Final Web assignment
JOUR 4874.001, .802/COMM 4000.003
The Meaning of Information Technology, fall 2003

Web site production criteria.
Your web site URL and short essays about your web site (questions on attached page) are due by (or before) December 11th, the last day of our class.

The basic requirements:

1. A home page, on which you will have

• a title
• a navigation method (to get to related pages)
• a carefully-considered design (color, allignment, at least one image, font)
• preferably, little to no scrolling necessary (that is, a viewer can see most or all of the main page without having to scroll his/her screen). All of the navigation must be visible without viewer scrolling.

2. At least 3 subordinate pages (see diagram below), linked to your home page by your navigation method (could be a navigation bar, could be buttons, could be a rollover image, but it must be clear to your viewer how to get around your site). These subordinate pages should include:

• a personal page, which reflects you in some way. It might be titled “biography”, or “resumé” or “interests” or be titled with your name. The amount of your personal identity on this page is entirely your choice—what do you choose to reveal or conceal about yourself here? Such a page might have artwork, your own music composition, writing, a weblog, photos…..
  
• a links page, on which you provide hyperlinks to other web sites of interest. You may like them for their excellent design, for the content of their pages (eg. a musician site, a car site, a sport site, an interest group site, a news site), or because they are by your circle of friends. Include some indication on this page of why these links are significant and what the viewer should look for on them.
  
• a page titled “design”, on which you answer question #1 about your web choices (see the flip side of this page): 1. Explain why you chose the design elements (color, font, spacing, theme, navigation, images, background) that you did. How do they create a satisfactory virtual presence for you on the web?
  
  3. Keep in mind the design guidelines provided on your course syllabus and included again here. Also, keep in mind the resources on the links page of the MIT website. Members of the TAM club are willing to provide free help to you (the sooner you request assistance, the more likely it is that they can schedule a session with you). Contact TAM club members through their web site: http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/tamclub/

Remember that your web site is your dominant physical presence on the Internet (and in fact, it is perhaps the only aspect of your cyber-identity that you can control completely). Carefully consider how you wish to appear to others, what first impression you want to convey, and how you can use good design to enhance this message. It is entirely your choice, for example, whether you want an image of yourself or not, or other images that communicate who you are. By the last day of this course, December 12th (One month from today), you will turn in the attached information sheet with your web site URL and a brief explanation of your design and content choices.

The Meaning of Information Technology personal web site questions

Your name: ------------------------------------

E-mail: ---------------------------------------------

Your web site URL: ----------------------------------------------------

Your web site is your dominant physical presence on the Internet (and in fact, it is perhaps the only aspect of your cyber-identity that you can control completely). Now that you have created your site, please explain your creative choices (a 1- paragraph answer to each question is sufficient). This written explanation will help us to evaluate the success of your project based on your creative goals. Question one you will answer on your website. If you would rather answer questions 2-4 on your web site also (this is entirely optional and will not affect your grade), you are welcome to do so. Just fill out the information above so that we can find your site and indicate where on your site you have placed your answers to these questions. This sheet is due on or before the last day of class, December 11th 2002.

1. Explain why you chose the design elements (color, font, spacing, theme, navigation, images, background) that you did. How do they create a satisfactory virtual presence for you on the web?

2. Do you consider this page to be very personal/moderately personal/ impersonal? That is, how much of you do you reveal on this site? How much do you choose to conceal? Explain these choices.

3. If your technological ability were limitless, what else would you want to do with this web site? How would it look, what features would it have? How would it communicate better who you are and/or what you believe in?

4. Find one other web site that you admire and provide the URL. What specific elements do you think are admirable about the site (Design? Content? Layout? Overall impression? Cool technology?)

Key design tips from the experts at Web Pages That Suck:

1. Check the alignment. Remember, this doesn't mean everything is aligned on one edge--you might have three columns, but they should all be left-aligned (not two left-aligned and one centered, for instance), or maybe they're all centered under a centered head. Just don't mix alignments. Does everything on the page have some visual connection with something else on the page? Can you draw a straight line from the edge of each item, such as a block of text, to the edge of another?

2. Group similar elements into closer proximity. Make sure headlines are closer to their related body copy than to the text or graphics above them. If a headline is two lines, make sure the lines are close to each other. Make sure captions are close to their photos. Make sure subheads have more space above than below them. Make sure there is enough space between elements that are not similar. Make sure the spatial arrangements provide a visitor with instant visual clues as to the hierarchy of information. Be sure that it is easy and intuitive to navigate your site unless you want to make navigation intentionally difficult.

3. Create repetitive elements/a unified theme. Especially if your web page is part of a web site (which it probably is), create repetitive elements that will let a reader know instantly that this page is part of the complete site. The repetition might be as simple as a color scheme, a consistent background pattern, an arrangement of elements, graphic headlines, a navigation bar, etc. Even if your entire web "site" is only one page, that page could probably use some repetitive elements to unify the various pieces. Find something you're using already, such as bullets, and make them interesting (but not big) bullets--those can be your repeating element.

4. Create contrast in appropriate places. Avoid a flat, gray page. Use a background that contrasts with the text and graphics. If there isn't one already, establish a hierarchy of information so the reader can easily skim to the section they need. Use contrast of size and weight (boldness) to create the hierarchy. Pick up a color from your color scheme and use it in headlines and important words. Try to make your site accessible to people whose vision is less-than-perfect.