DESN227 - Web Design

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit focuses on graphic design in the online environment of web browsers where the individual users interactive experience is central to the design process. Good web design creates meaningful and relevant contributions to all aspects of contemporary life. It must be innovative, appealing, accessible to everyone, and most importantly, intuitive to use.

In this unit you will plan, develop and produce a website project for online publication. Assessment tasks will guide you through the design process steps; to conduct appropriate research, planning and experimentation to produce a website proposal; to further develop your proposals concepts and resolve design issues using feedback and reflection to create a prototype; and finally to organise and implement the design choices into a functioning published website and communicate your design strategies. 

At the end of this unit you will have gained an understanding of current website structures and protocols and have developed technical competence with a variety of industry design software options used in web design.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - acquire and demonstrate competency in technical skills applicable to web design (GA4, GA5, GA10)

LO2 - demonstrate the ability to use design thinking strategies in a collaborative and iterative design process (GA4, GA5, GA7)

LO3 - communicate concepts, design solutions, and arguments clearly and concisely through visual, verbal and written means (GA4, GA5, GA9)

LO4 - interpret, represent and respond to the socio-economic and cultural contexts of web design and the ethical responsibilities of the professional designer (GA2, GA4, GA5)

Graduate attributes

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics may include:

• Concepts of web design
• Software skills in css and html
• Visual research and new historical and contemporary contexts
• Understanding the structure for an interactive/ web environment

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy and rationale for this unit is to create experiences through the assessment items that enable engagement with the graduate attributes addressing written and oral analysis and visual presentation. Participation in class critique and discussion allows students to test and express values, knowledge, skills to think critically and reflectively and develop design thinking strategies. The assessments are designed to address the learning outcomes relevant to graphic design in addition to instructional exercises in class to acquire technical design skills.

Assessment strategy and rationale

Assessment strategies for this unit are based on sustainable and authentic assessment projects that reflect graphic design industry practices and engage with principles of responsibility for the social good in line with ACU mission and ethical practices.

Assessment tasks engage students with a real-world client project that reinforce and apply skills and knowledge acquired in class exercises and feedback discussions so as to provide an experience of design solution thinking practices and methodologies that engage with the design process. There are three assessments each activating appropriate developmental standards and are also responsive to students’ individual skill levels, requiring reasonable workloads for students and staff.

Assessment submissions are moderated with a second lecturer so as to ensure fairness and measuring achievement at an appropriate standard that is inclusive and equitable for all students.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Required text(s)

http://lynda.acu.edu.au/

Recommended references

Anderson, J. (2009). Law, knowledge, culture: the production of Indigenous knowledge in intellectual property law. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar

Australian Council for the Arts. (2008). Visual arts: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian visual arts. Canberra: Australian Council for the Arts.

Foote, C. S. (2002). The business side of creativity: A complete guide to running a small graphic design or communications business. New York: W.W. Norton.

Hampshire, M. (2008). Signs and symbols. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision.

Livingston, A., (2003). The Thames & Hudson dictionary of graphic design and designers. London: Thames & Hudson.

Newark, Q. (2007). What is graphic design? Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision SA.

Twemlow, A. (2006). What is graphic design for? Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision.

Weinmann, E., & Lourekas, P. (2008). Dreamweaver for Windows and Macintosh, Visual Quickstart Guide. Berkeley CA: PeachPit Press.