Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Other | 20 x 1 hour practical workshops (10 per semester) |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | For information on due dates for submission of assessed work, please refer to the departmental web pages at http://www.aber.ac.uk/tfts/duedates.shtml | |
| Semester Assessment | Assignment 2, website and documentation Resit Information | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Assignment 1, 2500 words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
to identify the strengths and weaknesses of major websites
to identify the extent to which form matched function in existing websites
to design a simple functional website appropriate to the purposes of a specific target user group
Brief description
This is an optional third-year module forming part of the MCS (Media and Communication Studies) degree. Its primary aim is to a) encourage an awareness of effective website design, bearing in mind the key purposes of specific target audiences and b) to develop practical approaches to such design. Most of the existing website design literature tends to offer 'universal' principles for effective web design but, as (for instance) market researchers will be quick to point out, what attracts and suits one audience will be quite inappropriate to another. We explore website design with a focus on this issue of matching sites to target audiences. Daniel Chandler established the MCS website at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/ and is a consultant to various market research companies. David Gregory, web development officer for the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, runs the practical workshops.
Content
-Deconstructing some of the most popular sites (commercial, informational, personal)
-Basic design principles and what makes a bad site
-Matching form to function and users
-Navigation models and input systems
-Page layout, colour and typography
-Use of graphics (still and animated)
-Use of sound
-Interactivity (in analysis of existing sites)
Reading List
Recommended TextBaggerman, Lisa (2001) Web Design That Works Gloucester, MA: Rockport Primo search Bruinsma, Max (2003) Deep Sites: Classic Principles of Cutting-Edge Web Design London: Thames & Hudson Primo search Forbes, Thom (2000) Webworks: Advertising-Not-So-Simple Basics for Web Designers Gloucester, MA: Rockport Primo search Lynch, Patrick J & Sarah Horton (2001) Web Style Guide New Haven: Yale University Press Primo search Mumaw, Stephen (2002) Simple Web Design Gloucester, MA: Rockport Primo search Nielsen, Jakob (2000) Designing Web Usability Indiapolis, IN: New Riders Primo search Nielsen, Jakob & Marie Tahir (2001) Homepage Usability: 55 Websites Deconstructed Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall Primo search Powell, Thomas (2000) Web Design: The Complete Reference New York: Osborne/McGraw-Hill Primo search Veen, Jeffrey (2001) The Art and Science of Web Design Indiapolis, IN: New Riders Primo search Chandler, Daniel 'Personal Home Pages and the Construction of Identites on the Web'. Paper for a conference of the Aberystwyth Post-International Group on the theme of Linking Theory and Practice: Issues in the Politics of Identity (9-11 September 1998 University of Wales, Aberystwyth) Primo search MCS website http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/ Semiotics for Beginners http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/ http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/webident.html Essential Reading
Module Website http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC31020/
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6