GDES45 Online - Final Project

See Dates on the Calendar

OBJECTIVE:

• Create a business related web site, or
• Create a website on your favorite book or movie..

The basic requirements are the same for both types of web sites.

A business related web site is a site that generates revenue or significant savings in some way. You have a choice of three types of business web sites:

OPTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEB SITE DESIGN:

• Company: A comprehensive web site that describes the company's products or services. The Site could include helpful features such as FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), job opportunities, online customer support, company mission statement, department profiles, current events, et cetera.
  
• Online store: A web site that sells a line of products (at least five products). The merchandise should be presented in an organized and attractive way. Each product should be presented with a complete description and price. A simple order form must also be included.
• Online Information Service: A web site that performs a service. Examples include movie review site, horoscopes site, and specialty newsletter.

OPTIONS FOR WEBSITE ON YOUR FAVORITE BOOK OR MOVIE:

• Make a website with information about your favorite book or movie.

To Do:

• Do Thumbnails to brainstorm different ideas for your design. You do not have to turn them in, but feel free to post them in the discussion forum to get feedback.
  • See Thumbnails Samples Here
• Do 3 comprehensives(comps) for the site. Do 1 for the home page and at least 2 other pages. (See Comps below and see Comp Samples Here). OR...
• Do a communication or creative brief for your website. See a communication brief worksheet and Go to "Web Redesign" for Creative Brief ideas. Click on Sample creative brief to see a sample. Another take on creative briefs can be seen here.
• Samples and instructions for the creative brief are also in the lessons folder.
  
• The comps OR written brief will be turned in for a grade.
• Thumbnails will not be turned in, but you should use them as a planning tool.
• Apply HTML features you have been learning through lectures and tutorials
• Combine the use of HTML and Image Editing software
• Beta Test the site
  

Comps or Communication Brief(10 Points):
Develop 3 comps that shows your intentions for your design

• For Comps
  • Look at examples from previous classes in the lessons folder.
  • Give me digital files.(psd, jpeg, pdf, or powerpoint)
  • Be sure that you will be able to get the images for all concepts in your proposal and storyboard.
  • Make sure to choose proper graphics, text and colours for the intended audience.
  • Comps should be in correct aspect ratio(shape) for the intended layout.
  • Comps should be of high enough quality to present to an actual client.
• For Communication Brief see above under To Do
• You only have to turn in the Communication Brief OR the Comps

Specs (10 points):
The Minimum Requirements Are

• At least 5 Pages
• 1 form
• CSS used for all layout and positioning of content, except where tables are appropriate
• At Least 3 Images not acquired from the Internet (should be original or scanned). You may also use images from the internet for the rest of the images.

Expectations:

• The web site must look professional, well organized, and stylistically consistent.
• It is important that you use the time allotted for the assignment wisely. Don't wait until the last week.
• Make sure that the design fits the content.
• Think about your target audience and their expectations.

Design & Finesse: (Refer to point totals at top of page)

• Communicate the message
• Design fits the content
• Proper optimization of images
• Good composition of pages
• Good colour harmony
• Good functionality/usability
• Intuitive and functional navigation
• Type should be legible, use appropriate fonts for the design
• Final Presentation to the class

User Testing

Update: No Beta Test scheduled Summer 13.

Important Notes:
It is a good idea, however, to show your work to other people throughout the design process to get a fresh perspective on what you are doing. You can't really tell how well your design is working for users because you made the site. You know how it works already. Explore whether other people 'get' your site, if they see what you want them to see, and how well they can use your site. You can do this all the way through the process from sketches to comps(image based mockups) to working versions.

Check out the book Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems by Steve Krug for tips on usability and user testing. It's a short and simple book.

See a video of an example usability test from the book here:
Rocket Surgery Made Easy - Steve Krug book/video on usability testing

Beta Test:
You will conduct a test of your site to determine, among other things:

1. How well it fulfills it's goals and communicates ideas.
2. The quality of the design.
3. The technical quality of the site.

Refer to the beta test information and form in your HTML Handout, and/or download information on the beta tests.
Get Beta Test Help/Description. Get Beta Test Form.