Digital and Emerging Media Design I

GDES-220 spring 2016 · American University Design
Instructor: David Ramos (ramos@american.edu)

Schedule

Jump to next class

Assignments and reading are listed under the class when they are due. Be ready to present your work in progress for any class.

Useful: resources for IxD students, basic site (ZIP), Dropbox upload

M 11 Jan

Topics

Projects

Hey!

There’s reading due for next class! It’s listed under next class’ entry.

Th 14 Jan

Topics

Reading

M 18 Jan

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; no class

Th 21 Jan

Topics

  • The Box Model
  • HTML/CSS page layout

Reading

Projects

M 25 Jan

Snow; no class

Th 28 Jan

Topics

Reading

  • HTML & CSS, ch. 2, 3

M 1 Feb

Topics

Reading

Projects

Th 4 Feb

Topics

  • Design considerations for page layout
  • Grid exercise (bring tracing paper)

Reading

Projects

  • Present ideas for Content and form

M 8 Feb

Topics

  • File structure and links
  • Sketching and process
  • 📎 Links demo: Links files (ZIP)
  • Ideation/sketching exercise (bring tracing paper)

Reading

  • HTML & CSS, ch. 5

From class

Th 11 Feb

Topics

  • HTML/CSS page layout
  • 📎 Multicolumn layout demo: start (ZIP), complete (ZIP)

Reading

  • HTML & CSS ch. 16 (layout)

M 15 Feb

Snow; no class

Reading

Th 18 Feb

Topics

M 22 Feb

Topics

  • HTML/CSS menus
  • 📎 Navigation demo: start (ZIP), complete (ZIP)

Reading

From class

Th 25 Feb

Topics

  • Designing for users
  • Information architecture, navigation, and naming

Projects

  • Content and Form: present three concepts with sketches, type choices, color, and image examples (on paper)

Reading

  • HTML & CSS ch. 18

M 29 Feb

Topics

  • Review floats, percentage widths, and layout
  • Background images
  • 📎 Float demo: start (ZIP), complete (ZIP)

Projects

  • Have refined design for front page and inside page

Reading

  • Don’t Make Me Think ch. 6

Th 3 Mar

Topics

  • CSS child, descendant, and pseudo selectors
  • Layout workshop
  • 📎 Selector demo (ZIP)

From class

Reading

  • Don’t Make Me Think ch. 2, 3

M 7 Mar

Spring break

Th 10 Mar

Spring break

M 14 Mar

Topics

  • Website hosting demo

Projects

  • Large-group critique for Content and form

Reading

  • Don’t Make Me Think ch. 4, 5

Th 17 Mar

Reading

M 21 Mar

Topics

Projects

  • Desk crits and work in class

Th 24 Mar

Topics

  • CSS transforms and transitions
  • Process and sketching
  • Learning InDesign for design documentation

Projects

M 28 Mar

Topics

Projects

  • Narrative: studio work; site maps, three versions of low-fi wireframes

From class

Th 31 Mar

Topics

Projects

  • Narrative: group critique; two versions of style tiles, refined wireframes

M 4 Apr

Topics

  • Professional practice in interaction/digital

Projects

  • Narrative: hi-fi wireframes, two versions

From class

Th 7 Apr

Topics

  • Mapping quick-start; iframes and embedding

Projects

  • Narrative: work in class and large group critique; talk through markup/layout strategies

M 11 Apr

Topics

  • Mobile/multidevice design and code
  • 📎 Responsive demo: start (ZIP), complete (ZIP)

Projects

  • Narrative: HTML/CSS for home page and one other key page

From class

Th 14 Apr

Topics

From class

M 18 Apr

Topics

  • Content management system concepts

Th 21 Apr

Topics

  • Intellectual property for designers

Projects

  • Desk crits/work in class

M 25 Apr

Topics

  • Learning on your own

Projects

  • Group critique of semifinal project

From class

M 2 May

Exam period; no class

  • Turn in Narrative ★ (upload to Dropbox by 5:00 p.m.)