Analysis and Design for Web Sites

CIS 475

Spring 2005

Department of Computer and Information Sciences

Towson University

Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1730 - 1845

Meeting Location: York Road – Room 104; Room 305 {when announced}

Professor: Adam Jones

Office: Terrace Dale, Suite 260, Room 207

E-Mail: arjones@towson.edu {this is the best way to contact me}

Phone: (410) 704 – 4909 {the front desk will direct your call}

Website: http://triton.towson.edu/~ajones5 or http://pages.towson.edu/arjones

Office Hours: 1600 – 1700 {Thursdays, in Room 104}

Also available upon request @ Terrace Dale

Objectives: The purpose of this course is to learn about the process of analysis and design for the World Wide Web. This course will take a user-centered approach to designing web sites. This course will focus on the entire life-cycle of a web site, from the idea of creating a web site, through requirements gathering, conceptual design, physical design, testing, and implementation.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

1. Define a web site mission and target user population

2. Collect the user requirements for a web site

3. Conceptually design an appropriate page and site design

4. Write the code to implement a web site

5. Perform usability testing on a web site

6. Successfully implement and manage a web site

Required Textbooks:

Lazar, J. (2001). User-Centered Web Development. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers

Niederst, J. (2001). (2^nd edition). Web Design in a Nutshell. Cambridge: O'Reilly and Associates

PLEASE NOTE: You may not earn credit for both CIS 475 and COSC 484

Group Web Site Project:

The major focus of this class is a real-world project. For this project, students will create a set of web pages for a club, office, school, or non-profit organization. Information on a number of potential community partners will be distributed to students. Students should work in groups of 3-5 people. At the end of the semester, students will get a chance to evaluate the performance of their team members. A number of deliverables will be due throughout the semester. These deliverables must look professional and be in a specific format. Templates in MS-Word format may be downloaded from the publisher’s web site: <http://www.webdesign.jbpub.com> All deliverables should be placed in a binder. The different deliverables should be clearly separated within the binder. Although there is a compiled list of possible community partners who are eager to work with students, student groups are free to choose their own community partner. Every class session in which a project deliverable is due, students will be required to give a quick informal presentation on the status of their project. In addition, each group will be required to give a formal presentation in the last week of class. Please note that any assignments that are incomplete will not be graded, but rather, will be returned to the students for completion.

Individual Resume Project:

Each student will be required to individually create web pages and place them on their Triton account. These web pages will take the form of a resume. There will be three deliverables on this project. Before class, on the date that each deliverable is due, students will be required to post a resume at the following URL: http://triton.towson.edu/~username/resume.html

Basic Resume:

Information on who you are, your job experience, leadership, clubs, awards, etc.

Resume with Navigation:

A more technically impressive resume. You should have a minimum of four web pages, and users should be given the opportunity to navigate through your site using either tables or frames (that is your choice). You should make more information available to users. Page layout must be consistent on all web pages.

Resume with JavaScript:

Your resume must include:

• A mouseover of your choosing

• Day of week, date, and month (and nothing else)

• External links that open up in another browser window, which is sized differently

• One other use of JavaScript (your choice)

When students turn in this assignment, they must specify where on their web site to find each of these specific uses of JavaScript.

Web Usability Report:

Each individual student will be required to write a 3-5 page (minimum, but not much longer) report on the usability of a specific web site. This is a short paper, so please no questions about spacing or margins; if you don't think it's long enough then you probably didn't cover everything. Students should choose a web site that is of interest to them. Students should discuss issues such as the download time, use of color, navigation, international issues, and accessibility. A full template for the usability report is available for download at: http://triton.towson.edu/~jlazar/classes.html

Academic Dishonesty:

The official Towson University policy on academic dishonesty is in the Undergraduate Catalog, read this if you haven't already. It includes cheating, plagiarism, and any other tom foolery involved with the integrity of your work. Don't do it. If you get caught you will at least 1) be reported and 2) fail the course with a non-negotiable zero. Also, any other steps that can be taken, will be taken. For certain assignments (including group projects) students may help each other, this will be explicitly stated as part of the assignment if allowed.

Grading:

Final semester grades will be determined as follows:

92 – 100 A

90 – 91.99 A -

87 – 89.99 B +

82 – 86.99 B

80 – 81.99 B -

77 – 79.99 C +

72 – 76.99 C

70 – 71.99 C -

67 – 69.99 D +

63 – 66.99 D

60 – 62.99 D -

Below 60 F

Please note that the +/- grading system is now required.

Percentage Breakdown:

Group Project 40%

5% Project Proposal

5% Plan for Collecting Requirements Due

5% Site Requirements/Preliminary Design Plan

10% Full Design Plan/Interface Prototype

5% Usability Testing Plan

10% Final Project / Presentation

Resume Project 30%

10% Basic Resume

10% Resume with Navigation

10% Resume with JavaScript

Usability Report 10%

Midterm 5%

Final 10%

Participation 5% (this includes the arbitrary whims of the professor, but you knew that already)

Professionalism:

Students are expected to be in the classroom when the session begins or at least when the professor arrives (whichever comes first). Assignments are generally due at the beginning of class. Assignments turned in at the end of the class period will be marked as late (in other words don't try to have an extra hour for working on an assignment by only showing up for the last 15 minutes of class). When assignments are turned in late, students will be marked down 10% per day that the assignment is late. Also, assignments may not be submitted via e-mail attachment without the prior permission of the professor. All materials submitted for this course should look professional. Projects should be submitted in binders or folders.

Repeating a course:

University policy requires that we inform you that students may not repeat a course more than once without prior permission of the Academic Standards Committee.

Posting of grades:

Please note that it is university and departmental policy not to post grades in a public place after the semester is completed. It is also departmental policy that the departmental office cannot distribute individual grades. You may access your grades online.

Attendance:

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of every class session. Absences are considered “excused” if they are for an illness, an illness or death of a relative, religious observances, or if you're really quite convincing with the argument that you could not make it to class. If documentation is provided for an “excused” absence, it will not count against you. Your first unexcused absence goes unnoticed, each additional unexcused absence will cause points to be deducted from your final grade at the end of the semester. Absences for job interviews are not excused.

Random Notes:

Standard policy for classrooms apply, no food or drink (particularly in the lab), turn off all cell phones and other devices, don't cause disruptions for other students. If you must fall asleep, don't make it noticeable and you are responsible for knowing the lecture material.