The History of Web Design
A look back at interactive design trends, and technological breakthroughs that paved the way for new careers in website and application design.
Welcome Lectures (1 Week)
Introduction to Web Design
Human-Centered Design
A walkthrough of the process for designing products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.
Student Project (7 weeks)
Mobile Application Design
Following a design thinking process, you’ll create a mobile app prototype of your choice.
Assignment
Empathize: Map the User Journey
In this assignment you’ll map the end-to-end experience then decide which areas to focus on for your project.
Assignment
Ideate: Design Wireframes
In this assignment you’ll design low-fidelity wireframes of the user interface. Each wireframe will represent a specific step in the users’ journey.
Assignment
Prototype: Design a High Fidelity Prototype
In this assignment you’ll learn about color, layout and typography then create a functional prototype of your app to test with users.
Assignment
Test: Learn How Participants Use Your Prototype
Now it’s time to test your prototype with participants. You’ll define tasks for them to complete, then document findings.
Student Project (7 weeks)
Landing Page Design & Development
In this project you’ll design and develop a landing page to promote your mobile app.
Assignment
Wireframe a Landing Page
In this assignment you’ll learn fundamental marketing concepts, then create a wireframe of a landing page promoting your mobile app.
RESOURCES
Assignment
Design a Landing Page
In this assignment you’ll apply color, layout, and typography to the wireframe.
Assignment
Develop a Landing Page
In this assignment you’ll translate your website design into an interactive, responsive website. You’ll learn the basics of HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and website hosting.
Course Syllabus
Through a combination of lectures, technical demonstrations, student projects and critiques, this course will teach students the fundamentals of interface design and website development with an emphasis on human-centered design principles. Students will conceptualize, design and prototype a mobile application as well as design and code a single page website.
Prerequisites: ARTS 1010 Art Concepts, ARTS 1020 Art Concepts II, ARTS 1130 Digital Foundations, ARTS 2010 Form & Content, ARTS 1550 Drawing I, ARTS 1560 Drawing II, ARTS 2100 Graphic Design I, ARTS 3100 Graphic Design II, and ARTS 2300 Typography I.
Objectives
Upon completion of this course students will have fundamental knowledge of human-centered design, interface design, hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS). The skills acquired in this course can be applied to higher level web design courses and internships.
Requirements
Over the course of the semester, students will be required to complete 2 projects and several assignments. All students are required to submit each assignment and participate in design critiques. Students are responsible for meeting all project deadlines and critiques. Late submissions lose a letter grade every day it’s late. Students can resubmit assignments to improve their grade at any time.
Attendance and punctuality is required and will be reflected in the final grade. You can get an “A”, only if you are consistently in class and on time. An Incomplete will only be issued if there are extenuating circumstances related to illness or critical personal emergency and only after administrative notice has been received.
Evaluations
The final grade for the semester will be determined by;
- Student projects and presentations – based on craftsmanship and content (70%)
- Participation in discussions and critiques (15%)
- Attendance, punctuality and preparedness (15% )
The grade incomplete (INC) is reported only where a portion of the assigned or required class work, or the final examination, has not been completed because of serious illness, extreme personal circumstances, or scholarly reasons at the request of the instructor. If your record is such that you would fail the course regardless of your missing work, you will fail.
Attendance
Students may miss up to 3 classes for personal or medical reason. Additional absences will result in a penalty of a letter grade. In the rare case of a prolonged medical or personal absence, please contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss whether it is advisable for you to remain in class, and if so, to come up with a plan for you to make up missed work.
Documentation of a health condition that requires absence from class should note the date(s) of care, date(s) of necessary missed attendance and date of clearance to return to course work and be signed by the health care provider. Diagnoses and descriptions of illness should not be included.
Student Conduct
In this class, and in all classes at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, students are expected to exhibit professional and respectful behavior that is conducive to a mutually beneficial learning environment in the classroom.
Examples of inappropriate behavior include: text messaging, listening to music, cell phone use (other than the campus alert system), late arrivals, early departures, use of laptops for other than class purposes, disrespectful comments or behavior, intentional disruptions, failure to follow faculty directives.
Students in violation of these standards may be asked to leave class and/or be referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.
Learn more about student conduct.
Academic Integrity
Students should be aware of the University policies regarding creative dishonesty and the penalties for plagiarism and software piracy. While it is accepted that there may be occasion for stylistic or historical inspiration, influence and reference, the student will be asked to produce original work from ones own study and investigation.
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
We are a campus that cares about the mental health and well-being of all individuals in our campus community. Your personal health and well-being can impact your success in this course. Students sometimes experience mental health concerns or stressful experiences that interfere with academics and have a negative impact on everyday life. If you or someone you know are experiencing mental health challenges at UMass Lowell, please contact Counseling (information below). Their services are free and confidential, and same day appointments are available.
I am available to talk with you about stresses related to your work in my class. Furthermore, I can assist you in reaching out to any one of a wide range of campus resources, including:
- Counseling Services provides crisis intervention, assessment, referrals, short-term individual counseling, group therapy, and on-call clinicians outside of business hours. They are located at University Crossing Suite 300 and their 24/7 phone number is 978-934-6800.
- UMatter2 is a university-wide initiative to support students and promote mental health. The office may be reached at 978-934-6671.
Consider also reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.
Disability Services
Disability services assists students with documented disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations, coordinating services and creating accessibility through assistive technology and other means. They are located in The Wellness Center at University Crossing Suite #300 and may be called directly at 978-934-4574.
Learn more about assistive technologies.
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