We have used Unit #1 as a platform for applying the basic principles of HTML and CSS covered in our textbook. At this point, none of you know everything there is to know about web design (spoiler alert: you probably never will), but you should feel confident in your ability to look at HTML, CSS, and image files and understand how they fit together. Next week, we’ll take a giant leap forward as we learn how to automate and simplify many of the things we’ve been doing by hand for the past month. Here’s a breakdown of how we’ll get started:
- Your Unit #1 project is due before you come to class on Monday. Please review the assignment details before you submit your project and don’t forget the final piece of the assignment: a one-page memo explaining and justifying the choices you made as worked on your résumé and landing page. In class, I will introduce Unit #2, the Print-to-Web Conversion Project, and we will discuss the difference between static websites and dynamic websites powered by content management systems. Before you come to class, please read “Why Do I Need a Content Management System?” and “Designing for Content Management Systems.”
- On Wednesday, we will conduct a hands-on WordPress workshop, so you will need to create a user account and a new site on the Blogs@VT system. Your site should be up and running before you come to class, and you should take some time to get familiar with the WordPress dashboard, the difference between posts and pages, and the process of switching themes and activating plugins. If you run into problems or find yourself confused, I recommend watching the “WordPress Essential Training” on Lynda.com or visiting the WordPress Codex and WordPress Forums. (Bookmark these sites! They will be your best friends during Unit #2.) Of course, I’m available to help out during office hours, too, so come see me on Tuesday afternoon if you’re feeling lost.
If you want to talk about any of these plans, just let me know. Otherwise, have a great weekend!