Formally: students in this class continue to build on previous UCD classes with an integration of studies in project planning, testing and development.

Informally: we will be conducting real-time development and production of a UCG-based, content managed site to gain working experience in a variety of tasks that all web designers should know.  Some of these tasks include: analytics, advertising (AdSense), blogging and microblogging, mashups, content management, design planning, e-commerce integration (PayPal and Google Checkout), and more. You will be required to write content for the site as well as review readings and perform a number of tasks critical for development of your web design skills.

• Course Materials
  • Textbook: Elements of User Design by Jesse James Garrett
  • Additional Reading: You will be required to read 2 UCD/UX, web design, programming or other topically related book during the quarter, with reviews due week 5 and 11. Books must be instructor approved and “Don’t Make Me Think” by Krug cannot be one.
  • Course Syllabus
• Week 1
  • Lecture: Content Management Systems, Using WordPress as a CMS
  • Lab: Begin site preparation planning, deploy the basic setup, start SEO basics
• Week 2
  • Lecture: WordPress plugins, basics of setting up Webmaster Tools and Analytics Tracking
  • Lab: Deploy site, add Akismet and other plugins, set up Webmaster Tools and Analytics code
  • Due (individual): Post #1, get approval on book for review
  • Due (team): Site launch, site design wireframe with styling notations, outline of project plan (target audience, success metrics)
  • Read: A Small Design Study Of Big Blogs on SmashingMagazine
• Week 3
  • Lecture: Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools
  • Lab:
  • Due (individual): Post #2, fix your personal pages
  • Due (team): Finalize visual design components
  • Read: tba
• Week 4
  • Lecture: Analytics continued
  • Due (individual): Post #3
• Week 5
  • Lecture: Analytics, Google Webmaster Tools, AdSense, AdWords and tagging - SEO/SEM
  • Due (individual): Post #4, Book Reviews
• Week 6
  • Lecture: Social Networks
  • Due (individual): Post #5
• Week 7
  • Activity: Drilldown of LearnUCD’s Analytics
  • Lecture: TBA
  • Due (individual): Post #6, get approval for second book review