Project I Overview
The goals of project 1 are to learn about CSS and its open source internet culture, to highlight what you learn about CSS, and to highlight work you have created—all on a professional-looking Web site that you could present to future employers, colleagues, the whole world, and so forth. This means that your new Web site will consist of many things, but not: pictures of you and your friends, your car(s), bland descriptions of yourself, pictures of Rowan, etc. In short, anything that you think is not professionally-related material will not be on the page.
This assignment is giving you the opportunity to design a page that adheres to web standards and is accessible for people with disabilities. It is giving you the opportunity to think about how you would present your design (or other) skills to those with access to the web. It is also going to show you the fascinating world of CSS design, where reading CSS and graphic designer blogs and journals helps propagate new ideas, tips, and design features. CSS design is trial and error; it is frustrating at times, maddening at others; and is about entering into a community of designers who share similar goals: create graphically intricate, usable, accessible Web sites.
Project 1 consists of three parts:
- a hand coded professional web site using CSS for layout and structure
- an online portfolio that highlights either work completed in this course or other work you have created that you think highlighting will help you professionally (artwork, web sites, photography, teaching materials, etc.)
- a CSS social bookmarking list hosted at Diigo, consisting of links and summaries of things you learn about CSS (and, toward the end if necessary, Photoshop) by looking at different CSS blogs, articles, etc. on the web
Project 1 will be completed independently, though you will have ample time in class to bounce ideas off your peers and ask the professor questions. Drafts will be presented to the class for feedback.
important due dates
- May 22: basic professional site draft due
- June 5: advanced professional site and online portfolio draft due; present to class
- June 7: final professional site and online portfolio due by 5:00pm
- May 20 – June 5: Four-times-weekly CSS Journal entries due no later than noon Friday each week posted to the Wedb Design Social Bookmarking List.