Skip navigation.
Classes:

Calendar for IMED 2514.7501 / Spring 2003

by Sharon Huston

Terms, Abbreviations & Icons

  • Readings = articles or chapters that should be completed BEFORE the class session
  • Topics = short graded papers or projects
  • Quizzes = short multiple-choice quiz on designated material
  • Activities = ungraded assignments done in class that expand on material on the textbook or from lecture.
  • Exercises = graded practices covering specific objectives. Exercises generally will be completed in one class session.
  • Projects = graded assignments. Projects take from two class sessions to an entire semester.
  • References = documents provided for additional information. You will never be tested on a reference document. If you're falling behind in class, the reference documents should be ignored.
  • ECR = Extra Credit
  • Admin = administrative items needed to make the class run more smoothly.
  • Notes = tips on how to handle particular assignments.
  • Don't Think = textbook, Don't Make Me Think
  • Secrets = textbook, Secrets of Successful Websites
  • XHTML = textbook, HTML for the World Wide Web
    This Color Class Dates
    This Color Homework Alert -- all homework due next class session unless noted.
    Gray Old material -- I'll typically gray out each class session after the session ends.

    New Information Icon = Content posted after we've covered associated material in class.
    Gallery Icon = Gallery of web sites serving as examples of techniques or concepts discussed in class
    Viewlet Icon = Viewlet (short movie) demonstrating a software technique. Hoover over the icon to see the show's title. Please remember that a Viewlet's content does notreflect all the material in a chapter.
    Link Icon = Link to a web site used in lecture. Hoover over the icon to see the site's name or URL.
    Supplemental Reading Icon = Supplemental reading

Type Details
due date
Thursday January 16
Admin Syllabus, Lab Policies
ic
Exercise Class Expectations
ic
Reading NLC Computer Graphics Copyright Guidelines
1/23
Quiz NLC Computer Graphics Copyright Guidelines
1/23
Exercise Visual Notebooks: By next week have two examples of good use of positive and negative space, two examples of organic design, and two examples of geometric design.
1/23
Reading Don't MM Think Ch. 1 - 3
1/23
Reading About Uncertainty
1/23
Exercise Uncertainty: Positive& Negative Space and Simple Shapes
ic
Thursday January 23
Reading Don't Make Me Think Ch. 4-7 1/30
Critique Uncertainty 01 Designs
ic
Lecture CSS in DW refresher
ic
Activity Construct a two-page site based on your Uncertainty 01 exercise. One page should be a "lyrics" page with linked experimental CSS typography.
1/30
Reference Typography References: Typography Basics, Font Resources, Palm-Sized Press, Simple Things to Do With Text
----
Exercise Visual Notebooks: Three examples of interesting fonts, three examples of interesting use of line flow (spacing, wrapping, etc.), three examples of unusual fonts suitable for body text from eyewire.com.
1/30
Exercise Audience Identification
9/20
Reference Font Resources
---
Reference Simple Things To Do With Text
---
Reference NCDesign's HTML & CSS References
----
EC One page paper describing what font hinting is, and where the technology currently stands.
2/6
Thursday January 30
Admin Warm-up exercise -- visit paletteman.com and develop five color schemes. Take the two best, and create a web page for Uncertainty that uses COLOR as its main design element. READABILITY is a design goal. Color the text, the links, the tables, the layers, the frames . . . whatever works best. Use restraint! Just because you can color all those elements doesn't mean you should. (Tip: take screen shots of the color schemes, and paste them into Fireworks or Photoshop as layers.)
ic
Critique First Uncertainty project
ic
Refresher WebDesignClinic's Color Theory series

1/30
Reading Color My World
----
Reading Satisfying Customers with Color, Shape and Type
----
Reading Don't Make Me Think Ch. 5 - 9 (quiz on 2/6)
2/6
Exercise Competition Evaluation
9/20
Exercise Visual Notebooks: Two examples of analogous, two complimentary, two split complimentary, two triadics, two monochromatics, two disharmonious
---
Homework Elaborate on Uncertainty 2: Color. Consider creating original wallpaper using your color schemes, original text-based graphics, buttons, etc. Finished site should be three pages, should use greeking text, can use comps from eyewire.com, and should use principles from Don't Make Me Think. Be prepared to defend your usability to the class.
2/6
Look Cool Site -- Pirated-Sites.com
----
Thursday February 6
REMINDER Next week bring HTML for the World Wide Web v.5 by Elizabeth Castro 2/13
Reading Don't Make Me Think, ch 8 - end
2/13
Quiz Chapter 7, Don't Make Me Think
----
Exercise Design a small website for online students taking web design classes at NLC -- ON PAPER
2/13
Exercise Re-design the home page for the DCCCD based on principles in Don't Make Me Think Ch. 7 -- ON PAPER. Work in groups of three.
2/13
Project Uncertainty 03: Make a home page for Uncertainty using principles from Don't Make Me Think. This page should also employ EYE MOVEMENT. (due 2/13)
2/27
Review Audience Identification Exercise
ic
Thursday February 13
Quiz Don't Make Me Think ch 9 - end
ic
Project Uncertainty 02: Color due
ic
Discussion NLC online student site
ic
Reading Read two critiques at Molly.com. Post a response to the discussion board. (Use your site ID & password to log in.)
9/27
Exercise Write your own critique of any non-student website. Post to the discussion board. Post at least two responses to critiques by other students. Good critiques will be used in a new "Site of the Day" feature for Page Design I students.
9/27
Reading Secrets of Successful, Ch. 1 & 2 -- post comments and questions to the discussion board.
----
Thursday February 20
District Conference Day - Student Holiday
Thursday March 27
  CSS Cheat Sheet