Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Design Methodology and Technology:: Academic Student Guide
Design Methodology and Technology:: Academic Student Guide
Technology:
Academic Student Guide
Blank Text
For The
Docutech!
Contributors
Susan M. Lane, Martin Heltai and Robert Barrett
Editors
Susan M. Lane and David Oberman
Publishers
Joseph Flannery and Joseph A. Servia
Project Managers
David De Ponte, Todd Hopkins and Sheila Ramirez
Trademarks
Prosoft is a trademark of ProsoftTraining. All product names and services identified throughout this book are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective companies. They are used throughout this book in editorial fashion only. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended
to convey endorsement or other affiliation with the book. Copyrights of any screen captures in this book are the property of the softwares
manufacturer.
Disclaimer
ProsoftTraining makes a genuine attempt to ensure the accuracy and quality of the content described herein; however, ProsoftTraining, makes no
warranty, express or implied, with respect to the quality, reliability, accuracy, or freedom from error of this document or the products it describes.
ProsoftTraining makes no representation or warranty with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of
fitness for any particular purpose. ProsoftTraining disclaims all liability for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential, special or exemplary
damages resulting from the use of the information in this document or from the use of any products described in this document. Mention of any
product or organization does not constitute an endorsement by ProsoftTraining of that product or corporation. Data used in examples and labs is
intended to be fictional even if actual data is used or accessed. Any resemblance to, or use of real persons or organizations should be treated as
entirely coincidental. ProsoftTraining makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of URLs referenced in all its material, but cannot guarantee that
all URLs will be available throughout the life of a course. When this course/disk was published, all URLs were checked for accuracy and
completeness. However, due to the ever-changing nature of the Internet, some URLs may no longer be available or may have been re-directed.
Copyright Information
This training manual is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by ProsoftTraining. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,
stored in a retrieval system, modified, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise without written permission of ProsoftTraining, 3001 Bee Caves Road, Austin, TX 78746.
iv
Version 6.07
Table of Contents
Course Description..................................................................................................................... xix
ProsoftTraining Courseware ......................................................................................................xx
Course Objectives ..................................................................................................................... xxii
Classroom Setup....................................................................................................................... xxiii
System Requirements .............................................................................................................. xxiii
Conventions and Graphics Used in This Book........................................................................xxv
Section I: Web Design Concepts
Lesson 1: Overview of Web Design Concepts ......................................................................... 1-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ........................................................................................................ 1-2
Web Technology....................................................................................................................... 1-3
The Nature of the Web.............................................................................................................. 1-3
Web Design Concepts............................................................................................................... 1-6
New Technologies .................................................................................................................... 1-7
Evaluating Your HTML Skills.................................................................................................. 1-7
Lesson 1 Review ..................................................................................................................... 1-12
Lesson 2: Web Page Layout and Elements.............................................................................. 2-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ........................................................................................................ 2-2
Web Users and Site Design....................................................................................................... 2-3
Effective Web Page Layout ...................................................................................................... 2-4
Color and Web Design............................................................................................................ 2-14
Fonts and Web Design ............................................................................................................ 2-21
Lesson 2 Review ..................................................................................................................... 2-27
Lesson 3: Web Site Usability Testing ....................................................................................... 3-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ........................................................................................................ 3-2
The Importance of Audience Usability..................................................................................... 3-3
Web Usability Testing .............................................................................................................. 3-5
Lesson 3 Review ....................................................................................................................... 3-8
Lesson 4: Navigation Concepts ................................................................................................. 4-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ........................................................................................................ 4-2
Why Is Navigation Critical? ..................................................................................................... 4-3
Browsers and Navigation.......................................................................................................... 4-3
Primary and Secondary Navigation .......................................................................................... 4-4
Navigation Hierarchy................................................................................................................ 4-5
Site Structure, URLs and File Names ....................................................................................... 4-8
Familiar Navigation Conventions ........................................................................................... 4-10
Guided Navigation .................................................................................................................. 4-10
Navigation Action Plan........................................................................................................... 4-11
Lesson 4 Review ..................................................................................................................... 4-15
Lesson 5: Web Graphics............................................................................................................ 5-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ........................................................................................................ 5-2
Web Site Images ....................................................................................................................... 5-3
Version 6.07
vi
Version 6.07
vii
Version 6.07
viii
Version 6.07
ix
Lesson 20: Site Development with Dreamweaver 4.0 Advanced Features .................... 20-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 20-2
Rollover Images in Dreamweaver .......................................................................................... 20-3
Dreamweaver Web Forms ...................................................................................................... 20-6
Dreamweaver Behaviors....................................................................................................... 20-10
Modifying Layers in Dreamweaver ...................................................................................... 20-15
Dreamweaver Library ........................................................................................................... 20-19
Editing HTML in Dreamweaver........................................................................................... 20-21
Jump Menus in Dreamweaver .............................................................................................. 20-22
Macromedia Dreamweaver Exchange .................................................................................. 20-25
Lesson 20 Review ................................................................................................................. 20-28
Lesson 21: Web Pages with Macromedia HomeSite 5.......................................................... 21-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 21-2
Macromedia HomeSite 5 ........................................................................................................ 21-3
HomeSite Templates............................................................................................................... 21-5
Handling Files in HomeSite.................................................................................................... 21-7
Tag-Editing Features in HomeSite........................................................................................ 21-12
Lesson 21 Review ................................................................................................................. 21-17
Lesson 22: Images with Jasc Paint Shop Pro ........................................................................ 22-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 22-2
Introduction to Jasc Paint Shop Pro ........................................................................................ 22-3
Adding Text to an Image File in Paint Shop Pro ................................................................. 22-12
Special Effects in Paint Shop Pro ......................................................................................... 22-13
Decreasing Color Depth with Paint Shop Pro....................................................................... 22-15
Cropping Images in Paint Shop Pro...................................................................................... 22-22
Creating Screen Captures in Paint Shop Pro......................................................................... 22-31
Creating Animated GIF Images in Paint Shop Pro............................................................... 22-33
Lesson 22 Review ................................................................................................................. 22-41
Lesson 23: Multimedia with Macromedia Flash 5.0............................................................. 23-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 23-2
Macromedia Flash................................................................................................................... 23-3
Flash Shapes............................................................................................................................ 23-8
Color and Fills in Flash......................................................................................................... 23-13
Lesson 23 Review ................................................................................................................. 23-19
Lesson 24: Multimedia with Flash 5.0 Timeline and Layers .......................................... 24-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 24-2
Flash Timeline ........................................................................................................................ 24-3
Flash Layers ............................................................................................................................ 24-5
Saving and Publishing Flash Movies...................................................................................... 24-7
Lesson 24 Review ................................................................................................................... 24-9
Lesson 25: Multimedia with Flash 5.0 Symbols and Buttons ......................................... 25-1
Pre-Assessment Questions ...................................................................................................... 25-2
Flash Symbols......................................................................................................................... 25-3
Flash Buttons .......................................................................................................................... 25-7
Version 6.07
Version 6.07
xi
Version 6.07
xii
List of Labs
Lab 1-1: Creating a basic Web page ............................................................................................ 1-8
Lab 5-1: Optimizing images for Web use.................................................................................. 5-14
Lab 7-1: Creating a vision statement ........................................................................................... 7-9
Lab 7-2: Developing tactics to support your strategy................................................................ 7-11
Lab 7-3: Developing the functions of a Web site ...................................................................... 7-12
Lab 8-1: Mindmapping a Web site .............................................................................................. 8-5
Lab 11-1: Creating a simple HTML table.................................................................................. 11-7
Lab 11-2: Creating a complex HTML table .............................................................................. 11-8
Version 6.07
xiii
Version 6.07
xiv
Lab 19-8: Importing Microsoft Word HTML into Dreamweaver ........................................... 19-25
Lab 19-9: Creating frames in Dreamweaver............................................................................ 19-29
Lab 20-1: Creating rollover images in Dreamweaver................................................................ 20-3
Lab 20-2: Creating Web forms in Dreamweaver....................................................................... 20-6
Lab 20-3: Applying behaviors in Dreamweaver...................................................................... 20-11
Lab 20-4: Modifying layers in Dreamweaver.......................................................................... 20-16
Lab 20-5: Dragging layers in Dreamweaver............................................................................ 20-17
Lab 20-6: Adding objects to the Dreamweaver Library .......................................................... 20-19
Lab 20-7: Editing HTML code manually in Dreamweaver..................................................... 20-21
Lab 20-8: Creating jump menus in Dreamweaver................................................................... 20-23
Lab 21-1: Modifying the default template in HomeSite............................................................ 21-9
Lab 21-2: Using the blank document in HomeSite.................................................................. 21-14
Lab 22-1: Opening and converting an image file in Paint Shop Pro ......................................... 22-9
Lab 22-2: Adding text and special effects to an image with Paint Shop Pro........................... 22-16
Lab 22-3: Cropping images in Paint Shop Pro ........................................................................ 22-23
Lab 22-4: Working with layers in Paint Shop Pro................................................................... 22-24
Lab 22-5: Creating transparent images in Paint Shop Pro....................................................... 22-29
Lab 22-6: Creating animated images in Paint Shop Pro .......................................................... 22-34
Lab 23-1: Using the Flash interface, toolbars and palettes........................................................ 23-6
Lab 23-2: Adding shapes to the Flash stage .............................................................................. 23-9
Lab 23-3: Changing colors, fills and gradients in Flash .......................................................... 23-14
Lab 24-1: Identifying frames in Flash ....................................................................................... 24-4
Lab 24-2: Using layers in Flash ................................................................................................. 24-6
Lab 24-3: Saving Flash movies.................................................................................................. 24-7
Lab 25-1: Creating symbols in Flash ......................................................................................... 25-3
Lab 25-2: Using Flash Library buttons...................................................................................... 25-7
Lab 25-3: Creating buttons using Flash shapes ....................................................................... 25-10
Lab 25-4: Creating buttons in Flash using imported images ................................................... 25-12
Lab 25-5: Customizing the Flash movie library ...................................................................... 25-15
Lab 26-1: Creating a straight-line motion tween in Flash ......................................................... 26-4
Lab 26-2: Creating path motion tweens in Flash ..................................................................... 26-10
Lab 26-3: Creating shape tweens in Flash ............................................................................... 26-14
Lab 26-4: Creating a text tween in Flash ................................................................................. 26-17
Lab 27-1: Creating a Flash movie clip....................................................................................... 27-3
Lab 27-2: Adding sound to a Flash movie............................................................................... 27-18
Lab 27-3: Resizing the Flash stage .......................................................................................... 27-20
Lab 27-4: Importing a Flash movie into an HTML page......................................................... 27-22
Lab 27-5: Testing for the Flash plug-in ................................................................................... 27-24
Lab 28-1: Creating tell targets in Flash...................................................................................... 28-3
Lab 28-2: Creating mask layers in Flash ................................................................................... 28-6
Lab 29-1: Using the JavaScript alert() method ........................................................................ 29-11
Lab 29-2: Using the JavaScript prompt() method.................................................................... 29-14
Lab 29-3: Determining navigator object properties with JavaScript ....................................... 29-19
Lab 29-4: Creating a sniffer and redirection with JavaScript .................................................. 29-21
Lab 29-5: Preloading images with JavaScript ......................................................................... 29-23
Lab 30-1: Using DHTML with Microsoft Internet Explorer................................................... 30-10
Version 6.07
xv
List of Figures
Figure 1-1: Basic Web page structure.......................................................................................... 1-9
Figure 2-1: Inverted pyramid style .............................................................................................. 2-4
Figure 2-2: Left-margin layout (traditional) ................................................................................ 2-7
Figure 2-3: Top-margin layout..................................................................................................... 2-7
Figure 2-4: Distributed left- and top-margin layout .................................................................... 2-8
Figure 2-5: Right-margin layout .................................................................................................. 2-8
Figure 2-6: Distributed layout...................................................................................................... 2-9
Figure 2-7: Site displayed at 640x480 resolution ...................................................................... 2-13
Figure 2-8: Site displayed at 800x600 resolution ...................................................................... 2-13
Figure 2-9: Site displayed at 1024x768 resolution .................................................................... 2-13
Figure 2-10: Site displayed on WebTV ..................................................................................... 2-14
Figure 2-11: Basic color combinations ...................................................................................... 2-18
Figure 2-12: Serifs ..................................................................................................................... 2-22
Figure 2-13: Sans serifs ............................................................................................................. 2-22
Figure 2-14: Plain text next to anti-aliased text ......................................................................... 2-24
Figure 4-1: Navigation toolbar..................................................................................................... 4-6
Figure 4-2: Labeled icons ............................................................................................................ 4-6
Figure 4-3: Sample company Web site directory structure ......................................................... 4-8
Figure 4-4: Expanded directory structure .................................................................................... 4-9
Figure 4-5: A well-designed site................................................................................................ 4-11
Figure 5-1: Magnified view of bitmap image .............................................................................. 5-5
Figure 5-2: Vector image using mathematical interpretation ...................................................... 5-6
Figure 5-3: SVG image file syntax ............................................................................................ 5-11
Figure 5-4: NetMechanic Improve Your Site ...................................................................... 5-15
Figure 5-5: Entering URL to test images................................................................................... 5-16
Figure 5-6: Downloading and evaluating images ...................................................................... 5-17
Figure 5-7: Image evaluation report .......................................................................................... 5-18
Figure 5-8: Selecting an image file size from report ................................................................. 5-18
Figure 5-9: Scrolling through image versions ........................................................................... 5-19
Figure 5-10: Saving the preferred optimized image .................................................................. 5-19
Figure 6-1: Relationship between file size and media format ................................................... 6-12
Figure 7-1: Skills contributing to Web design teams................................................................... 7-4
Figure 7-2: International Olympic Committee .......................................................................... 7-14
Version 6.07
xvi
Version 6.07
xvii
Version 6.07
xviii
Version 6.07
xix
Version 6.07
xx
Figure 19-6: Home page with first four layers and background colors ..................................... 19-8
Figure 19-7: Image Properties palette........................................................................................ 19-8
Figure 19-8: Hotspot palette ...................................................................................................... 19-9
Figure 19-9: Home page with image map and links ................................................................ 19-10
Figure 19-10: Saving home page as WC Web template .......................................................... 19-11
Figure 19-11: Body of document layer.................................................................................... 19-11
Figure 19-12: Layers Inspector................................................................................................ 19-12
Figure 19-13: Editor window with layers hidden .................................................................... 19-13
Figure 19-14: Inserting page header layer ............................................................................... 19-14
Figure 19-15: Home page with header layer inserted.............................................................. 19-15
Figure 19-16: Adding main content area layer ........................................................................ 19-16
Figure 19-17: Insert Table button in Objects palette ............................................................... 19-17
Figure 19-18: Expanding table to fill layout area .................................................................... 19-18
Figure 19-19: Finished page .................................................................................................... 19-19
Figure 19-20: Content placed in Mints page............................................................................ 19-21
Figure 19-21: Cells evenly distributed..................................................................................... 19-22
Figure 19-22: Bottom of Mints page with level borders and text............................................ 19-23
Figure 19-23: Bottom of History page with level borders and text ......................................... 19-24
Figure 19-24: Determining Word version for HTML cleaning ............................................... 19-25
Figure 19-25: HTML cleaning report ...................................................................................... 19-26
Figure 19-26: About page ........................................................................................................ 19-27
Figure 19-27: Changing menus from Common to Frames ...................................................... 19-28
Figure 19-28: Objects palette Frames menu ............................................................................ 19-29
Figure 19-29: Selecting left-side table of contents frame........................................................ 19-30
Figure 19-30: Creating frameset .............................................................................................. 19-31
Figure 20-1: Coins page with blank table .................................................................................. 20-4
Figure 20-2: Insert Rollover Image dialog box.......................................................................... 20-4
Figure 20-3: Changing Objects palette to Forms menu ............................................................. 20-6
Figure 20-4: Selecting Insert Form icon from Objects palette .................................................. 20-7
Figure 20-5: Red line indicating form area on page .................................................................. 20-7
Figure 20-6: Objects palette Forms menu selections................................................................. 20-8
Figure 20-7: Page with Name text box added............................................................................ 20-8
Figure 20-8: Page with additional form elements...................................................................... 20-9
Figure 20-9: Behaviors Inspector............................................................................................. 20-10
Figure 20-10: Naming image in Properties palette .................................................................. 20-11
Figure 20-11: Selecting Change Property in Behaviors Inspector........................................... 20-11
Figure 20-12: New properties in Change Property dialog box ................................................ 20-12
Figure 20-13: Behaviors Inspector with event and action listed.............................................. 20-12
Figure 20-14: Changing event to onMouseOver ..................................................................... 20-13
Figure 20-15: New values in Change Property dialog............................................................. 20-14
Figure 20-16: Behaviors Inspector with two events and actions listed ................................... 20-14
Figure 20-17: Changing event to onMouseOut ....................................................................... 20-15
Figure 20-18: Set Text of Layer dialog box............................................................................. 20-16
Figure 20-19: Selecting layer to allow dragging...................................................................... 20-18
Figure 20-20: Dragging image object into Library Inspector.................................................. 20-19
Figure 20-21: Dragging text object into Library Inspector...................................................... 20-20
Version 6.07
xxi
Version 6.07
xxii
Version 6.07
xxiii
Version 6.07
xxiv
Version 6.07
xxv
Figure 38-8: Successful publication alert with link to site ...................................................... 38-11
Figure 38-9: Dreamweaver Site window ................................................................................. 38-12
Figure 38-10: Define Site dialog box....................................................................................... 38-12
Figure 38-11: Site Definition for World Coins........................................................................ 38-13
Figure 38-12: Connect button in Site window......................................................................... 38-13
Figure 38-13: Connection to server established in Site window ............................................. 38-14
List of Tables
Table 2-1: Page size and response time ..................................................................................... 2-11
Table 2-2: RGB and hexadecimal code value examples ........................................................... 2-17
Table 2-3: Browser-safe color palette........................................................................................ 2-19
Table 2-4: Browser-safe color intensities .................................................................................. 2-20
Table 5-1: Image file formats ...................................................................................................... 5-8
Table 6-1: Audio file types .......................................................................................................... 6-6
Table 9-1: Web site characteristics .............................................................................................. 9-5
Table 13-1: Values of <META> tag HTTP-EQUIV and CONTENT attributes....................... 13-6
Table 14-1: Changeable style elements ..................................................................................... 14-6
Table 14-2: CSS2 features ....................................................................................................... 14-15
Table 17-1: Map images and link files ...................................................................................... 17-6
Table 20-1: Rollover locations and file names for Coins page.................................................. 20-5
Table 20-2: Links and information to enter in Behaviors Inspector........................................ 20-17
Table 20-3: Names and URLs for jump menu selections ........................................................ 20-24
Table 29-1: Comparison of JavaScript and Java........................................................................ 29-6
Table 29-2: Windows attributes accessible with the open() method ....................................... 29-16
Table 29-3: Properties of navigator object............................................................................... 29-18
Table A29-1: Pseudo-code example ........................................................................................ 29-32
Table 30-1: Objects and events supported in both browsers ..................................................... 30-8
Version 6.07
xxvi
Course Description
Design Methodology and Technology teaches you how to design and publish Web sites. In this
course, you will work with popular production tools such as Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia
Dreamweaver and Flash. You will study design technologies such as Dynamic HTML, cascading
style sheets, JavaScript, Java applets, plug-ins and multimedia. You will also explore the
extensibility of design tools, incompatibility issues surrounding these tools, and the functionality
of current Web browsers.
This course will also teach you to manage the Web site development process. Web design
requires a strategy different from other mass media. In this course, you will approach the design
process from the perspective of Web site users. You will take the role of Web designer and
project manager, and you will work through the Web site development process by evolving a
Web presence site into a working prototype Web project.
This course provides a balance of training in theory, technology, project management, and
hands-on development. The skills and concepts taught in this course enable corporations to
overcome the challenges of bringing mission-critical business information to the Internet and
intranet environments.
Length
Design Methodology and Technology is a 30-hour course.
Series
Design Methodology and Technology is a single course representing the CIW Site Designer
series. This series is part of the Master CIW Designer track.
Prerequisites
Prior to taking this course, students should complete the CIW Foundations series of courses or be
able to demonstrate equivalent Internet and HTML knowledge.
Version 6.07
xxvii
ProsoftTraining Courseware
This coursebook was developed for instructor-led training and will assist you during class. Along
with comprehensive instructional text and objectives checklists, this coursebook provides easyto-follow hands-on labs and a glossary of course-specific terms. It also provides Internet
addresses needed to complete some labs, although due to the constantly changing nature of the
Internet, some addresses may no longer be valid.
The student coursebook is organized in the following manner:
course title
table of contents
list of labs
list of figures
list of tables
lessons
lesson objectives
pre-assessment questions
narrative text
graphics
tables and figures
warnings
tech notes
labs
graphics
tables and figures
warnings
tech notes
lesson summary
lesson review
appendixes
glossary
index
supplemental CD
Version 6.07
xxviii
When you return to your home or office, you will find this coursebook to be a valuable resource
for reviewing labs and applying the skills you have learned. Each lesson concludes with
questions that review the material. Lesson review questions are provided as a study resource only
and in no way guarantee a passing score on CIW exams.
The course is available as either an academic or a learning center version. Each of these versions
has an instructor book and student books. Check your book to verify which version you have,
and whether it is an instructor or student book. Following is a brief discussion of each version.
Version 6.07
xxix
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
Explain and implement Web design concepts, including page layout, multimedia, font and
color selection, graphic images, audience usability, file hierarchy, and navigation.
Manage the Web site development process, develop a Web strategy with goals and tactics to
support it, and implement techniques such as mindmapping and the site metaphor concept.
Choose and implement basic Web technologies, such as HTML tables and frames, metadata,
and Cascading Style Sheets.
Use Web production applications and tools to create and manage pages and sites, create
animated GIFs, edit graphic image files, and create multimedia files.
Explain and implement advanced Web technologies, including scripting languages, Dynamic
HTML, Extensible Markup Language (XML), server-side technologies, Java applets, and
plug-ins.
Explain the functions of Web servers, server administration ports, cookies, databases, and
database management systems.
Identify the Internet governing organizations, research Internet standards, and register a
domain name.
Compare in-house Web site hosting to hosting with an Internet Service Provider, and publish
sites to the Web using various tools and techniques.
Version 6.07
xxx
Classroom Setup
Your instructor has probably set up the classroom computers based on the system requirements
listed below. Most software configurations on your computer are identical to those on your
instructor's computer. However, your instructor may use additional software to demonstrate
network interaction or related technologies.
System Requirements
Hardware
The following table summarizes the hardware requirements for all courses in the CIW program.
Each classroom should be equipped with enough personal computers to accommodate each
student and the instructor with his or her own system.
Note: The CIW hardware requirements are similar to the lowest system requirements for
Microsoft implementation (Level 1 requirements) except that CIW requires increased hard disk
space (8 GB) and RAM (128 MB). This comparison may be helpful for the many training centers
that implement CIW and are also CTEC because personnel at these centers are familiar with the
Microsoft hardware specifications.
CIW hardware specifications
Processor
L2 cache
256 KB
Hard disk
RAM
At least 128 MB
CD-ROM
32X
Sound card/speakers
Video adapter
At least 4 MB
Monitor
15-inch monitor
Network hubs
Router
Version 6.07
xxxi
Software
The recommended software configurations for computers used to complete the labs in this book
are as follows.
*Note: FrontPage 2002 can also be used to teach this course. FrontPage 2002 is compatible
with FrontPage 2000 and few (if any) changes are necessary in the labs. The major differences
between FrontPage versions occur in the reporting function, which is not the course's focus. This
course focuses on the Web site design functionality of the product, which is essentially the same
for both software versions.
Connectivity
Internet connectivity is required for this course. The minimum requirement is a modem and an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) account. However, you will experience improved results with a
56-Kbps modem with a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) account through an ISP, or a direct
Internet connection. The instructor can provide more information on specific issues regarding
hardware, software and network requirements if needed.
Version 6.07
xxxii
Technology terms defined in the margins are indicated in bold the first time
they appear in the text. Not every word in bold is a term requiring definition.
Exercise Text
Text that you enter in an exercise appears in bold. Names of components that
you access or change in an exercise also appear in bold.
Notations
Program Code
or Commands
Version 6.07
Section I:
Web Design
Concepts
An effective Web site is much more than a technological creation. As a developer, your job is to
shape the Web user's experience and present useful content in a way that is interesting,
aesthetically pleasing, and easy to digest.
To accomplish these goals, you should begin the development process by considering how you
will present your content to the world. The first section of this course discusses Web design
aspects prior to the site production process. These issues include page layout, multimedia
implementation, color, and graphic selections.
1Lesson 1:
Overview of Web Design
Concepts
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Define the relationship between Web technology and design concepts.
Identify the current direction and application of Web technology and design.
Identify the differences between Web tools and technology.
Use your HTML skills to create a basic Web page.
1-2
Pre-Assessment Questions
1. By its nature, the Internet is:
a.
b.
c.
d.
transactional.
linear.
passive.
self-reflective.
Dynamic HTML
Data-centric research
Sophisticated multimedia
Data-driven content
Version 6.07
1-3
Web Technology
The Web technology that we now enjoy is one of humankind's most empowering
developments. This technology empowers both the message sender and the
message recipientin other words, the publisher of content and the reader of that
content.
Many people now turn to the Web to find information in their daily lives, rather
than using the telephone or other traditional means. The Web allows information
to be disseminated with speed, accuracy and detail. Web addresses are now
included in most businesses' radio, television and print ads, offering customers a
more personalized and specific method of information access to assist in learning
and decision making.
It is the Web designer's responsibility to convey the appropriate message to
recipients; thus the concepts of design are as important as the content itself.
For long-time Web users, the transformation of Web design is clear. Early sites
consisted of lengthy, plain-textual content. This trend evolved into developed
design practices that rival other ad media such as television and print.
To be competitive, people in technical positions (and those who support them)
must be familiar with Web design concepts. Everyone in the modern office
environment will contribute to the development of the information infrastructure.
Tools and technologies abound to make Web page design easier. Designers must
choose the tools that will give them the competitive edge for their organizations.
Version 6.07
1-4
Mass media is mostly passive. Its goal is to create in the viewer or reader enough
interest that eventually he or she will translate that interest to a desired
transaction. In essence, the act of reading a magazine or watching a television
program is not inherently transactional; an interruption exists between the act of
reading or viewing and the act of transaction. The only transaction required from
readers or viewers is to read a particular book or magazine, or watch a TV
program. Thus, creating information for mass media requires a different strategy
than creating information for the Internet.
By its nature, the Internet is transactional. The entire Internet experience, from
logging on to Web browsing, is predicated on user requests and server
responsesin other words, transactions. Furthermore, by its nature the Internet is
non-linear. The user constantly makes transactional decisions, first leading to the
site, then staying within the site, conducting e-commerce, and finally deciding to
return to the site. However, users can switch to another siteand another
businessany time they choose.
Version 6.07
1-5
Several years back, there was much debate about whether or not to use specialized
tools to help the Web development process. Now, however, many of the HTMLediting tools and WYSIWYG editors are in their third and fourth generations, and
have become very sophisticated applications. The debate is no longer whether
designers should use these tools, but rather which tools they should use.
Ideally, a combination of manual coding and WYSIWYG functionality is the best
option from today's development perspective. It simply takes too much time to
develop a dynamic site by manually coding HTML alone. The need for constantly
updated information and design on both a corporate Web site and an intranet or
extranet site necessitates an alliance between the two methods of site design.
Two WYSIWYG design tools stand out in the marketplace today: Macromedia
Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage. Throughout this course, you will explore
these two tools and consider the features that will maximize your organization's
HTML development efficiency. We will discuss the design options in both
programs, as well as the more important features for site management. These
powerful site management tools give both programs a competitive edge in the
industry, which is why they were chosen for demonstration in this course.
Generally, many tools are used in unison for Web development; this course
focuses on the collaborative application aspect of Web design. For more advanced
topics such as images and animation, other applications will be used to facilitate
rapid development. Macromedia Flash is another product that is increasing in
popularity and functionality, and it is also profiled in this course. Flash enables
media-rich content to be delivered while also conserving bandwidth, which is a
valuable commodity to the Web designer.
Version 6.07
1-6
Version 6.07
1-7
New Technologies
Dynamic HTML
(DHTML)
A combination of
scripts and HTML
objects that
provides Web site
interactivity.
Soon after you learn the different tools available for designing Web sites, you will
need to evaluate those tools for their abilities to function at the next level. Both
Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver implement Dynamic
HTML (DHTML) functions that will take advantage of available technology.
We will discuss other recent technologies in this course as well, such as
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), the new browsers, the Extensible Markup
Language (XML), and the use of JavaScript in your Web design for further
functionality. In addition, we will discuss the World Wide Web Consortium's
advancement of the newest standards, and the ways in which browser
manufacturers contribute to development of new technologies.
Remember that you will use several tools to develop Web sites in this course. The
goal of this course is not to make you an expert user of these tools, but to give you
enough information about the key components of each tool that you can make
educated decisions about which tool will most benefit your organization's needs.
Version 6.07
1-8
Table
Font
Image
2. To recreate the page shown, the following images are provided on your
supplemental CD-ROM in the lesson-01 folder:
ciw-logo.gif
arrow.gif
ciw-administrator.gif
ciw-developer.gif
ciw-designer.gif
The following colors were used to create the sample Web page:
Blue (#336699)
White (#FFFFFF)
Version 6.07
1-9
3. Use your creativity to modify your page. Your page's basic structure should
resemble Figure 1-1. Try to recreate the page without looking at the code in
the following step. Refer to that code only as necessary.
4. Notepad: To recreate the page shown in the preceding figure, open the file
skills.htm from the lesson-01 folder on your supplemental CD-ROM. This
file includes HTML code that will serve as a template for page creation.
The following code was used to create the sample Web page:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>CIW Certification</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF">
<A HREF="http://www.ciwcertified.com"><IMG SRC="ciw-logo.gif"
WIDTH="98" HEIGHT="71" BORDER="0"></A>
<P>
Version 6.07
1-10
<FONT SIZE="5">
CIW Certification</FONT>
offers individuals the ability to benchmark and improve their
Internet technology skills while earning a certification that
will enhance a career. CIW courses and curriculum offer the
following advantages over other training options. Also see
<A HREF="http://www.ciwcertified.com">CIWcertified.com.</A>
<P>
<TABLE WIDTH="70%" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0">
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="20%" ALIGN="center"><IMG SRC="arrow.gif"></TD>
<TD WIDTH="80%"><B>Job role</B> oriented curriculum</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="20%" ALIGN="center"><IMG SRC="arrow.gif"></TD>
<TD WIDTH="80%">Industry wide <B>recognition</B></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="20%" ALIGN="center"><IMG SRC="arrow.gif"></TD>
<TD WIDTH="80%"><B>Hands-on</B> learning </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD WIDTH="20%" ALIGN="center"><IMG SRC="arrow.gif"></TD>
<TD WIDTH="80%"><B>Real-world</B> scenarios &
applications</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>
CIW offers Master certification training in the following job
roles:
<TABLE WIDTH="100%"
border="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" ALIGN="center">
<TR BGCOLOR="#336699" ALIGN="center">
<TD><B><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">
CIW Master Administrator
</FONT></B></TD>
<TD><B><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">
CIW Master Application Developer
</FONT></B></TD>
<TD><B><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF">
CIW Master Designer
</FONT></B></TD>
</TR>
<TR BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" ALIGN="center">
<TD><IMG SRC="ciw-administrator.gif"></TD>
<TD><IMG SRC="ciw-developer.gif"></TD>
<TD><IMG SRC="ciw-designer.gif"></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
Version 6.07
1-11
Lesson Summary
Application project
This lesson defined the primary goal in Web design as giving users what they
want. Consider a Web site that you enjoy using. How does this site give you what
you want? For what purpose do you visit the site? What aspects of the site make
you return?
Skills review
In this lesson, you were introduced to the concepts of Web technology and the
tools used to implement it. You also briefly considered new technologies and
strategies involved in Web design. Finally, you evaluated your HTML skills by
creating a basic Web page.
Now that you have completed this lesson, you should be able to:
Define the relationship between Web technology and design concepts.
Identify the current direction and application of Web technology and design.
Identify the differences between Web tools and technology.
Use your HTML skills to create a basic Web page.
Version 6.07
1-12
Lesson 1 Review
1. In relation to Web site design, what is the purpose of tools and
technologies?
_______________________________________________________________
2. Describe briefly why the Internet is transactional in nature, as opposed to
media such as magazines or television.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Web designers should design to provide users with a satisfying experience
when they visit the site. What is the primary goal that will achieve this?
_______________________________________________________________
4. Name three areas of growth in Web development over the last two years.
_______________________________________________________________
5. Is it advisable to use a lot of multimedia in your Web site design? Why or
why not?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Version 6.07