Build a website (40%)
Produce the site that you have envisioned, proposed and designed. Keep everything that we have discussed in class in mind, but remember that we are focusing on creating original sites that are easy to use in this class. The site will be a minimum of 18 web pages in size (separate html files) and a maximum of 30 pages (you can build a bigger site, but I'll stop marking at 30 pages). When your site is completed, email the URL to me at: marayner@uwo.ca. The following factors will weigh heavily in the final mark:
- originality and effectiveness of content
- download times
- ease of use
- browser compatibility
- persistent navigation & local navigation
- basic accessibility (alt tags) and good page title information
- content that is written for the web
- sensible file structure.
Due date:
Apr. 10, 5 pm*
Marking Criteria (Tentative)
- 18-30 separate html pages (you can go over 30 pages, but I'll stop marking there)
- original textual content (Not copied from other pages -- that is plagiarism. The same rules that apply for writing other kinds of assignments apply here.)
- if you base any of your content on other sources, please cite them in a separate "Sources" page, or "Links" page
- if you want to quote something directly, you must indicate that using quotes, or a <blockquote> and then cite the source
- you can find some tips on how to use the named anchor to do this more effectively here.
- navigation (see below)
- user friendly (see below)
- each page downloads in under 2 seconds (measured at 2 mb speed)
- gallery pages and multimedia will not be measured
- you can use developer tools in Chrome to test (also, Dreamweaver will show you)
- Site ID (logo, wordmark, tagline)
- Web maintainer email (or contact page)
- Last date updated (on home page, at least)
- Individual, unique & effective HTML page titles
- Long pages have “back to top” links
- Quality of alt tags on images
- clean file structure -- no capitals, spaces, and index pages for each content folder.
Navigation (also required elements)
- Site Map (shows all html pages) or Search function if you prefer
- Persistent Navigation
- Local Navigation (in sections with multiple pages - drop down menus are acceptable)
- Secondary text-only navigation (at bottom of page)
Usability
- Readability (font size)
- Readability (column size/margins/left aligned body text)
- Contrast (bg to text, images)
- Web friendly text (written for the web)
- Load time ( 30 seconds or under, measured at 56k)
- Browser compatibility & screen compatibility
- Broken links
- Avoid right scrolling, navigation below the fold: aim for the 1024px X 768px display size
- Site works without Javascript & Flash
Layout & Images
- Consistent: color use, design & typography
- Does it use Gestalt principles
- Avoid bad dithering, 'ghost box' syndrome
- Does it degrade gracefully -- what happens at lower/higher screen resolutions
- Overall impression
Content & Creativity
- Meets comms goals (if you change your topic, please describe your new comms goals and audience at the bottom of your site map)
- Quality of writing
- Quality of title tags
Overall Effectiveness of the website
Important note: Please remember to email me the URL when you're finished building your site. I won't be able to guess it! You can also make a link to it from your exercises home page. I will check that.