Understanding Web Genres

Understanding Web Genres

Assignment:  (Do before Class):
The Site Development Process

Assignment:  (Do after Class)

1. See if you can't fix some of the problems with your Design Portfolio site based on what you learned in class today.

2. Go to Sewall Class Designs  and look at other Students' Portfolio pages. What lessons can you learn about web design from your fellow students?

3. Go to C-Net Download.com. Look under the categories--Internet, Utilities, Multimedia Design, and Web Authoring.  What are some of the tools you can download to help you make better web pages?

"People take their personal sites very, very seriously....
but don't you dare tell tell them their personal Web
page is ugly."
Flanders & Willis (p. 7)

"Flanders: There are certain sites, such as movie, band, and Web design company sites, that have the right to be inherently stupid. It's by their very nature."
"A Discussion with Jakob Nielsen and Vincent Flanders" (new window)

1. Student work

Make your homepage file name "index.htm"
Make sure your homepage comes up
when you go to your CU website account:

for example:

http://spot.colorado.edu/~cclewis/
Make sure you have two webpages: 1) a homepage
and a 2) Web Design Portfolio page
By Friday, make sure that I have the URL address
for your web portfolio website so that I can put
the link on this Digital Design class webpage:

www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/Design/sewall.htm
By Friday, test and make sure that I have the
correct e-mail address for you by going to the
class website and sending yourself an e-mail
message using your e-mail address on this site:

www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/Design/email.htm
Bring a copy of the successful or unsuccessful
e-mail message that you sent yourself to class
on Friday. I will give you "20 points" for
running this e-mail address for me.
Revise your homepage and portfolio webpages
so that all the images work, there are "Alt"
tags for each major image, and all links work.
I will grade your homepage and web design
portfolio page beginning Saturday morning.
If you have not completed the above work by
Saturday, I will take points off your homepage
and web design portfolio page for being late.

2. Understanding Web Genres

American Studies Resources on the Internet
News Websites
Righteous Babe Records
Ani's Page
Snowboarding.com
Mustang Links
Top 100 Simpsons Sites on the Web

2. Snowboarding and Skiing Websites

3. Building a Snowboarding site

5. Controlling Screen size of your Webpage

640 x 480
800 X 600 (Default size for current websites)
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024

6. Using Fireworks

Always use "jpg" or "gif" file formats for the web.
Don't put "png" image files on the web.
Pictures of Sewall Hall and Sewall Students
If you copy a "bmp" image off the web, make
sure you convert it to a "jpeg" or "gif" file format.
Start by using Fireworks to reduce or increase
the size of the images you have on your websites.
Don't put "png" file format images on the web.
Fireworks will automatically save your initial
work as a "png" image.
Use Fireworks to adjust the quality, contrast,
and brightness of your images.
Always save your original "png" versions of
the images you put on the web. It is easier
to edit and change "png" files than "jpeg"
or "gif" files

7. Understanding the HTML Source Code for a webpage

1. Reading and Copying HTML Source Code

2.. Practice calling up the three class examples I
created of a Design Portfolio Page:

2. Practice calling up and looking at the HTML source
code for these three model pages.

        3. Can you think of ways to copy some of my HTML
             source code in order to make it easier for you to
             create your own Web Design Portfolio websites?

8. Dreamweaver Lesson 2

Adding images to a webpage. See
Chris Lewis Design Portfolio, model 4
Did you notice that I used "invisible tables"
as layout grids to control where my images
are placed on this webpage.
Alligning graphics and adding "Alt tags."
Wrapping text around an image
Adding borders to images.
If you use borders, make sure they are invisible.
Black borders are not really necessary for good design.
Go to "Modify" on the menu bar and select,
"Page Properties."
You can use "Page Properties" to modify
the properties of your entire webpage.
Use "Page Properties" to add background
images to your webpage.

9. Basic Questions to ask about the Websites you Design.

1. Does your Website Design work with your "targeted audience"?

2. How does the Design of your Website portray your
Image and Style?

3. What does your Website say about who you are
and the Work you do?

          4. Can, or should, your design lie about who you are?
               Companies often pay advertisers to create ad copy
               that misrepresent or even lies about their reputation. What should a designer's professional ethics be?

10. Lessons in learning Web Design

The first step is learning to use the tools
The next step is understanding the limits of your tools.
The next step is learning to lay out a web page.
The next step is to learn basic design.
The next step is learning how to trouble-shoot your
web pages.
The final step is revision, revision, and more revision.

11. Learning Design from other Web Designers.

12. How should an Apprentice Designer advertise their skills?

13. The Importance of a Design Portfolios for Web Designers.