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Project and LRO Assignments

Project 1: Critical Analysis and Re-design of a Web Site
project 1 overview
site inventory and analysis
site prototype
final re-design
la its presentation
Project 2: Designing with CSS
project 2 overview
designing your new professional site
designing your portfolio
creating your CSS journal
Project 3: Designing with the CSS Zen Garden
project 3 overview
Learning Record Online
Midterm Description

Daily Assignments

For Friday, 16 December

Final LROs are due by noon on Friday, 16 December. The final LRO is just like the midterm LRO except that you will be taking into considerion the entire semester's worth of work when completing Part B and Part C. Please note that you will be completing Part B2 and Part C2; do not write over what you wrote in Part B1 and Part C1.

There is only one new requirement for the final LRO: in addittion to the many observations your choose to include, please include all observations that discuss collaboration in some way. Including the collaboration-related observations in addition to your other observations will not affect your grade in any way.

As with the midterm LRO, please add a Part-B2.rtf file to the Part B folder and a Part-C2.rtf file to the Part C folder. Then add the text from those files, then observations you wish to include, and the sampls of work you wish to include to your midtem document and save it in the FinalDocument folder, using the convention: "lastname-final-lro.rtf." If there are observations or samples of work from your midterm that you no longer wish to include, please remove them from the document. In the FinalDocument folder, create a SamplesofWork folder and place all your work samples in that folder.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

For Thursday, 8 December

Please bring to class a blank CD so you can burn all your teacher folder personal and project-related files. Some time during the winter, contents of the teacher folder will be archived, and you will no longer have access to them. By burning them on to a CD, you will have them for as long as you'd like. And if you have created your files using relative links, you will be able to simply upload them onto any server and the links will still work.

For your Zen Garden rough draft, please have a working version of the page so we can present them in class. By "working version," I mean that it should enclude at least the following:

And remember to bring your items for the party!

For Tuesday, 6 December

There are two parts to this assignment:

  1. In class on Thursday, two packets were handed out (and this assignment was started): one containing the sample css zen garden html code, the other containing the style sheets for two CSS Zen Garden Designs: Tranquille and South of the Border (see what South of the Border looks like). If you were not in class -- or do not have the documents -- please print them out on your own.

    For Tuesday, I would like you to complete the following (hopefully with your partner[s]):

    • read through the HTML code carefully, comparing each element to that in each of the two style sheets
    • read through each of the two style sheets (read "tranquille" first, as that is the original sample), circling all the CSS tags that are unfamiliar to you
    • choose three of those tags and look online to find out their function (I suggest starting with W3C Schools and the CSS Zen Garden Resources Guide)
    • sketch out the design of Tranquille as it appears on the web, labelling each major element with its CSS equivalent (for example, the bottom right image is part of:
      body {
      font: 8pt/16pt georgia;
      color: #555753;
      background: #fff url(blossoms.jpg) no-repeat bottom right;
      margin: 0px;
      }
      You do not have to write out all the code; just label the section so you understand how it relates to the CSS. If you have time to get to "South of the Border" as well, please do so.
  2. Bobby van der Sluis:
    One hard lesson I have learned is that you should never ever start any design without a good and clear concept.

    Please read carefully the following short blog-entry discussions of these designers' design experiences with CSS Zen Garden, paying particular attention to each designer's process:

    When complete, please make a list of the 5 or so Zen Garden designs you especially like and the 5 you don't care for. From that list of 10, make a list of 3-5 features that you'd like to try to incorporate into your design and 3-5 that you're certain you don't want to. Remember that the features found in the special effects section are to be avoided.

    Then, come up with two pencil sketches of your design per group member. For example, if you have two people in your group, you should have 4 pencil sketches. Complete these sketches individually and bring them to class with you, along with your lists of likes and dislikes. In class you'll meet with your group to come up with a pencil sketch that unites your ideas.

    Please also bring to class (either online or print) images that are thinking about using in your site. All images will need to be scanned into the computer by Tuesday, May 3 (as will your final pencil sketch), so if you have time this weekend, get a head start and scan in any image that is not already online. I recommend scanning at 300dpi (and if the image is a photo, saving it as *.jpg, and if its something other than a photo, saving it as *.gif); you can always lower the resolution later.

For Tuesday, 29 November

This assignment will get us started on the Zen Garden project. Please complete the following by classtime on Thursday:

In class, you will meet with your partner(s) to finalize the theme you've chosen, announce it to the class, and create a detailed sketch of the page.

For Thursday, 3 November and Tuesday, 8 November

For Thursday, 3 November, please read in Meyer chapters 7 - 9, which cover css boxes, padding and borders, and backgrounds. Chapter 7 is a very important chapter so please pay careful attention.

Please complete chapters 7, 9, and 10 (you do not need to do complete chapter 8, though you can if you'd like) in Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book by classtime on Tuesday, 8 November. These are the last of the Photoshop assignments, though I encourage you to continue with the chapters as you see fit.

And don't forget to post to the CSS Journal. . . .

For Tuesday, 1 November

Please read in Meyer chapters 3 - 6.

Begin working on chapters 7, 9, and 10 in Photoshop cs2: Classroom in a book as they are due on November 8.

For Thursday, 27 October

Please read in Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide by Eric Meyer: Preface, Chapters 1 and 2. We will be talking about style sheets in class on Thursday.

For Friday, 21 October and Monday, 24 October

Please make sure you have completed chapters 1 - 6 in Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book by 5:00 pm Friday, 20 October. You will have time to work on the chapters in class on Thursday, so please bring your book.

Midterm LROs are due Monday, 24 October, no later than 7:00pm. It is vital that your LRO not be late. Please post all questions to the LRO Discussion Topic, and check others’ questions before posting your own. I will check the forum frequently.

For Thursday, 13 October and Friday, 14 October

Please read Goto and Colter: Chapter 5 for Thursday, 13 October.

Please complete chapters 2, 3, and 4 in Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book by 5:00 pm Friday, 14 October.

For Tuesday, 11 October

For the assignment, I would like you to find 5 images of varying complexity. If you consider an image containing only the word "home" to be simple, the banner image on this web page moderately complex, and "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by Breughal to be complex, you can understand what is meant by "varying complexity." (See W.H. Auden's poem, "Musee des Beaux Arts" in response to painting, if you'd like.) Please use the ideas discussed in Chapter 6 to write ALT text for each image. There should be 1 simple image, 2 moderate images, and 2 complex images. For the two most complex images, please write long descriptions for them, and code them in the manner discussed in the text. Put all of the images in one HTML page, constructed as described in chapter 5, and link it off your home page. We'll discuss them on Monday.

Please also add the following to your personal home page ("index.html" page):

Please have both the ALT text images and the home page work completed by 10:00am Tuesday, 11 October.

Please bring Photoshop CS2: Classroom in a Book with you to class.

For Thursday, 6 October

We can call this assignment "My Two Days without a Mouse" because I would like you to spend the next two days -- between class Tuesday and class Thursday -- without using your mouse (or laptop touchpad). This means whenever you are browsing the web, building web pages, or anything else on the computer that does not require you to have something completed for school or work (although it would be great to see if you could complete an assignment or task without the mouse, too).

I'd like you to comment on your mouse-less computing experiences on the discussion forum by 10:00 am Thursday 6 February. Your commentary should describe the tasks you were attempting, the problems you faced, and whether or not you were able to complete the task. Discuss how it felt not to have the mouse at your disposal and how that changes your idea of computer use.

Please read in Clark, Chapters 5 - 8.

Please read and complete chapter 1 Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book by 2:00 pm, Thursday, 6 October. If you do not own a copy of Photoshop CS2, dont worry: Chapter 1 does not require CS2 and you can complete the assignment in Parlin 102. Open hours are MW 8:30-7:30; TTH 7:30-7:30; F 8:30-2:30. CS2 should be on the computers by the end of the week.

I have placed all of the lessons files in the teacher folder so you do not need to install them on computers in the CWRL. If you are completing the assignment on a computer that is not part of the CWRL, you will need to install the files yourself. Note that you must be using Photoshop CS2; no other version will work. You can see how to install the files yourself on page 3.

The book is going to ask you to save over some of the files. Please do not save over them. Instead, save all files to the Desktop, and then drag them into your own folder in the "photoshop-work" folder in the teacher folder. Please put your work in the correct folder; you will have to create a folder for each lesson.

On page 3 you will also see instructions for installing the Adobe fonts suggested for completion of the assignments. I have placed the required fonts folder ("CIB Font Installer") in the teacher folder. All you need to do is drag and drop the folder in: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Fonts. This must be completed before you open Photoshop CS2. If you have already opened it, just close it down and start it up again after you install the fonts.

Please complete chapters 3, 4, and 5 in Photoshop CS Classroom in a Book by classtime Tuesday, 11 October.

For Tuesday, 4 October

Please update your LROs as instructed in class by 5:00pm, Friday, 29 September so I can comment on them by Saturday evening.

Please go to the CWRL page explaining how to connect to the teacher folder from home, and follow the instructions. PC users, you will have to scroll down to find your instructions. Both PC and Mac users will have to download applications -- PC users, SSH, and Mac users, Fugu. Note that in the username field, do not enter "wolff" as displayed on the screenshots; enter your uteid instead.

Please read in Clark, Chapters 1-4, Appendix A (read chapter 3 first).

For Thursday, 29 September

Please read Neilson Chapter 6 and What are Web Standards and Why Should I Use Them? We will moving into the unit on web standards and accessibility, and will discuss the ideas in class.

Please bring a set of headphones with you to class. You will need it to listen to JAWS.

For Tuesday, 27 September

Please read Neilson: Chapters 3 and 9, and post a response to the following topic on the Neilson Readings 2 Forum Topic:

Discuss the content of the LA ITS site and how you think it might change as a result of Neilson's discussion of content in relation to usability in chapters 3 and 9. Please post your response by 10:00 am, Tuesday, 27 Sepetmebr. Postings should be equal to one page, double space, in Mocrosoft Word, Times New Roman, font size 12, one inch margins.

Please also note that next week we will starting to learn Photoshop, so if you have not yet ordered Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book, and you don't want to pay bookstore prices, you are running out of time. . . .

For Thursday, 22 September

Please read Neilson: Chapter 2, Chapter 4 pages 162 - 224, and post a response to the following topic on the Neilson Readings 1 Forum Topic:

Using the Neilson's theories on usability, discuss the usability of the UT ITS site versus the usability of one other university ITS site. Please do not use the same site as the other members of your group, but think critically about certain aspects you may be focusing on, or are most interested in. Your posting is due by 10:00 am, 22 September. You may also use the ideas in the suggested Alertbox reading listed on the inventory analysis page or the online readings section of the course Web site.

Please meet with your group members to work on Project 1, and come up with 5 questions to ask Mr. Dickerson and Ms. Richardson about the COLA ITS site. The questions can range from the goals of the site to reasons why certain sections of the site function the way they do. To help coming up with the 5 questions, your group may want to start a list of all the questions that you have about the site itself. Questions no doubt come up when discussing the site (and thinking about the site) and it may help you keep track of all your questions if you write them down. Please post the 5 questions you have settled upon to your group's discussion forum by 10:00am Tuesday, 27 September. In class, we will review all the questions prior to Mr. Dickerson and Ms. Richardson's arrival, and will narrow them down to 2 or 3 per group.

For Tuesday, 20 September

Please read in Neilson: Prologue and Chapter 1, and in Goto: Chapter 4. While not required, I suggest you read in Goto: Chapter 8 "Testing for Usability," as it mkes a nice companion to Neilson and will help you think about the idea of perhaps doing some user testing if you feel you have the time.

Please also start getting into the nitty gritty of the project, using some of the tools described in Web Re-Design, thinking about the web site in terms of Neilson's ideas on usability.

Parts A1 and A2, as well as your first two observations are due. In the instructions for Parts A1 and A2, please replace the writing-related criteria with the following: in A1 with "user of technology"; in Part A2 with "the Course Strands." Please note that in the form field in Part A1, you cannot use double or single quotation marks. In their place, please leave a blank (for example, can't becomes can t). If you have any problems, please let me know.

For Thursday, 15 September

Please read in Goto Chapter 3.

Please design your own personal home page (file name: "index.html"), and upload it to your WebSpace account as described in Introduction to HTML Part II. Please also bring a copy of the web page (with all related files) with you to class, as we will be placing them on the CWRL server. Your home page can be modelled on the sample home page we discussed in class, and must contain at the very least the following features:

All images that you use on your web page, if they are not your own, can only be used with permission of the artist or photographer, unless otherwise noted. You can download free images from stock.xcnhg and FreeFoto without getting permission from the photographer. istockphoto has images for $1.50 or less.

Please download and use HTML-kit if you have a PC at home or Taco if you have a Mac at home. They are free HTML editors.

Do not use a WYSiWYG, like Dreamweaver or Frontpage. You must code the page by hand using HTML-kit, Taco, or another HTML editor.

Please complete in your LRO Parts A1 and A2, and your first two Observations by 10:00 am, Tuesday, 20 September.

For Tuesday, 13 September

Please read the Introduction, Chapter 1 and 2, in Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works, by Kelly Goto and Emily Colter. These chapters will introduce you to the book and the redesign process that will inform the work we will do in Project 1. After reading the chapters, post a response to the forum topic entitled, What is it about the web . . . ? Responses should be equivalent to 1/2 page of single space text, and should be posted by 10:00pm, Monday, 12 September.

Start working on Parts A1 and A2, and two Observations for your Learning Record. These are due on Thursday, 15 September, but its good to get a head start on at least Parts A1 and A2. In the instructions for Parts A1 and A2, please replace the writing-related criteria with the following: in A1 with "user of technology"; in Part A2 with "the Course Strands." As a way to familiarize yourself with the Learning Record Online application, please take the Guided Tour for Students. After taking the tour, please log in to the Learning Record. You should have received your password via email. Use the email address the password was sent to. Change your password by clicking on the "profile" link in the top right corner of the screen.

Several of you have yet to sign up for the course email list or complete the first assignment: 5 questions about the Learning Record posted to the Learning Record Discussion forum. See below assignments for details. Even if you registered late and/or were not able to find the classroom on the first few days, you are still required to complete the work.

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For Thursday, 8 September

Read through the Learning Record information web site, especially the pages for students, and the Guided Tour for Students. Then come up with 5 written questions you have about the Learning Record process. Post your questions to the course Learning Record Discussion Topic by 10:00 pm, Wednesday, 7 September (there is a forum on the Learning Record site; please do not use that one). We will be using your questions to frame our discussion of the LRO on Monday.

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For Tuesday, 6 September

Please read "Getting Started with HTML" and "More Advanced Features" by Dave Raggett, and "Intro to HTML" by WebMonkey. These are short essays that will introduce you to HTML and what HTML looks like. We'll get started coding HTML in class on Thursday.

Please make sure you have all the required materials listed on the syllabus. Read computer classroom etiquette (pop-up will open).

If you do not already have a UT email account, you are required to have one for this course. You are required to have a UT email account because yahoo, hotmail, and other web-based emails do not have the ability to handle the size of the attachment files we will be using in the course. They also regularly filter out as spam important emails from tools we will be using; if you do not have a UT email account, you will not get the necessary information. You can register for UT email at http://mail.utexas.edu, by following the instructions. (Note: When selecting a username, choose one that will professionally represent you. Employers who are receiving your resume via email who take more seriously one like, 'jsmith@mail.utexas.edu' than 'designman@mail.utexas.edu.')

Join the Class Listserve. To join, send an email with no subject to majordomo@lists.cwrl.utexas.edu. In the text of the email, please copy the following: subscribe STS311-wolff@lists.cwrl.utexas.edu. You will then get a confirmation email from the system. Follow the instructions in the email you receive. After that, you will be on the list. Note: You must use a UT email address, or you will not get the email back from the system.

Register for the Class Forums. To create an account, click on "Log In" at the top right of the screen. Then choose the Register tab and fill in your user name and e-mail address. Your username must be in the following format: "firstname_lastname" (for example, bill_wolff). Your email address must be your UT email address. Accounts that do not follow this configuration will be deleted. Within a few minutes, your e-mail address will receive a message with your password and instructions, so make sure it is accurate. If you do not see receive an e-mail with the subject "Account details for ______." Follow the instructions in the email to log in and change your password.

I know this a lot of registrations, but they have to be done, and done early. Their functions in the class will become clearer as you use them.

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