Course Description
This course provides knowledge and experience with professional aspects of web design. It will explore concepts such as self-branding and professional practices. In addition, the course will focus on making appropriate design decisions and understanding how these decisions affect a users' experience on the Web and with supporting printed and digital materials.
Prerequisites
- FED-120 Web Design 3 (future release)
- US-310 Interaction Design 2 (future release)
- SSD-100 Server-Side Scripting 1 (future release)
- FED-300 Findability
Recommended Textbook(s)
- Neumeier, Marty. The Brand Gap. Grand Rapids: New Riders, 2005.
- Ireland, Susan. The Complete Idiot’S Guide to the Perfect Resume. New York: Penguin, 2006.
- Pinkley, Robin L., and Gregory B. Northcraft. Get Paid What You’re Worth: The Expert Negotiators’ Guide to Salary and Compensation. Boston: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003.
Recommended Reading
Technologies Required
- Students will need their own web server to post their assignments
- FTP program
- Mac or PC computers with internet connection
- Web Browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer)
- Web page editor that fosters the development of valid (X)HTML and CSS code
- Web page debugging and evaluation tools such as Firebug and the Web Developer Toolbar for Firefox
- Image editing tool such as any of the following:
- Adobe Photoshop (recommended)
- .ICO plugin via Telegraphics
- Adobe Fireworks
- Adobe Illustrator
- GIMP (minimum requirement)
Competencies
| Topic | Competency | Evaluation Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Professional practices |
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| Self-Branding |
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| Writing |
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| Design |
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| Define topics |
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Assignments
Professional Development Assignment Rubrics
- Survey 1
- Blog
- Life goal plan
- Self-branding worksheet 1
- Self-branding worksheet 2
- Self-branding holistic package (logo, tag-line, business card, resume/CV, cover letter, email correspondence, online portfolio, CD, note card/thank you card, process book)
- Idea notebook
- Job descriptions
- Job search sites
- Web sites that inspire
- Survey 2
Survey 1
- What is your name? What major related courses have you taken previously?
- What do you hope to gain from this course?
- What is your biggest fear about this course? What about this course most excites you?
- How experienced are you with the following (No Experience, Some Experience, A Lot of Experience):
- Writing promotional/marketing copy
- Writing copy for the Web
- Writing taglines
- Creating logos
- Creating identity package
- Creating letterhead
- Creating 2nd sheet
- Creating business card
- Creating folders
- Creating note cards
- Working directly with clients
- Making presentations
- Meeting deadlines
- Working within a budget
- Keeping track of your time spent on projects
- Which aspects of the Web interest you the most?
- Which aspects of the Web interest you the least?
- Have you worked (interned, freelanced…) in a professional capacity in the fields of web design and/or web development? If so, where did you work and what were your responsibilities?
- How experienced are you with the following (No Well, Somewhat Well, Very Well):
- Writing promotional/marketing copy
- Writing copy for the Web
- Writing taglines
- Creating logos
- Creating identity package
- Creating letterhead
- Creating 2nd sheet
- Creating business card
- Creating folders
- Creating note cards
- Working directly with clients
- Making presentations
- Meeting deadlines
- Working within a budget
- Keeping track of your time spent on projects
- Which aspects of the Web interest you the most?
- Which aspects of the Web interest you the least?
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | ||
| Survey 1 | Survey was not completed on time, is poorly written, and answers do not contain content relevant to the questions. | Survey was published on time, each question is answered, but answers are not very relevant to the questions. | Survey was published on time, each question is answered, and the content very relevant to the questions. | |
Blog
Write and post a 250-word synopsis about anything relevant to design, art, web development each week to your Wordpress blog. Include images that support your blog entry.
Use this as an opportunity to write about topics in design, art, and development that interest you. This is a chance to differentiate your blog from your classmates’ blogs. It is also an opportunity to develop a positive, professional online image and personal voice. Make sure that the posts are professional. They may be funny. They may be informal. But they should not be overtly offensive. Basically, make sure they help in your career planning and do not overly offend potential employers.
A new blog entry is due posted to your blog, each week. Each entry must be posted before the beginning of class in order to receive credit for completing the assignment. All posts must be completed in order to pass the course. Blog entries that are posted late will earn a zero and will be factored into your blog grade.
Categorize each blog post for this course with the following tag the course tag. I will not proofread your entries before you post them so make sure that you have proofread them, have a friend proof them, and/or go to the writing center to get feedback.
As always, cite all sources to information and images used in your posts that are not your original idea.
Read the following articles about writing well for the Web:
- “How to Write a Better Weblog” by Dennis A. Mahoney
- “Learning How to Write For The Web” by Tiffani Jones
Suggested books to improve your writing:
- “Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation” by Lynne Truss
- “Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English” by Patricia T. O’Connor
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | ||
| Blog Posts (evaluated weekly) | Blog post was not published on time, is poorly written, does not contain content relevant to the course, or does not meet the post length requirement. | Blog post was published on time, contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors, meets the post length requirement, but content is not very relevant to the course, or does not expand upon course topics. | Blog post was published on time, contains no spelling and/or grammatical errors, meets the post length requirement, and the content expands upon course topics. | Blog post is published on time, is very well written with no typos, grammar, or spelling errors, expands upon course topics, and exceeds the minimum post length. Post contains images where relevant to the content, and links to plenty of sources and resources. | |
Life Goal Plan
There are many directions your career life may take you. The purpose of this assignment is to explore 3 different career tracks that you may take.
Think about what personal and professional steps you must take to reach your career goals. Break these steps down by year. For example: what are you doing now to help you reach your goals? What do you have to accomplish next year, in 3 years, in 5 years… to be where you want to be in your career in 15 years.
Yes, your career goals will likely change in the next 15 years and so will the steps that you will have to take in order to reach your goals. However, this assignment will help you to determine what type of career tracks you are interested in pursuing, as well as, what actions are needed to be successful in your endeavors.
Choose 3 career tracks and create a chart that shows what steps you need to take for each career track for the following years: 15 years, 10 years, 5 years, 3 years, 1 years, Now.
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | ||
| Life Goal Plan | Life Goal Plan was not completed on time, is poorly written, and does not contain content relevant to the worksheet. | Life Goal Plan was published on time, each section is completed, contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors, but answers are not very relevant to the worksheet. | Life Goal Plan was published on time, each section is completed, contains no spelling and/or grammatical errors, and the content is very relevant to the worksheet. | |
| Critical Thinking | Lacking critical thinking or lacking relevance. | Some critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) evident. | Clear evidence of critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). | |
Self-Branding Worksheet 1
Ask at least 10 people to complete the following information. Name: Relationship to you: Length of time the person has known you: Adjective that they think describe you (at least 3 adjectives):
Choose different types of people who have different relationships with you and who have know you for different lengths of time. The type of people you can ask: friends, family members, professors, bosses, roommates/housemates, and co-workers. The more people you ask and the more varied their relationship is to you, the more insightful and helpful the information will be.
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | ||
| Self-Branding Worksheet 1 | Self-Branding Worksheet 1 was not completed on time, is poorly written, and does not contain content relevant to the worksheet. | Self-Branding Worksheet 1 was published on time, each section is completed, contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors, but answers are not very relevant to the worksheet. | Self-Branding Worksheet 1 was published on time, each section is completed, contains no spelling and/or grammatical errors, and the content very relevant to the worksheet. | |
| Critical Thinking | Lacking critical thinking or lacking relevance. | Some critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) evident. | Clear evidence of critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). | |
Self-Branding Worksheet 2
Answer the following questions first as a 100-word bio, then as a 50-word blurb, then as a 10-word sentence, and finally as a 3 to 5-word tagline: Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter?
100-word bio
50-word blurb
10-word sentence
3 to 5-word tagline
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | ||
| Self-Branding Worksheet 2 | Self-Branding Worksheet 2 was not completed on time, is poorly written, and does not contain content relevant to the worksheet. | Self-Branding Worksheet 2 was published on time, each section is completed, contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors, but answers are not very relevant to the worksheet. | Self-Branding Worksheet 2 was published on time, each section is completed, contains no spelling and/or grammatical errors, and the content very relevant to the worksheet. | |
| Critical Thinking | Lacking critical thinking or lacking relevance. | Some critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) evident. | Clear evidence of critical thinking (application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). | |
Self-Branding
Overview
You will create a self-branding program. There will be many different pieces that must function separately and together
Instructions
You will develop a new identity system and brand for yourself. As a graphic designer this can be a daunting challenge for two reasons: 1. You seem to have an unlimited amount of possibilities 2. You are often your harshest critic. We will break down this process into smaller steps to help you to discover how you want to be identified. You will need to develop and create:
- Logo/Logotype/Icon/Avatar
- Letterhead
- 2nd sheet
- #10 Envelope
- Business card
- Note card/Thank you card
- Note card/Thank you card envelope
- Presentation folder
- Resume/CV
- Cover letter
- Web site
- Process book
- 250-word project synopsis
- CD with final original and final PDF files
| Criteria | Performance Quality | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 points | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points | 4 points | ||
| Research | No undertanding of subject matter, no evidence of research in process binder. | Some understanding of subject matter, some evidence of research, research not organized in process binder. | Some understanding of subject matter, some evidence of research, research contained in process binder but not organized neatly and in chronological order. | A good understanding of subject matter through effective and thorough research methods, some evidence of research, research is neatly and chronologically organized in process binder. | Understands the subject matter completely through effective and thorough research methods, all research is neatly and chronologically organized in process binder. | |
| Exploration | No investigation of various design solutions, no evidence of investigation in process binder. | Some investigation of various design solutions, design solutions do not exceed personal taste barriers and expectations throughout the process, some exploration is documented in process binder but is not neatly or chronologically organized. | Some investigation of various design solutions, design solutions somewhat exceed personal taste barriers and expectations throughout the process, some exploration is documented in process binder but is not neatly or chronologically organized. | Some investigation of various design solutions, design solutions somewhat exceed personal taste barriers and expectations throughout the process, some exploration is documented in process binder and is neatly or chronologically organized. | Full investigation of various design solutions, design solutions exceed personal taste barriers and expectations throughout the process, exploration is fully documented and neatly and chronologically organized in process binder. | |
| Idea/Concept | No solutions to the challenges. | No innovative and unique solutions to the challenges. | Somewhat innovative and unique solutions to the challenges. | Very innovative and unique solutions to the challenges. | Extremely innovative and unique solutions to the challenges. | |
| Visual Organization | No attention or care is given to visual design elements such as visual hierarchy, form, and composition. | Visual design elements such as visual hierarchy, form, and composition are not effectively expressed. | Some visual design elements such as visual hierarchy, form, and composition are effectively expressed. | Many visual design elements such as visual hierarchy, form, and composition are effectively expressed.; | Visual design elements such as visual hierarchy, form, and composition are effectively expressed. | |
| Communication | No consideration of target audience(s) in creation of solution. | Very little consideration of target audience(s) in creation of solution. | Some consideration of target audience(s) in creation of solution. | A lot of consideration of target audience(s) in creation of solution. | Careful and thoughtful consideration of target audience(s) in creation of solution. | |
| Presentation | Spelling and/or grammatical errors, inconsistent visual treatments, overall presentation untidy. | Many spelling and/or grammatical errors, many inconsistent visual treatments, overall presentation untidy. | Some spelling and/or grammatical errors, some inconsistent visual treatments, overall presentation somewhat neat. | A few spelling and/or grammatical errors, some inconsistent visual treatments, overall presentation somewhat neat. | No spelling and/or grammatical errors, consistent visual treatments, overall presentation neat. | |
| Professional Attitude | Late to class, no respect towards classmates and instructor, does not use of proper language. | Often late to class, not much respect towards classmates and instructor, does not use of proper language. | Sometimes late to class, some respect towards classmates and instructor, use of proper language sometimes. | Rarely late to class, a lot of respect towards classmates and instructor, often uses proper language. | Not late to class, high level of respect towards classmates and instructor, consistent use of proper language. | |
| Verbal Articulation | Does not critically address work orally, does not respond to concepts and content discussed in class and in assigned readings. | Rarely critically addresses work orally, rarely responds to concepts and content discussed in class and in assigned readings. | Sometimes critically address work orally, sometimes responds to concepts and content discussed in class and in assigned readings. | Able to critically address work orally, able to respond to concepts and content discussed in class and in assigned readings. | Able to excel when critically address work orally, able to consistently respond to concepts and content discussed in class and in assigned readings. | |
| Written Articulation | Does not critically address work in written form, does not respond to concepts and content reviewed in class and in assigned readings. | Rarely critically addresses work in written form, rarely responds to concepts and content reviewed in class and in assigned readings. | Sometimes critically address work in written form, sometimes responds to concepts and content reviewed in class and in assigned readings. | Able to critically address work in written form, able to respond to concepts and content reviewed in class and in assigned readings. | Able to excel when critically address work in written form, able to consistently respond to concepts and content reviewed in class and in assigned readings. | |
| Paticipation | Does not contributes in discussion and critiques. | Rarely contributes in discussion and critiques. | Sometimes contributes in discussion and critiques. | Often contributes in discussion and critiques. | Regularly contributes in discussion and critiques. | |
Overview
Collect at least 2 examples of each of the following Design Elements. You may organize these examples in anyway that makes sense to you. For example, you can cut and paste your examples into a notebook or sketchbook, or place the examples in an accordion or pocket folder. The only limitation is size. Keep the size about or under 9” x 12”.
Write a brief description for each of these examples. The description must include the Design Element you are showing and why you chose the example.
Examination Questions
This course does not have exams or quizzes.
Resources
Learning Modules
Help us develop our living curriculum. Contribute a learning module.Contributors
Primary Course Developer: Leslie Jensen-Inman