and interests.
We'll also look at many examples of good and bad website visual designs,
including navigation and page layout; however, as part of
the MSIE (Master's of Science in Internet Engineering)
technical track of Marlboro's Grad Center programs
our emphasis will be on how client-side web technology works more than
the aesthetics of how web pages should look.
grading
Grades will be based on weekly assignments and a final project. Details will be discussed in class.
books
required
optional
- "Zen of CSS design" by Dave Shea and Molly Holzschlag($26 at amazon)
(Prices as of Aug 14 2006.)
calendar (tentative)
Sep 8 overview | tools | aesthetics / usability
22 XHTML and CSS 1 | navigation and layout
Oct 6 XHTML and CSS 2 | compatability etc
20 midterm projects | start Javascript | forms and buttons
Nov 3 DOM and JavaScript | HTTP and the server side
17 AJAX | CMS : drupal, joomla, wordpress, ...
Dec 8 final projects