Gatlin International

Description

Looking for a beginners Web design course? Web Design I is ideal for anyone looking to learn the basics of Web design. The course is 100% online and instructor-led to make learning more convenient and affordable.

To create today's Web sites, designers need a complete skillset. Simply developing a visual design isn't enough. Your clients will also expect you to be able to research, plan, build, design, and test your Web sites using contemporary design styles and technologies.

In this beginners Web design course, you'll learn a systematic approach to Web design and how to use site maps, wireframes, HTML/CSS layouts, comps, color palettes, usability tests, and other tools and concepts to make sure your Web designs meet your client's expectations for both from and functionality.

Students entering our beginners Web design course are expected to have a basic understanding of HTML/CSS design, Photoshop or Fireworks, and Dreamweaver.

Over the course of your learning, you'll build upon those skills as you complete four portfolio projects that challenge your Web design skills. You'll also develop a deep understanding of how to manage your Web design projects in a professional context.

Beginners Web design course projects include: information architecture, competitive analysis, wifeframes, layouts, mood boards, color palettes, usability testing, designing for blogs, and much, much more.

Take the first step toward a brighter future by enrolling in our beginners Web design course today!

Outline

LESSON 1 Competitive Analysis & Information Architecture

 Lesson One provides an overview of the different steps in a Web design project, focusing on the essential planning steps that no Web project should start without. You'll explore how to define a site's business objectives, perform a competitive analysis on your client's competitors, and present your design recommendations. In the second half of the lesson, you'll learn a methodology for developing an information architecture. Different GUI design conventions are explored in reference to building maps for typical site areas. In the exercise, you'll conduct a competitive analysis and develop a site map for your first project a beauty salon site.

LESSON 2 Wireframes and Layouts

 Lesson Two concentrates on the challenge of developing wireframes and layouts for the main pages in your site. In any Web design project, presenting the client with well-designed, clearly-labeled wireframes is a crucial step in confirming the priority and location of different page elements. In this lesson, you'll also explore techniques for creating and validating one, two, or three-column layouts in HTML so you can prepare page content for visual design using CSS. In the exercise, you'll structure the wireframes and layouts for your beauty salon site project.
 
LESSON 3 Color and Imagery

 Lesson Three explores the process for developing a visual design for a site project. You'll learn how to create a formal or informal mood board, using it as collaborative tool for establishing a site's personality. You'll explore how to select a color palette and look at how color schemes are implemented in professional page layouts to support branding and site navigation. Turning your attention to imagery, you'll examine some some best practices for using images on the Web and learn techniques for combining images with CSS: background images, tiles, stationary images, and text-as-image. In the exercise, you'll use the color and imaging techniques to complete the visual design for your beauty salon site.
 
LESSON 4 Web Typography

 Lesson Four examines the essential topic of typography. You'll review some fundamentals of typeface anatomy and classification and explore how to choose typefaces for different Web page applications, including titles, headers, body text, and pullquotes.
As you'll discover, the basic principles of typography still apply on the Web, but the differences between the Web and print, as well as the inherent limitations of the medium, must be taken into account. In the latter part of the lesson you'll learn some essential concepts for CSS type layout, including font selection, column width, alignment, paragraph formatting, using blockquotes, and initial caps. In the exercise, you'll apply these typography techniques to the design of a blog page layout.
 
LESSON 5 Understanding the User Experience

 Lesson Five explores the hot-button issue of usability, the ease with which a Web user accomplishes a task on a Web site. The lesson begins with an exploration of how common Web surfing habits affect the placement and usability of various site features. You'll also examine some tried-and-true principles for effective Web navigation design. In the second half of the lesson, you'll learn a formal process for conducting usability tests, looking at how to administer focus groups, card sorting, and A/B tests. In the exercise, you'll design a site, then perform a formal usability test on it.
 
LESSON 6 Online Portfolios

An online portfolio is an essential marketing tool for any designer, showcasing your best work and telling potential clients what you have to offer. Lesson Six explores some principles and techniques for building an online portfolio for an artist or designer. You'll explore fundamental do's and don'ts for getting your portfolio up and running and learn some cool DOM-based methods for a slick presentation of graphic content. In the final exercise, you'll design an art/design portfolio site for yourself or for an artist/designer you may know.

Additional Info

Languages

English

Course Length

60.00 hours

Duration of Access

Enrolled students have access to the class for six months. During this period, questions or assignments may be submitted at any time to the instructor. Each course lesson requires an average of 10 hours of study time.

Instructor

Christopher Schmitt is the founder of Heatvision, a small new media publishing and design firm. Christopher is an award-winning Web designer who has been working with the Web since 1993. Christopher earned a Masters in Communication for Interactive and New Communication Technologies while obtaining a graduate certificate in Project Management from FSU's College of Communication. As a sought-after speaker and trainer, Christopher regularly demonstrates the use and benefits of practical standards-based designs. Christopher is the Co-Lead of the Adobe Task Force for the Web Standards Project (WaSP) and author of numerous Web design and digital imaging books, including Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites, and CSS Cookbook. Christopher has also written for New Architect Magazine, A List Apart, Digital Web, and Web Reference.

Prerequisites/Audience

Courses are designed for adult learners interested in building skills and portfolio for a design career. To take the course, students simply require a computer (PC or Mac), an Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster), and any required software. For courses with software requirements, computers must meet software manufacturers' system requirements.

Requirements/Materials Included

To take this course you'll need Adobe Photoshop or Fireworks, or equivalent digital imaging program, Adobe Dreamweaver or equivalent Web page design program, an account with a Web hosting service (free services are available), and basic experience in HTML and CSS.

Certification

3 CEU

Sessions College is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Certificate programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools.