Course Title: Design web environments

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2014

Course Code: COSC5949C

Course Title: Design web environments

School: 345T Media and Communication

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5309 - Diploma of Photo Imaging

Course Contact : Program Administration

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4815

Course Contact Email:mctafe@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Teacher: Sessional Chris Seater
Contact: Naomi Herzog
Phone: 9925 4170
Email: naomi.herzog@rmit.edu.au
 

Nominal Hours: 50

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

NIL

Course Description

In this course you will cover the skills and knowledge required to work with clients to develop design specification documents for web environments, specifically focussed on requirements of the photographic industry.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUFDIG502A Design web environments

Element:

Element 1. Determine project requirements

Performance Criteria:

1. Analyse project brief to identify purpose of, and target audience for, web environments
2. Consult with clients to clarify project requirements
3. Identify target audience characteristics and determine how these influence all aspects of design
4. Identify content to be incorporated and generated and how this content is to be accessed, searched or delivered

Element:

Element 2. Research and select web environments

Performance Criteria:

5. Research web environments and analyse their potential
6. Analyse how these web environments meet audience and content requirements
7. Identify issues relating to delivery platform and standards, and determine how these may affect web environment options
8. Consult relevant personnel to ensure that all possible web environment options are considered
9. Select web environments that will meet creative, production and technical requirements

Element:

Element 3. Draft design specifications

Performance Criteria:

10. Design the architecture of web environments to show interrelationship between environment components
11. Identify each web environment and specify its individual interactive features, functionality and navigation and its relationship to design as a whole
12. Identify content components and specify how these will be logically structured and integrated into and/or generated by web environments
13. Specify levels of access permissions to web environments as required
14. Specify media assets as required
15. Specify user interfaces of web environments
16. Specify production requirements, including appropriate testing strategies
17. Write draft design specifications to include all relevant advice to design and development teams
18. Discuss draft design specifications with client to ensure designs are consistent with project briefs

Element:

Element 4. Review and confirm design specifications

Performance Criteria:

19. Review designs against required project outcomes, as well as client and audience needs
20. Review designs to ensure they meet creative and technical requirements
21. Adjust designs as necessary after discussions with relevant personnel
22. Clarify legislative or ownership issues to comply with production and organisational requirements
23. Confirm with client acceptance of design specifications, including deliverables, milestones and timelines


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to interpret and clarify written proposals and present ideas for the design of web environments. You will be able to design and develop a web environments specifically focussed on photographic industry requirements.


Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities will consist of:
In class learning activities include, but are not limited to:
lectures & tutorials
class exercises
class presentations
group discussion
online research
work shopping of students’ own projects

Out of class activities include, but are not limited to:
• research (online /library /public displays/galleries)
• independent project based work


Teaching Schedule

Week Class content Assessment Due Elements
1 COURSE GUIDE OVERVIEW
Web Design Overview - Design for Web environments
Assignment Briefing 1, 3
2

The Design Process - Website Interface Design - planning a photographer’s website, establish a target market for your website, audience, Researching web environments

  2,
3

Information Architecture - Organising your information, Site Structure/Map, Presenting Infiormation Archtiecture and functionality as a wireframe

  2, 3
4 Interface Design - Builiding your personal brand online. Graphics as contnet and streamlining your content for an online environment  Formative Item 1 due 2, 3
5 Writing and manintaining your site - ensuring your site expresses your brand   3, 4
6 Web Graphics - Graphics as Content - Graphic file formats, characteristics of web graphics Formative Item 2 due 1, 2
7 Online Self Promotion for your Website - email newsletters, Flickr, Forums, Mailing Lists, Blog comments, Social Networking sites/Bookmarking   1, 2
8 Assignment  Class Presentations - pdf and submit journals  Summative Item 1 due 1, 2, 3,4
NOTE Schedule may change as required    


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Dabner et. al., 2010, Graphic Design School, Thames and Hudson
Hillman Curtis. MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer. New Riders Publishing. USA
 


References

You are advised to look at the course Blackboard site for ongoing updated information and to make use of RMIT’s library database facilities.


Other Resources

Personal data storage device, personal computer with current versions of In Design, Acrobat, Bridge and Photoshop and current web browsers as required, as available in RMIT labs


Overview of Assessment

Assessment tasks include building a web brand and identity, a functional schematic prototype, Project functional specification document and an online photo essay translating a hardcover book developed simultaneously.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment tasks in this course are either formative or summative. Formative tasks provide the basis for ongoing feedback and can be considered essential building blocks for the more substantial summative assessment tasks. Summative assessment tasks in this unit are graded.

To demonstrate competency in this course you need to complete each one of the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard.
You must submit all pieces of assessment in order for your competency to be assessed in this course.

For further information on the assessment and grading criteria, please refer to the course Blackboard site.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

  1. Personal Profile page
    Prepare a personal bio profile page.
    Due - week 4
  2. Brand Identity
    Develop a personal web brand and identity
    Due week 6

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

  1. Develop a Functional Specificaion pdf document outlining o portfolio website incorporating graphis and mockups with full content and assets
    Due week 8

Grades used in this unit are as follows:

CHD Competent with High Distinction
CDI Competent with Distinction
CC Competent with Credit
CAG Competency Achieved - Graded
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for Assessment


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant Unit of Competency. These are available through the course contact in Program administration.

Other Information

Attendance
The major learning experience involves xxx. It is strongly advised that you attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to achieve competency in this unit.

Cover Sheet for Submissions
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.

Feedback - You will receive spoken and written feedback from teachers on your work. Where appropriate, this feedback will also include suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.
Student feedback at RMIT http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=9pp3ic9obks7

Student Progress
Monitoring academic progress is an important enabling and proactive strategy to assist you to achieve your learning potential. Student progress policy http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1

Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level. If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension. You can apply in writing for up to a week’s extension from your course teacher. If you need a longer extension, you wil need to apply for special consideration. Special consideration, appeals and discipline http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qkssnx1c5r0y

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism - RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy go to Academic Integrity
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kw02ylsd8z3n

Work Placement:
It is a requirement of this program that all students participate in authentic work related tasks. These may be either simulated or in a real work environment. On occasion, we are approached by industry and given opportunities for students to apply for short term placements. When these placement opportunities arise, students are required to negotiate the specific details with the relevant program coordinator or teacher. All industry placements require students, RMIT staff and host organisations to sign a written agreement prior to the commencement of the placement.
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview