We are no longer using these books in the course. We are now using the books Design Fundamentals in New Media (required) and Graphic Design Basics (optional). Both are available in class for purchase.
Students who started class prior to 10/31/05 may either complete the assignment below or they may opt to read the Design Fundamentals in New Media.
The Non-Designer's Web Book and The Web Design Workshop
Estimated Completion: 3 weeks
Texts: The Non-Designer's Web Book, Williams, Tollett, PeachPit
Press
Web Design Workshop, Williams, Tollett, Rohr.
http://www.virtuallastchapter.com/
Cost: $32.00 & 36.00
In order to be successful in the Web page design field it is essential that you learn appropriate design skills in addition to HTML coding. The Non-Designer's Web Book & Web Design Workshop are excellent guides for designing and creating appealing Web sites. In order to complete the Web design curriculum within the allotted 27 weeks, some homework is assigned. Both books should be read at home and completed within a three-week time frame.
Note: Chapter 2 in the Non-Designers Web Book is a bit outdated. Many of the Search Engines are no longer available or have drastically changed. I would recommend that you try the techniques that the book teaches on http://www.google.com and http://www.altavista.com.
In addition to the two design book, review the following Web sites:
Web Style Guide - http://www.Webstyleguide.com/ (read the entire site)
What to Submit:
Answer the following questions. When answering these questions please use your own thoughts/words. Please type your answers, print, and submit to your instructor for review.
Non-Designer's Web Book:
What are the seven important rules to follow when naming files for the Web?
Why is it important to not mix alignments on a Web page?
What is repetition and why is it important on a Web site?
List the steps for creating a Web site plan:
What is the URL of a site with good navigation structure and why?
List ten design mistakes:
List five elements of good design:
When should you use the GIF file format?
When should you use the JPEG file format?
How do you find out the file size of an image?
What typeface is easier to read on the screen?
What are seven guidelines for text usage on a Web page?
What things should you look for when you're testing your site?
What should you do to test your site?
What FTP information should you ask your provider or host?
Web Design Workshop
What techniques can you use to add interest to your images?
When meeting with a client, what type of written documentation should the designer bring to the meeting? (hint: see page 94)
List five of the most typical browser incompatibilities when you're testing a site:
What types of pages/sites do search engines have trouble indexing?
What helps to control the position of elements in a layout?
What are the four goals for site navigation systems?
What three fonts, that were specifically designed for screen resolution, are available on a Mac and Windows machine?
What are two advantages of CSS?
What are some of the drawbacks of frames?
For additional on-line design resources visit http://www.putertutor.net. For additional Web design books visit http://pclab.cccoe.k12.ca.us/wdresour.htm.