MassArt Fall 1999

SIM 3X3
Web Design for Artists

Tuesdays 6:30 pm- 9:30 p.m.

Room 310 - Tower Bldg.

Instructor: Nita Sturiale

Home phone: 617-625-9307

Office hours: Please make apt.

nita@artscience.org

www.massart.edu~nita

to weekly schedule | to online resources links

Course Description

This course is an introduction to website layout and construction directed towards fine artists that will use the web as a creative medium. You will learn technical skills by creating your own websites while also addressing conceptual issues related to this new and provocative medium for artists. This course explores the Internet and its cultural implications, the development and design of a website, including the graphics, text, and hypertext links, and other issues relating to effective Web site creation. Relevant historical background of the Internet will be discussed along with approaches for developing one's own artistic voice using this medium. Methods for planning a site through flow charts, storyboards, site maps, and prototypes will be covered in addition to implementing, updating and maintaining a Web site. An introduction to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and to Website layout software is addressed as well. If time allows, sound, animation, and the use of video clips will be introduced.

Course Objectives

  • To demonstrate an understanding of the Internet and World Wide Web, along with its historical and social implications.
  • To utilize computer technology in creating websites that demonstrate effective principles of design, with consideration to interface design, file size limitations, and content.
  • To create an effective functioning website that demonstrates good principles of design, navigation, etc. by devising a site plan, creating a flow chart, storyboards, script, and/or prototype.
  • To critique and analyze, in written and verbal form, examples of digital communication, personal work, and the work of others.

Topical Outline

Your Role In This Class

  • What are your expectations and questions?
  • What has been your experience with the web?
  • What are the instructor's expectations and questions for you?
  • How to search online for information you are interested in

Hardware and Software used for Internet Access

  • PCs and Macs
  • Different kinds of access (modems, cable, ISDN, T1, etc.)
  • Browsers
  • Development, graphics, video, sound and animation software
  • File Transfer Protocols
  • Bandwidth issues

Overview of the Internet

  • Brief history of the Internet
  • Social Implications
  • Audiences (colleges, industry, government, individuals)
  • What are its different parts, etc.?

Website Design

A. Issues in creating a Website

  • Purpose (commercial or non-commercial)
  • Audience
  • Structure, design, links, graphics, text, navigation, etc.

B. Website Design and Construction

  • Software for website construction and design (HTML, Visual Page, GoLive Cyberstudio, Flash, etc.)
  • Display speed issues for video, sound and animation
  • Text vs. "type as image" on a Web page
  • Linking
  • Security issues
  • Display of your website on different computers with different browsers
  • Maintaining and updating a site.

C. Multimedia possibilities

The Future of the Internet where artists are concerned…

Current, experimental uses of the Internet

 

Course Requirements

  • Be present in body - attend class.
  • Be present in mind - participate in class discussion.
  • Read the readings, take notes and be prepared to discuss the readings at length in class.
  • Completion of Midterm Self-Evaluation.
  • Be prepared to present your website in progress on presentation days.
  • A written Website Project Proposal.
  • Completion of a Website Project.

All the above is required in order to get credit for this course.

Sept 14

Introductions; Course Requirements; Chauvet Cave Art; Website Critique exercise; Computer lab logistics;

Tools

  • email account, ZIP disk, web search engines

Reading

  • "Casting The Net" , Hafner and Lyon

Assignment

  • Find 3 websites that you love or hate and tell us why - be specific.
  • For next week, bring in 3 images related to your interests

Sept 21

Web Architecture; Introduction to HTML; Tags; Create html document; see HTML STARTER KIT @ http://www.massart.edu/~nita;

Tools

  • TeachText, Netscape Navigator
  • Scanning, PhotoShop

Reading

  • "Internet Ills", Science News

Assignment

  • Create 3 html documents that link to each other

Sept 28

Organizing files. Scanning/PhotoShop Tutorial; Creating low memory graphics for the web; File formats.

Tools

  • PhotoShop

Assignment

  • Website Project Proposal and story board; include a description of your audience, what your intentions are and why you want to create this site. DUE OCT 19

Oct 5

Talk at MIT:

Tuesday, October 5 at 7:00pm
Tim Berners-Lee

MIT Humanities Library,
50 Vassar St., Kendall T Stop, Cambridge
FREE

Info: 617 253-5249 or authors@mit.edu.

The inventor of the World Wide Web and Director of the MIT-based W3 Consortium, in a rare public appearance, speaks about his book Weaving the Web: The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web by Its Inventor (Harper San Francisco).

Oct 12 PROPOSALS DUE

Content - what is your idea? Who is your audience?

Tools

  • Photoshop

Assignment

  • Design your front page in PhotoShop front page.
  • Bring in URLs of experimental and unique online projects for discussion.

Oct 19

Lab time and tech assistance;
Digital Artist Carmin Karasic visits! Check out her website - www.xensei.com/users/carmin

Tools

  • Visual Page

Assignment

  • Website part 1 due next week

Oct 26 Website Part 1 DUE

Present websites in progress.
  • Megan
  • Nishreen
  • Colleen
  • Maria

Assignment

  • Website Part 2 due November 16.

Nov 2 Mid Semester Warnings Issued


Labtime

Tools

  • Javascript for Rollover buttons

Reading

  • Javascript handout

Nov 9
Present websites in progress.
  • Pat
  • Steve
  • Colleen
  • Corey

Tools

  • Quick intro to Flash
Assignment
  • Try Flash - just try it….

Reading

  • Steven Johnson, Interface Culture

Nov 16

Present websites in progress.
  • Jackie
  • Jennifer
  • Renee
  • Diana

Tools

  • script for window size instructions

Assignment

Nov 23 Self-Evaluation DUE

Web Marketing! Visit from Eddie Donovan: web-marketing specialist from the corporate world. How can artists use their tools?

Presentations
  • Martina
  • Marie
  • Nishreen
  • Ben

Nov 30

Presentations
  • Megan
  • Jackie
  • Marie
  • Ben
  • Maria

Dec 7 Last Class - Finals DUE

Presentations
  • Colleen
  • Jennifer
  • Nishreen
  • Corey
  • Maria
  • Martina

 

Recommended Texts:

Any of the Visual Quickstart Guides, for Adobe PhotoShop, Flash, Golive Cyberstudio
Designing Web Graphics, Lynda Weinman

 

Check the class website for changes and additions:

www.massart.edu/~nita/

 

Online resources:

There are many links @ www.artscience.org/nita/links.html

Also -

World Wide Web Consortium www.w3.org

Boston Cyberarts Festival - many examples of web art www.boston.cyberarts.org

Cyberlaw and copyright issues www.ssrn.com/update/lsn/cyberspace/csl_lessons.html

various online resources and links to excellent design www.projectcool.com/

HEX color lists www.htmlgoodies.com/tutors/colors.html

 

Nita's Class Resources

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Nita Sturiale's Website

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