These ballpark exam dates, project/blog assignment dates, project/blog due dates, and daily topics are subject to change. I’ll get more specific with this schedule once we get rolling (and let you know as changes are made).
Thursday, Jan 24
- About Tim, about class
Tuesday, Jan 29
- Design in the medium (PDF 14MB)
- Andy Rutledge for ALA: Contrast and Meaning
- Mark Boulton for ALA: Whitespace
Homework
- For 2/5: BAWS ch. 2 (15pgs)
- For 2/5: DWWS ch. 1, 2, & pp 92-96 (54pgs)
Thursday, Jan 31
- Tech setup, procedures, terminology
- W3C Markup Guide
- Jeffrey Zeldman for ALA: Fix Your Site With the Right DOCTYPE!
- Mark up the W3C Element Sampler
Tuesday, Feb 5
- HTML, semantics, accessibility
- Install Textwrangler?
- Discuss readings
- Review: lists, whitespace, .html files, case sensitivity
- Read WSS ch. 1, 2, & 6
- Mark up this text about badgers
Homework
- For 2/12: DWWS ch. 5 & 6 (33pgs)
- For 2/12: BAWS ch. 6 (stop at “D-links”, 14pgs)
Thursday, Feb 7
- More HTML
- Re-create this sample table and form (yours will look more like this in a browser)
- Reference: WSS ch. 3 & 5
- W3Schools: HTML Tables
Tuesday, Feb 12
Homework
- For 2/19: review all of the WSS chapters noted in the schedule so far (1,2,3,5,6)
Thursday, Feb 14
- Writing, typography
- Mark Bernstein for ALA: 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web
- Amber Simmons for ALA: Reviving Anorexic Web Writing
- Project 1 assigned, details in this post
Some sites with nice web writing
- http://bearskinrug.co.uk/
- http://www.backpackit.com/
- http://www.panic.com/coda/
- http://www.danielmall.com/
- http://subtraction.com/
- http://abriefmessage.com/
- http://www.fray.com/
- http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/
- http://daringfireball.net/
Tuesday, Feb 19
- Q/A re: writing, project 1
- Images, links, validation
- Recap HW assigned 2/5
- Validation demo using this invalid HTML
- Marking up images, links, absolute/relative paths
- Mark up this hockey info
Thursday, Feb 21
- More HTML
- FTP setup (see Software Hints & Settings)
- Time for work on project 1
- Smashing Magazine: Microformats: What They Are and How To Use Them
- The hCard microformat
- Operator Firefox add-on
Tuesday, Feb 26
Thursday, Feb 28
- Site metaphor, IA, readings
- Project 1 due: name your file
p1-lastname.html - Derek Powazek for ALA: Home Page Goals
- Shawn Medero for ALA: Paper Prototyping
- Project 2 assigned, details in this post
Tuesday, Mar 4
- Using Photoshop for web design: resolution, guides, layers, hex colors, GIFs/JPGs/PNGs
- Sample comp PSD
- Project 2 update: at least 2 pages – home, 404
- Time for work on Project 2
Homework
- For 3/11: DWWS ch. 9 (23pgs)
- For 3/11: WSS ch. 10 (10pgs)
Thursday, Mar 6
- Working time for Project 2
Tuesday, Mar 11
- Project 1 grades
- Review WSS/DWWS CSS readings
- Look at new shell
- Experiment with CSS using Project 1 markup & new shell
- WSS ch. 2 Extra Credit (styling headings)
- WSS ch. 7 Extra Credit (styling links)
- WSS ch. 10 (applying CSS)
- CSS Cheat Sheet (now in our sidebar, too)
Thursday, Mar 13
More CSS- Working time for Project 2
- Project 2 due
- Project 3 assigned, details in this post
Homework
- No homework over break, and our first Exam (on Thu, Mar 27) will be lightweight and open-book
Spring Break
Tuesday, Mar 25
Homework
- Bring your texts to class on Thursday, for the exam
Thursday, Mar 27
- Hand in Project 2 notes (for reasoning part of grade)
- Exam 1
- Make a two-column CSS layout with WSS ch. 12
Tuesday, Apr 1
- Blog Post 1 topic assigned, details in this post
- Working time for Project 3
- Exam 1 review
Homework
- For 4/8: WSS ch. 12 extra credit, pp. 183-187 (The Box Model Problem)
- For 4/8: WSS ch. 13 (Styling Text)
Thursday, Apr 3
- Working time for Project 3, some CSS demos up front
Tuesday, Apr 8
- Working time for Project 3, some CSS demos up front
Thursday, Apr 10
- Working time for Project 3, some CSS demos up front
Tuesday, Apr 15
- Project 3 due
- Final project assigned, details in this post
- Discussion with visiting pro Chris Silverman (links from the conversation)
Thursday, Apr 17
- Exam 2 (short essays regarding Web Design and The Art of Reason)
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
Tuesday, Apr 22
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
Thursday, Apr 24
- New shell … in the sidebar, too
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
- Blog Post 2 topic assigned, due: Sunday, Apr 27 by 5pm
Tuesday, Apr 29
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
Thursday, May 1
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
Tuesday, May 6 – Last day of class
- Working time for Final Project, some demos up front
Exam 3Blog Post 3 topic assigned, due: Friday, May 9 by 5pm
- Because I feel our time and effort would be best served by concentrating on the Final Project, Exam 3 and Blog Post 3 will be awarded as bonuses.
Final Exam Date (May 13)
- Final project due