Course outline. Code: DES222 Title: e-media B

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1 Faculty of: Arts and Business School of: Communication and Creative Industries Teaching Session: Semester 2 Year: 2015 Course Coordinator: Pamela Blake Room: Phone: pblake@usc.edu.au Course outline Code: DES222 Title: e-media B 1. What is this course about? 1.1 Course description This course teaches you how to plan, design and build responsive and dynamic, database driven web sites. You will model professional practice by applying design principles and methodologies to generate design pitches, defend your design pitch to client groups and to build your design. This course will prepare you for professional practice as a front-end website designer/developer and provide you with enough knowledge of the development aspects of the website design/development process to ensure you are able to work effectively in a team environment. 1.2 Course content Dynamic responsive website development New media technologies and related social, cultural, political and economic implications Approaches to technology in the audio visual industries New media forms and technologies, questions of regulation and policy in relation to new media and emergent international issues Ethical issues relating to online and offline collaboration, as well as strategies for problem-solving and working in teams Techniques in dynamic website development such as project planning, brief development, information architecture strategies, responsive website development, flow chart development, storyboarding and validation against W3C standards, as well as API integration in Mashup sites. 2. Unit value 12 units

2 Page 2 3. How does this course contribute to my learning? Specific Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course you should be able to: Analyse and apply new trends in website design including key technological changes associated with e-media and related phenomena such as convergence, interactivity, usability and accessibility. Identify, review and analyse current research into client needs in regard to website design and building. Demonstrate the knowledge and application of website design principles and theory to website design. Apply HTML5, CSS, media queries and PHP knowledge to website building and design. Create a standards compliant re-theming of existing website content in a Content Management System. You will be assessed on the learning outcome in task/s: Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming: 1, 2 and 3 Creative and critical thinkers. 1 and 3 Empowered. 1, 2 and 3 Empowered. 2 and 3 Empowered. 3 Empowered. 4. Am I eligible to enrol in this course? Refer to the Coursework Programs and Awards - Academic Policy for definitions of pre-requisites, corequisites and anti-requisites 4.1 Enrolment restrictions Nil 4.2 Pre-requisites DES Co-requisites Nil 4.4 Anti-requisites ADN216 or ADN Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills N/A

3 5. How am I going to be assessed? Page Grading scale Standard High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL) 5.2 Assessment tasks Task No. Assessment Tasks Individual or Group 1 Presentation of responsive website design, pitch and report. 2 Responsive website build. 3 Content management system childthemes designs. Weighting % What is the duration / length? Individual 30% 600 word report and 6 minute pitch. Individual 35% Website and additional 200 word update to report. Individual 35% 2 x Website childthemes and 1100 word report. 100% When should I submit? Week 4 Friday, Week 7 Monday, first week of the central examination period Where should I submit it? In class Submitted in electronic format on CD via FAB Assignment Box Submitted in electronic format on CD via FAB Assignment Box Assessment Task 1: Presentation of design pitch and report. Goal: Product: Format: To develop skills in researching client needs in regard to website design and presenting your analysis, rationale and aesthetic in the form of a visual and oral pitch. Presentation of Design Pitch and Report. This assessment task has two elements, a design pitch report, which will be physically submitted, and a presentation of this design pitch, which you will deliver to the class. You will develop a design and pitch for a new website. You will be required to develop a responsive website design and pitch it in a way that models professional practice, by preparing a website design and a pitch report and by presenting this pitch to a client group. You will present your design and pitch to the class during week four of semester and be asked to defend your design against the kinds of questions clients are likely to ask. Criteria Marking criteria for this task, as well as a marking rubric and all relevant briefing documents and examples will be made available in the Blackboard course site. Presentation - Clear explanation and justification of website responsive design aesthetic approach. Effectiveness of communication and expression. Logically organised and formatted.

4 Page 4 Documentation of relevant research, analysis, options and working processes that support pitch design decisions. Evidence of critical ability in selection of final outcomes. Demonstration of understanding of responsive website design parameters, client target market, competitors, existing aesthetic and other factors that influence design decisions. Effective choice of typography and type hierarchy. Attention to detail in terms of mechanics, spelling, word choice, capitalisation and grammar. Effective use of storyboarding, Gantt chart (timeline), sitemap and file structure planning. Correct website size. A highly engaging, professional, enthusiastic and well-informed presentation. Creative integration of visual aids. Clear confident and persuasive delivery. Expertly organised and logically structured. Journal - Documentation of relevant research, analysis, alternative options and working processes that support and inform design decisions and final outcomes. Exploration of concepts, materials, benchmark designs and self-directed learning. Engagement with inclass exercises. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Problem solving Applying technologies Assessment Task 2: Website redesign and build Goal: Product: Format: To demonstrate your skills in applying website design principles, HTML5, CSS and PHP knowledge to website design. Website redesign and build Based on the assignment you completed for Task 1, for Task 2 you are required to build the design that you pitched in Task 1. The focus of this task will be on ensuring good design principles and on modelling professional practice, with particular focus on file and format management, and adherence to W3C specifications and standards. The website will consist of a set of static pages and you will be required to implement interactive website design features. The site will be built using HTML5 and CSS3 specifications, but will also degrade gracefully in browsers that do not support these standards. You will be required to do cross-browser and cross-device testing of the site, to identify and remedy any compatibility issues. The site files will be submitted for assessment on a CD that is to be submitted to the FAB Assignment Box no later than Friday of Week 7.

5 Page 5 Criteria Marking criteria for this task, as well as a marking rubric and all relevant briefing documents and examples will be made available in the Blackboard course site. Website An aesthetically and content appropriate website user interface design. Great use of grid, typography, colour, backgrounds and layout. A correctly coded responsive website with usability, readability and accessibility. A well programmed website with clean HTML, clean PHP, correct use of CSS styles with both screen and print style sheets and cross browser compatible. Clear navigation of the website and logical structure of the pages. Meets the intended purpose with the target audience in mind. Additionally, text is edited to communicate effectively to the target audience. Correct file naming, and folder structure. Correct optimisation of images and correct website size. 200 word addition to the report. Clearly outlining changes and challenges throughout the project. Grammar, spelling and sentence structure to be of academic quality. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Problem solving Applying technologies Assessment Task 3: Content management system child-theme designs. Goal: To apply and demonstrate your skills in website design principles, HTML5, CSS and PHP to Content Management System child-theme designs. Product: Content Management System child-themes designs. Format: This task extends your ability to design website themes by asking you to create TWO (2) child themes (derived from a parent theme) for existing content inside an existing Content Management System. This task models professional practice in website redevelopment projects. Frequently, as a professional website designer, you will be asked to redesign existing content. For this task, you will be provided with access to a Content Management System and to a parent theme within the Content Management System. You will be required to write the CSS code necessary to create TWO (2) child themes, derived from the parent theme. You may also, if you wish, amend the HTML5 and PHP markup, to the extent necessary to apply your designs as required. One of the child theme designs will be a corporate theme, and you will be given a design brief for the corporate identity and branding. The other theme will be a creative theme, with a less constrained design brief, and more flexibility for you to demonstrate your creative capacity. This task concentrates on assessing your ability to write clean and standards compliant code, and on your ability to package up files into a theme and to install that theme in a Content Management System, and your ability to design a theme that complies with a design brief.

6 Page 6 Your themes will include Web 2.0 dynamic design features, and will make use of HTML5 and CSS3 specifications, but will also degrade gracefully in browsers, which do not support these standards. You will be required to do some cross-browser testing of the themes, to identify and remedy any cross-browser compatibility issues. This task is to be submitted by installing the TWO (2) theme packages you have designed in the Content Management System to which you will be given access. Criteria Marking criteria for this task, as well as a marking rubric and all relevant briefing documents and examples will be made available in the Blackboard course site. Report - Clear explanation and justification of design approaches for both corporate and creative themes. Effectiveness of communication, expression and attention to detail in terms of mechanics, spelling, word choice, capitalisation and grammar. Logically organised and formatted. Documentation of relevant research, analysis, options and working processes that support design decisions within the body of the report either as illustrative figures in the report or appendices. Exploration of concepts, materials, benchmark designs and selfdirected learning. Evidence of critical ability in selection of final outcomes. Effective use of storyboarding, Gantt chart (timeline), sitemap and planning. Demonstration of understanding of web design parameters, client target market, competitors, corporate and creative aesthetic and other factors that influence design decisions. Effective choice of typography and type hierarchy. Wordpress child themes - Two beautifully presented child theme designs. Effective use of grids, typography, hierarchy, colour, backgrounds and layout. Logical navigation of each website, logical and consistent structure of the pages. Meets the intended purpose with the target audiences in mind. Effectively programmed websites with clean HTML, correct use of CSS style sheets, correct use of PHP files and cross browser compatibility. Each theme has the minimum seven pages, plugin, post and widget requirements. Uniqueness and successful innovative design of both corporate and creative themes that deviate effectively from the original theme. Generic skill assessed Skill assessment level Problem solving Applying technologies

7 Page Additional assessment requirements SafeAssign In order to minimise incidents of plagiarism and collusion, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks are submitted electronically via SafeAssign. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work that SafeAssign has access to. If required, details of how to submit via SafeAssign will be provided on the Blackboard site of the course. Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale c) You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct 5.4 Submission penalties Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate: 5% (of the assessment task s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 10% (of the assessment task s identified value) for the third day 20% (of the assessment task s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome. 6. How is the course offered? 6.1 Directed study hours On campus computer workshop: 3 hours per week 6.2 Teaching semester/session(s) offered Semester Course activities Teaching What key concepts/content will I Week / learn? Module What activities will I engage in to learn the concepts/content? Directed Study Independent Study Activities Activities 1 Planning a site: information flow and the design process. Introduction to responsive website design and CSS media queries Choose your website for the redesign for Assignment 1. 2 Deconstructing style: Photoshop and illustrator document set-up; planning a storyboard; design five (5) flat layouts for the website redesign. Lecture Practical/Demonstra tion Workshop Lecture Practical/Demonstra tion

8 Page 8 3 PHP and report writing: Introduction to PHP; creating mood boards; writing a professional report. 4 CSS Media Queries: Setting up file and folder structure for assignment two. 5 File management and optimisation: image optimisation; file compression; packaging files; file transfer protocol (FTP). 6 HTML5, CSS and PHP integration: HTML5, CSS and PHP integration; canvas function; geo-location. 7 Wordpress: Wordpress revision; theming revision; building a child theme. 8 Planning a successful theme: analyse successful sites; deconstruct one corporate and one creative CMS/blog site. 9 Themes: Child themes; theme framework. 10 Monday, 5 th October Labour Day Public Holiday Mid Semester Break Style: Corporate vs. creative styles; what works, what doesn t and why; advanced theme creation. 11 Layout revision: must have two child themes ready for in-class feedback 12 Cross browser testing: packaging a theme; ensuring cross-browser compatibility and accessibility. 13 Recap: the last lecture will be a review on the previous weeks. Please note that the course activities may be subject to variation. 7. What resources do I need to undertake this course? 7.1 Prescribed text(s) Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below: Author Year Title Publisher Felke-Morris T. 2013, 7 th edition Web Development Design Foundations with HTML5 Pearson, Addison-Wesley

9 Page Required and recommended readings Lists of required and recommended readings may be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further information regarding particular aspects of your course. 7.3 Specific requirements N/A 7.4 Risk management There is minimal health and safety risk in this course. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas. 8. How can I obtain help with my studies? In the first instance you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Student Life and Learning provides additional assistance to all students through Peer Advisors and Academic Skills Advisors. You can drop in or book an appointment. To book: Tel: or StudentLifeandLearning@usc.edu.au 9. Links to relevant University policies and procedures For more information on Academic Learning Teaching categories including: Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs Review of Assessment and Final Grades Supplementary Assessment Administration of Central Examinations Deferred Examinations Student Academic Misconduct Students with a Disability Faculty specific information LOCATING JOURNAL ARTICLES If you have been notified that the journal articles in this course are available on e-reserve, use the on-line library catalogue to find them. For journal articles not on e-reserve, click on the "Journals and Newspapers" link on the Library Homepage. Enter the journal title e.g. History Australia, then search for the volume and issue or keyword as needed. ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEETS The Faculty of Arts and Business assignment cover sheet can be found on Blackboard or on the USC Portal at: Faculty of Arts and Business (Students) > Forms. It must be completed in full identifying student name, assignment topic, tutor and tutorial time. This must be attached securely to the front of each assessment item prior to submission. Claims of loss of assignments will not be considered unless supported by a receipt. HELP: If you are experiencing problems with your studies or academic work, consult your tutor in the first instance or the Course Coordinator as quickly as possible.

10 Page 10 DIFFICULTIES: If you are experiencing difficulties relating to teaching and assessment you should approach your tutor in the first instance. If not satisfied after that you should approach in order your Course Coordinator, Program Coordinator then Head of School. General enquiries and student support Faculty Student Centre Tel: Fax: FABinfo@usc.edu.au