Fall 2022 // Monday 4:30–7:10 // AB 1023

Web Design

Syllabus

General

This is the syllabus for the Fall 2022 class of AVT 415: Web Design and Usability (3 credits) and AVT 619: Advanced Web Design (3 credits). The instructor is Michael McDermott, he can be reached by email at mmcderm8 at gmu dot edu and can be met with at his virtual office hours on Mondays from 2–4 and Wednesdays from 12–2 or by appointment.

Download a PDF version

Delivery and Timing

We will meet once a week in person on Mondays from 4:30 to 7:10 in room 1023 in the Art and Design Building. The classes are required and during our sessions we will discuss work, complete demos, and further our coding and design knowledge. The class is scheduled to run for 15 weeks and you can expect to work for 6 hours outside of class each week.

Prerequisites

AVT 217: Introduction to Web Design, AVT 311: Graphic Design Principles and Methods and AVT 313: Editorial Design, or permission of instructor.

Course Description

Building on existing skills and principles, this course delves deeper into web-related concepts and techniques. Students will gain knowledge in more advanced coding concepts while building their design skills as they relate to the web. IMPORTANT: a foundational level of HTML, CSS, and web graphics knowledge is assumed to allow us more time to focus on the projects themselves.

Objectives

Textbook

There is no specific textbook for this course but there are many digital resources we will use and reference throughout the semester. Those resources can be found on the schedule and in the reference

Programs

There are many different programs available to use for the work in this class. The programs I will be using are highlighted but alternatives are also listed.

design

Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, Illustrator, Lunacy. No Photoshop as a design tool.

coding

Atom, Sublime Text, Brackets. We will not be using Dreamweaver, Notepad, or TextEdit as a code editor in this course.

other

Zoom (demos and holding class sessions if necessary), Github Desktop (updating your website), Chrome, Safari, or Firefox (viewing your website. Internet Explorer is not an acceptable browser for this class)

Content

This course consists of exercises, projects, demos, discussions, and critiques. The exercises are to familiarize students with specific concepts and ideas and the projects are to synthesize the concepts and ideas we will cover.

project 1: tell a story

Design and build a single page, responsive website that tells the history, process, or story of a selected topic. The page can be on any topic and will be built out to include six total sections to help explain the topic. More information here.

project 2: for sale

Design a responsive, four page site for a fictional retail company focusing on usability. The site will include a home page, inventory page, product page, and one additional page of your choice. More information here.

Engagement

This course has an engagement policy instead of an attendance policy. Your engagement will affect your final grade (and, by extension, the quality of your work) for this course. You are expected to actively and passionately take part in this course in the following ways.

Grading

Grades will be based on engagement (25%), exercises (25%), and projects (50%).

engagement (25%)

This percentage will be based on your engagement in the class which is explained above but will include attendance, discussion, critiques, and overall participation. Be engaged in this course and its content throughout the semester and this should be an easy 25%.

exercises (25%)

The exercises are graded using one of two basic rubrics shown in the PDF version of the syllabus. The rubric that is used depends on whether it was a coding or design exercise and include your ability to follow the instructions of the exercise and your ability to submit it on time. The exercises are meant to be quicker, skill building tasks that improve your coding and design knowledge.

projects (50%)

Each project will generate two different grades. One grade will be based on your ability to submit the required, weekly checkpoints for the project. These weekly checkpoints use a simple rubric based on your effort, timeliness, improvement, and completion. The second grade will be based on the final project you submit and has a more extensive rubric. At the end of the semester you will have 4 total project grades that are all weighted equally for this 50%. The rubrics used for grading the checkpoints and projects are in the PDF syllabus.

rubrics

Rubrics are used to grade exercises, projects, and checkpoints. The rubrics are available in the PDF syllabus.

Communication

Your ability to communicate with me is of prime importance in this course. If you are going to be absent, late, or not have your work, it will be your best interest in communicating those things to me in advance. I do not need to know your reasons for being absent, late, or not having your work but I do need to know. A simple, short email will be fine.

The same goes for if you are struggling in this class or having other issues that are hindering your ability to complete work in this class. The more you keep me in the loop the more I can help you and adjust as needed.

Weekly Schedule

Class is on Monday from 4:30–7:10. Most days we will meet for the entire time but some weeks we will have individual meetings or end early. Unless otherwise specified, all work is due at the beginning of class.

A note—Time management is an important skill to master and should be worked on all your classes. Staying up all night working is not a badge of honor, it typically means you didn’t budget your time correctly. Staying up all night isn’t healthy and, especially now, making sure you are keeping yourself healthy is your first priority.

Semester Schedule

The schedule on this site is an outline of what we will be covering this spring. It is subject to additions, subtractions, and shifts.

Discussion of Work

You will need to take an active role in both the presentation and discussion of your work. We will review projects in a variety of ways and you are expected to be able to talk and write about your own work and give feedback to your peers about their work. The ability to discuss your work and other student’s work is a very important part of your education at Mason. Use this class to improve on those skills.

Visual Voices Lecture Series

Visual Voices is a year-long series of lectures by artists, art historians and others about contemporary art and art practice. Visual Voices lectures are held on four Thursday evenings from 7:20–9:00 pm:

For Spring 2022, this lecture series will be held online.

School of Art Social Media Accounts

IG: gmusoa / FB: gmu.soa / TW: gmusoa

Writing Center and Library Resources

Students who are in need of intensive help with grammar, structure or mechanics in their writing should make use of the services of Writing Center. For Spring 2022, the Writing Center is holding all sessions online, with writers choosing between meeting their tutor in real time on Zoom or uploading a draft for their tutor’s written feedback. Please send your questions to wcenter@gmu.edu

Provisions Research Center for Art & Social Change is located in Room L001 of the Art & Design Building. This student resource assists students in exploring and engaging new models for artmaking that lead to a more inclusive, equitable, and connected society. Provisions is also a hub for developing art projects through Mason Exhibitions, the Mural Brigade, and art partners throughout the metropolitan area, and beyond. Contact Don Russell for more information: drusse10@gmu.edu

Art and Art History Librarian, Stephanie Grimm, will offer appointments and virtual office hours for the Spring 2022 semester: https://infoguides.gmu.edu/prf.php?account_id=123393

Official Communications via Mason E-mail

Students are responsible for the content of university communications sent to their George Mason University e-mail account and are required to activate their account and check it regularly. All communication from the university, college, school, and program will be sent to students solely through their Mason e-mail account.

Students with Disabilities and Learning Differences

Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with the George Mason University Office of Disability Services (ODS) and inform their instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester http://ods.gmu.edu

Attendance Policies

Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class (including sections that meet online) participation is important not only to the individual student, but also to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of nonparticipation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor’s grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus.

Honor Code

To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among all members of the George Mason University Community and with the desire for greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the university community, have set forth this Honor Code: Student Members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work. https://oai.gmu.edu/mason-honor-code/

Responsible Employee Disclosure

As a faculty member, I am designated as a “Responsible Employee,” and must report all disclosures of sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and stalking to Mason’s Title IX Coordinator per University Policy 1202. If you wish to speak with someone confidentially, please contact one of Mason’s confidential resources, such as Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC) at 703-380-1434 or Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 703-993-2380. You may also seek assistance from Mason’s Title IX Coordinator by calling 703-993-8730, or emailing titleix@gmu.edu

Commitment to Diversity

This class will be conducted as an intentionally inclusive community that celebrates diversity and welcomes the participation in the life of the university of faculty, staff and students who reflect the diversity of our plural society. All may feel free to speak and to be heard without fear that the content of the opinions they express will bias the evaluation of their academic performance or hinder their opportunities for participation in class activities. In turn, all are expected to be respectful of each other without regard to race, class, linguistic background, religion, political beliefs, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, veteran’s status, or physical ability.

Statement on Ethics in Teaching and Practicing Art and Design

As professionals responsible for the education of undergraduate and graduate art and design students, the faculty of the School of Art adheres to the ethical standards and practices incorporated in the professional Code of Ethics of our national accreditation organization, The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Covid Protocols and Face Coverings

For all vaccinated students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors, face coverings are required in all indoor University Facilities (i.e. indoor or enclosed spaces including buildings and vehicles) and traveling to/from sites off University Property for work or study if in a vehicle with other individuals. Face coverings are not required outdoors.

For all unvaccinated students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors, all of the above applies, except face masks are required outdoors at events or where physical distancing cannot be maintained.

For additional reference and updates, please see: https://www.gmu.edu/safe-return-campus/personal-and-public-health/face-coverings

CAPS at Mason is Here for You

Counseling & Psychological Services provides a wide range of free services to students. CAPS offers crisis, counseling, and psychiatric services virtually, and limited services in person. Services are provided by a staff of licensed clinical psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers, doctoral-level trainees, and a board-certified psychiatrist. Our individual and group counseling, workshops, and community education programs are designed to enhance students’ personal experience and academic performance. For distance learners, please see our Resources for Distance Learning page. We also provide consultation to faculty and staff who have concerns about a student

CAPS provides short-term mental health services for enrolled students. When a student’s needs require a different level of care, CAPS works with students to transition care to community providers. If a student is currently seeing a professional in the community for therapy and can continue to work with them, we encourage the student to continue care with their current provider.

In order to begin services with CAPS, please call us at 703-993-2380 during our business hours. Due to the rise in COVID cases, we are only offering services via telehealth during this time.

If you are experiencing a crisis after our business hours or on weekends or holidays, please call us at 703-993-2380. Please select option 1 in our phone system to be connected to an after-hours crisis counselor.

If you are interested in connecting with a provider in the community for long term counseling, please visit our Find a Community Provider page for our database of community provider options and other options for connecting with a therapist. If you have student health insurance through Aetna, you may also choose to access services through TelaDoc.

Anti-Racism Statement

The School of Art plays an integral role in building an educational environment that is committed to anti-racism and inclusive excellence. An anti-racist approach to higher education acknowledges the ways that individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural manifestations of racism against Black, Indigenous, and other people of color contribute to inequality and injustice in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities. It strives to provide our community members with resources to interrupt cycles of racism so as to cultivate a more equitable, inclusive, and just environment for all of our students, staff, faculty, alumni, and friends, regardless of racial background. An anti-racism approach is an active and ongoing, long-term process. In all our efforts, we uphold a commitment to creating honest, respectful, supportive, and healing spaces where members of our community can meaningfully dialogue and learn from each other’s lived experiences for the betterment of our entire community.

Land Acknowledgment

At the place George Mason University occupies, we give greetings and thanksgivings to these Potomac River life sources, the Doeg ancestors, who Virginia annihilated in violent campaigns while ripping their lands apart with the brutal system of African American enslavement, to the recognized Virginia tribes who have lovingly stewarded these lands for millennia including the Rappahannock, Pamunkey, Upper Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Nansemond, Monacan, Mattaponi, Patawomeck, and Nottaway, past, present, and future, and to the Piscataway tribes, who have lived on both sides of the river from time immemorial.

Technology Requirements

Note that this course requires/strongly recommends the use of Adobe Creative Cloud applications. If you do not already have an Adobe license and are interested in purchasing one or have an Adobe license and need to renew it, please visit https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html. If you cannot afford an Adobe license, you may submit a request for funding to the Student Emergency Assistance Fund. Please visit https://ulife.gmu.edu/student-emergency-assistance-funding-2-2/ to apply. Please note that the Adobe license agreement is on an annual basis.

The Collaborative Learning Hub Located in Johnson Center 311 (703-993-3141), the lab offers in-person one-on-one support for the Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Blackboard, and a variety of other software. Dual monitor PCs make the lab ideal for collaborating on group projects, Macs are also available; as well as a digital recording space, collaborative tables, and a SMART Board. Reservations are strongly encouraged due to COVID-19 precautions and limited amounts of resources, but walk-ins will still be accepted so long as the occupancy of the lab does not exceed the maximum of 16 people https://its.gmu.edu/service/club/

Important Deadlines

Once the add and drop deadlines have passed, instructors do not have the authority to approve requests from students to add or drop/withdraw late. Requests for late adds (up until the last day of classes) must be made by the student in the School of Art office (or the office of the department offering the course), and generally are only approved in the case of a documented university error (such as a problem with financial aid being processed), LATE ADD fee will apply. Requests for non-selective withdrawals and retroactive adds (adds after the last day of classes) must be approved by the academic dean of the college in which the student’s major is located. For AVT majors, that is the CVPA Office of Academic Affairs in College Hall.