COURSE CALENDAR | WEEK 04 CLASS OUTLINE | HOMEWORK
- Patterns in Interaction Design | Patterns in Web Design
- Web Design Vocabulary: Site Design
- Information Architecture: The information architect's
goal is to provide a simple, logical structure and experience for the
site's users. We will discuss some of the tasks in this process.
- Structuring of Information
- Divide content into logical units (sample). Generally no more than 6 main sections.
- Establish a hierarchy of importance among units
- Once priorities are set, build Hierarchy from most important (GENERAL) to most specific (DETAILED)
- Creating an Organizational Framework
- An Information Listing, like a Table of Contents, to show the structural relationship between units. (sample)
- Creation of Site Diagrams, like a Site Map, is a communication tool to indicate the content and navigation options available on the site. Draw your site diagram on a piece of paper, then in Illustrator. Sample Site Maps: 01 | 02 | 03 |
- Analyzing Functionality
- Interaction Design | Interaction Patterns: Types of Navigation-- Horizontal Navigation, Vertical Navigation, Horizontal Global Navigation and Vertical Local Navigation, Tabbed Navigation, Drop-Down Navigation, Breadcrumb Navigation.
- Structural Navigation (sample)
- Sequences: sequential ordering, when visitors are required to move through information in a predetermined sequence.
- Hierarchies: organized around central homepage, similar to a family tree, provides access to information via specific entry points.
- Webs: mimics associative thought and free flow of ideas or when visitors may want to access the information from multiple access points.
- Shallow vs. Deep (sample)-- have an awareness of the balance between home page and content page
- Structuring of Information
- CLIENT WORK: Setting up your Project Presentation
- We will use this HTML file as a template to set up your project presentation sites. Define a site in Dreamweaver with the following site structure.
- CLIENT WORK: Phase components-- each phase will contain the following or similar components.
- Phase 1: Site Definition
- Client Survey
- Creative Brief
- Calendar
- Budget
- Check List
- Phase 2: Developing Site Structure
- Sitemap Development: Site-View
- Wireframe Development: Page-View
- Interaction Development: Functional-View
- Check List
- Phase 3: Interface Design & Production
- The Design Process
- Protosite Development
- Art Optimization/Production
- Check List
- Phase 4: Technical Engineering
- HTML Production/Layout
- Beta Launch/QA Testing
- Check List
- Phase 5: Publishing/Marketing/Launch
- Maintenance Schedule/Updating
- Domain and hosting setup
- Search Engine Submissions
- HTML Style Guide
- Check List
- CLIENT WORK: Add content to Overview (index.html)
- This page should contain a short introduction, description of each phase of the project and a link to the Client Staging Site (client_site folder in your folder on the FTP server).
- CLIENT WORK: Add content to milestones.html
- TECHNICAL PREPARATION:
- Use the index.html to practice Definition Lists and calendar.html to practice Tables.
- Intermediate XHTML tutorial: http://www.htmldog.com/guides/htmlintermediate/
- Intermediate CSS tutorial: http://www.htmldog.com/guides/cssintermediate/
- Start this tutorial or another to create a CSS layout for your Project Presentation site. Review the Intermediate XHTML and CSS tutorials above prior to starting the tutorial.
- Upload files to your folder on the FTP Server
- Ask clients to approve Phase01 documents
- Based on Client Survey and discussion with clients, divide the content they wish to include in their web site into logical units, generally no more than 6 main sections. Establish a hierarchy of importance among units, then build a Hierarchy from most important (GENERAL) to most specific (DETAILED). Create a site map using Illustrator, Photoshop or Visio.
- Build the site structure in Dreamweaver using dummy pages and folders for each section. Call your project folder client_site and upload it to your folder on the FTP server along with your project presentation files.