Parkland College > CSIT Dept > Web Technology > CSC 121 >
Calendar > Project 4


CSC 121 WEB SITE DESIGN
Project 4: Youth Community Web Site
Instructor: Paul Young

 

 

 

Objectives

 

 

To develop conceptual thinking skills. To communicate ideas visually and verbally. To explore illustration and photography styles. To review web design and production issues. To apply design principles to real-world visual communication problems.

 

 

 

Secondary Objectives

 

 

To utilize Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash as layout and production tools.

 

 

 

Description

 

 

Design a web site for a new youth community center that will be part of the big.small.all. visioning project. The look-and-feel of this web site must be compatible with the current big.small.all. campaign, but keep in mind who the target audience is.

The finished site should have at least a front page and a template for the inside pages that is easily expandable. The site must be Internet-ready and tested with multiple browsers.

To receive a quality grade, your design must utilize professional typography and show an understanding of key design principles (unity, emphasis, balance, color theory). When appropriate, utilize rhythm and depth as well.

Note: This is a group project worth 20% of your semester grade. Work for this project may be divided among group participants, but each student is required to publish the results linked from your personal web site.

 

 

 

Procedure

 

 

1. RESEARCH FOR INSPIRATION: Research existing web sites. Be sure to review Macromedia Showcase, books, annuals and magazine. Look at navigation as well as design. Look for interactive elements, such as rollover buttons. What design principles are at work here? Bookmark pages that have innovative artwork and/or navigation schemes. Collect as many web addresses as you can, and link them from your personal web site. At our research critique, present your best examples in class (on screen). Be prepared to explain why these examples are successful.

2. MARKETING RESEARCH: Survey the youth of this community. Develop a name for this community center. Determine the type of content that will attract the target audience.

3. PLAN YOUR WEB SITE: Determine your objectives. Analyze your research and write a written statement of objectives in the form of a memo (see sample brief). Email your brief as an attached Word document to pyoung@parkland.edu and anni@lmntal.com. Also post this memo as a link from your personal web site.

4. DETERMINE YOUR CONTENT: How many pages will you need? What are the titles of each page? How will your web site be organized? Sketch out a site map and publish a text-only version of your site linked from your personal web site.

5. DEVELOP THE VISUAL LOOK: In your sketchbook begin to conceptualize ideas for this project (see sample thumbnails). Make at least 10 sketches of all possible directions you might take this project. Draw exactly how your pages will look. Edit your concepts down to your best three ideas and redraw them inside a browser window using a felt tip pen (download PDF file of a blank browser window). Test how successful your concepts are by presenting them in class for critique.

6. EXECUTION: Based on the critique of the above, create a prototype "mockup" of key pages in Adobe Photoshop. Place your art inside a blank browser window (download layered PSD file). Print out your prototype screen in b&w for critique and be prepared to talk about how the design principles of unity, emphasis and balance are utilized in your layout.

7. PRODUCTION: Based on the critique of the above, make any necessary adjustments to your Photoshop file, then optimize your pictorial elements for the Web. Using Dreamweaver, combine your pictorial elements with your content, then publish your site as a link from your personal web site for critique. Prepare a presentation to "sell" your design to a test audience. If necessary, make refinements until you are 100% satisfied with the project. Be sure to save all your files for future editing.

 

 

 

Schedule

 

 

See the Calendar page

 

 

BACK TO TOP

______________________________

Last updated: 10/20/05 • Webmaster: Paul Young

 

 

Student
Exhibition

Influential
Designers

Internet
Resources

Tips, Tricks
& Handouts