Brooklyn Technical High School

Course Overview

Students will create and evaluate WEB DESIGNS. Everyone will be encouraged to create solutions that are “outside the box” and will force both the innovator and the audience to see in a new way. We will explore many approaches to design and web communications.

Content of the class

1.    A study of html

- Using html
- Using html Tags and Layout
- Visits to Websites and looking at complex html examples with the view source option.
- Sketchbooks will be used as a tool to open dialogue with students about personal interests and guide the path to a successful web portfolio.
- Sketchbooks will be checked periodically and include one on one meetings with the student

2.    A study of Dreamweaver and Flash

-Projects will include: CSS site design, client websites and both basic and advanced flash sites.
- Students are expected to develop mastery in css design, web analysis, How to publish/manage websites, Working with clients, Use Animation in web design, and critique web solutions effectively.
- The consideration of elements and principals of design should be evident in the work.

Grades

There are standards of quality in student projects, Evidence of thought, care and effort in the work must be apparent. All of these elements will be discussed with students individually as well as in class critiques. Students will receive grades for sites in progress as well as finished sites. Integrity is a crucial part of the exploration of visual communication. Students are expected to create original innovative works, not to copy works that are accredited to other designers.

Critiques

Critique is a key part of the evaluation and assessment of student work. Students will be expected to participate both by showing finished sites and actively offering feedback to others. The students will learn and use technical vocabulary to help describe the strengths and weaknesses of any site being presented. Everyone will also contribute guidance for one another towards a successful project. I will only Interject when I feel something has not been addressed or I have a possible solution to a problem.

Course Schedule

The class sustains an investigation in the development of a web portfolio throughout the year.

Possible assignments for portfolio development:

-    Personal sites
-    Client sites
-    Club / Organization sites
-    Research / historical sites
-    Social or political commentary sites
-    Fan sites

Possible materials and techniques for assignment exploration:

-    Html
-    CSS
-    Flash
-    Actionscript
-    Animation
-    Images
-    Video
-    Photography
-    Elements and Principles of Design

Students will be working on assignments from combinations of the above lists regularly in and out of class. the Portfolio will be a challenge for all students. The possible topics for exploration and execution of the web portfolio should be personal and hold the interest of the student for long-term development. The students involved in the course will likely have a set of values, ideas and experiences that will inspire them to choose a subject to explore and communicate. Discussions as well as looking and reading about web design will help students make their decisions.

The following list is possible topics to explore:

-    An important individual in your life: grandparent, parent, sibling
-    A hobby other than visual art: music, skateboarding bike riding
-    Community: observational, cartoon
-    Photography: Texture, space, line, value
-    Childhood memories: trips

Students will complete the html site and have a good start to the first multi-page dreamweaver site by the end of first semester. Not every student will meet this goal and will have to begin to plan regular attendance to the after school work period in order to catch up. While I predict some students will be behind others may be ahead and will be given time to work on additional portfolio sites.  The second semester is spent completing the dreamweaver sites and students will be creating Flash based sites. A complete portfolio must be handed in (in site format of their choosing) at the end of the course.

Syllabus created by Steph Czerniewski