Introduction to Interactive Design Fall 2009

September 10 code.html (7%)
Make a simple page about you, call it “code.html” and upload it to your space on the web server..

September 17 styles.css (7%)
Develop and apply CSS styles to code.html. Upload your work to the server.

September 24 Adding Graphics (7%)
Convert two sample images into jpg and png, and create an animated GIF. Place them in the page code.html. Upload to the server and add salt to taste.

October 1 Web Design Document (14%)
Select an artist from the following list:

• Margaret Bourke-White
• Ken Danby
• Marcelle Ferron
• George Grosz
• Edward Hopper
• Freda Kahlo
• Käthe Kollwitz
• Giacomo Manzu

Prepare a comprehensive “design document” for a website that showcases your selected artist. This design document will include all of the text that you will use in your site, a flowchart showing the internal links and pages, and a mockup of your home page. Your site must include a home page (titled index.html), and at least five sub-pages. Any images you use are limited in width to 600px, no image is permitted to have a filesize of more than 50k, and all fullsize images must have accompanying thumbnails.

Save it in two formats: .doc OR .odt AND .pdf and place copies in your server space. Print the finished document and bind appropriately. Deadline for this assignment is 0900 hrs on October 8.

October 8 CSS Layout (7%)
Build your pages as described in your Design Document, and use CSS to set the presentation of your data.

October 15 Menu (7%)
Using CSS, convert your main menu (which is an unordered list) to a horizontal menu that highlights when rolled-over AND add META tags to your pages.

October 22, 29 and November 5 Web Issues (20%)
Research and present a topic related to the web. You can use the list below or choose your own:

• Does the web aid or hinder democracy?
• Physical Computing
• Internet Activism
• What is the “Creative Commons”?
• Social Networking Online: Risks and Rewards
• Personal Interaction in an Internet World
• Has the web fostered [positive] social change?
• Are there laws protecting children on the web?
• How has the web changed commerce?
• How has blogging changed journalism?
• Does Google live up to its motto?

Your presentation should take approximately 15 minutes and allow for a question/discussion period of 5 minutes. You may wish to give out handouts just before your presentation, or use the digital projector. Email me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for topic approval and to book your time slot. Time slots are alloted on a first come-first served basis. Consult the online schedule for available times.

Presentations will take place October 22, 29 and November 5. You MUST attend all three sessions. Ironically, I must be abroad on NSCAD business during this time. Jathea will videotape your presentations so that I can review them when I return. Your absence from class on these days will result in a zero for the Attendance portion of your final grade.

November 12 Fortune Cookie (7%)
Install a “fortune cookie” function on your home page using the Random Content (from DIVs) script at Javascriptkit.com: http://www.javascriptkit.com/script/script2/randomcontent.shtml

November 19 Server Side Includes (7%)
Pull the top nav out of all your pages and place one copy in a server side include. Then add the top nav include back into all your pages.

November 26 Alternate Look (7%)
Create an alternate style sheet for your site, and provide a link that allows users to choose between them using the javascript widget styleswitch.js at Dynamic Drive http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex9/stylesheetswitcher.htm

December 3 Physical computing demonstration

December 10
Presentations of student websites. Based on suggestions by the instructor and the class, you have until December 15 at 4:30 pm to make improvements before the web server is frozen.