week

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activities
   
 PART I: Web Page Authoring

1
 Jan 13

  

Topic Selection and Discussion / Information Gathering
Part I
Personal introduction; Project flow; Grading Criteria;
Part II
Project topic discussion; Gathering project information; What are problem definitions?
Part III
DreamWeaver4.0 Workshop: Interface; Defining Sites; HTML introduction
Chapters 2,3,4 in HOT book by Lynda Weinman
   

2
Jan 20

 

Defining Project goals / Messages / Applications / Audience / Delivery Platform
Part I
defining project goals; Uncovering messages that site has to convey; Audience analysis; Discovering inherent problems of content; defining possible uses/functions of the site;
Part II
The Whole Process; Design Brainstorming; BrainMapping; Content Flowcharting;
Part III
DreamWeaver4.0 Workshop: Linking; HTML parit 2; Layout; Delivery Platform Analysis
Chapters 5,6,7 in HOT book by Lynda Weinman
   

3
Jan 27

 

Navigation and Wayfinding Systems / Principles of Usability
Part I
Clarity of content flow; Context-Centered navigation; Context-Independent navigation; Predicting user actions and expectations; Inventive interface design; Testing your navigation scheme.
Part II
DreamWeaver4.0 Workshop: Tables and alignment; Frames and targeting; Using DreamWeaver Templates
Chapters 8,9,12 in HOT book by Lynda Weinman

Project Definition Due

  • Topic, Content
  • Goals of Project
  • Audience Analysis
  • Barnstorming Lists
  • Flowchart
   

4
Feb 3

  Web Graphics / Compression / Color / CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) / Forms
Part I
Illustrator / Photoshop / Fireworks Workshop: Graphics formats; Compression; Web color; Raster VS. Vector Graphics.
Part II
CSS and its use; Working with DreamWeaver Style Sheets; Forms, forms processing and Server side scripting technologies.
DreamWeaver4.0 Workshop: Turning Style Sheets into HTML markup; Forms formatting and creation; Templates and Libraries.
Chapters 11,13,17 in HOT book by Lynda Weinman
   

5
Feb 10

  JavaScript Enhancements / DHTML
Part I
Intro to JavaScript; Rollovers; Browser Detection; Movement; Interacting with the user; JavaScript forms processing; DOM (Document Object Model) and browser detection.
Part II
Plug-ins (Flash, ShockWave, Quicktime; RealVideo etc...); Embedding Sound, Video and other media.
DreamWeaver4.0 Workshop: Rollovers; DHTML and the Timeline; Behaviors.
Chapters 10,14,15 in HOT book by Lynda Weinman
   

6
Feb 17

  In-Class Work Session / Troubleshooting / One-on-one progress evaluation
   

7
Feb 24

 

Final Critique of Website

project Due:

  • Printouts of pages
  • Disk with HTML and media, or email of URL
   
 PART II: Flash Authoring

8
Mar 2

  Introduction to Web-Multimedia, Flash, their application...
Part I
Project topic discussion; The comprehensive communication mode that the medium offers, and the following implications; Purpose and delivery of Multimedia applications;
Part II
Examples of web/multimedia integration; Organizing multimedia design projects;
Flash5.0 Workshop: The interface; The working mindset (getting used to the fact that the element of time is involved)
Chapters 1,2 in Flash Book
   

9
Mar 16

  Drawing Tools, Importing and handling graphics, Animation...
Part I
Drawing Objects; Layers; Grouped and "Broken-Apart" objects; Importing PICT, BMP, EPS; Tracing bitmaps; Optimizing curves;
Part II
Cell and Keyframe animation; Symbols and Instances of symbols; Motion Tweening vs. Shape tweening; Motion guide layers and masking layers;
Chapters 6,7,8 in Flash 5.0 Book
   
10
Mar 23
 

Symbols and Libraries; the actors for your play...
Part I
Types of symbols and their uses; timelines and nesting of timelines; the MovieClip and it's relationship to the main movie timeline; the Movie Library, and the common libraries; Reusing symbol libraries from other movies;
Project Work Session: One-on-one progress; Troubleshooting.
Chapters: 3 in Flash Book, handout from James L. Mohler book.
   
11
Mar 30 		 

In-Class Work Session / Troubleshooting / One-on-one progress evaluation

Project Definition Due

  • Topic, Content
  • Goals of Project
  • Implementation Method (standalone, integrated etc...)
  • Audience Analysis
  • Barnstorming Lists
  • Flowchart
  • Storyboard of Navigation (Interface bahavior
  • Storyboards of any other major animation sequences
   

12
Apr 6

 

 Interactivity and ActionScript.
Part I
Guidelines for implementing effective interactive behaviors; Importance of feedback to the user; Building an interactive organism that communicates within the user's natural expectations; Navigation Schemes;
Part II
The syntax; events, variables and the main functions; Frame scripts vs. Button scripts.
Flash5.0 Workshop: Making a movie that utilizes almost all of the main functions, and MovieClip interactions.
Chapters 9 and 10 in Flash Book
   

13
Apr 13

 

Sound Integration; Multilevel movies and their coordination
Part I
Sound creation and optimization; "Event", "Stream" and "Start" sounds in Flash. Sound and Vision synchronization
Part II
Constructing multi-level movies; Passing commands between movies loaded in different levels; Communicating with other applications (Director);
Project Work Session: One-on-one progress; Troubleshooting.
Chapter 11 and 14 in Flash Book,
   

14
Apr 20

 

In-Class Work Session / Troubleshooting / One-on-one progress evaluation
   

15
Dec 27

  

Optimizing, testing, web-integration and distribution.
Part I
Publishing options; Publishing formats; <embed> and <object> integration of .swf files in web pages; The "Output" window, and TRACE command; Preloaders and Bandwidth Profiling.
Project Work Session: One-on-one progress; Troubleshooting.
Chapters 12 and 13 in Flash Book
   

16
May 4

 

Final Critique of Flash Project

project Due:

  • Printouts of main pages
  • Disk with SWF's or email of URL