Web Authoring Assignment

The objective of this project is for you to demonstrate a reasonable proficiency in authoring documents for distribution on the World Wide Web (WWW) using HTML. You are to design and create a Web site of moderate size and install it on the Furman University student web server.

The subject of your site is left completely up to you. The only requirement is that it must have some focus. It cannot be a random collection of pages.

The web site that you create should have at least the following characteristics. It may contain additional features and enhancements at your discretion, and you are encouraged to experiment. Extra credit consideration will be given for features beyond these:

• A minimum of three HTML documents (i.e. pages) of your own creation, organized in a logical and easily navigated fashion. There must be an entry or home page that serves as the starting point with links to the other pages in your site. The use of a navigation bar is strongly suggested but not required.
• Content that meets or exceeds the content evaluation criteria discussed in class for the type of site that you create. (For example, your home page should identify who you are and some general information about you should be available on the site.)
• An overall design that meets or exceeds the design evaluation criteria discussed in class. This means the site should be appealing to the eye, should be readable, not too busy or too large (for downloading purposes), etc. It should also have a comprehensive and consistent layout including color and font schemes. Consult the site evaluation tutorial for more ideas.
• Links to at least two existing WWW sites. (For example, if your site is about a soccer team, you might create some links to various soccer sites.)
• Your own pages should include at least two images. At least one must be downloaded from the Web, and at least one must be of your own creation (via scanning, use of the digital camera, or original design). Photoshop must be used in a logical way to make sure that the images look their best (e.g., sharpened, cropped, etc.)
• The pages you create should exhibit at least the following features of HTML in a natural way:
  • the use of different heading levels;
  • the use of both bold and italicized text elements;
  • the use of centering;
  • a background different from the default browser (gray) background;
  • the use of an unordered or ordered list structure;
  • the use of horizontal rules (lines) OR
  • the use of at least one separator line downloaded from the Web;
  • the use of an icon (you may download one or draw one of your own in a graphics package like Fireworks) that serves as a link to another of your pages or another Web site (a good example is a "house" icon on your secondary pages that returns the reader/viewer to your home page);
  • the use of an e-mail link which will allow visitors to your site to send you mail;
  • the use of a clickable imagemap (with an image that you did not create using Photoshop or Fireworks); NOTE: some other use of image hotspots can be substituted for this;
  • the use of a borderless table for laying out a page (and/or for displaying statistical data of some kind);
• Your site should also include at least three of the following advanced Web authoring techniques:
  • the use of a clickable imagemap with an original Photoshop or Fireworks collage (composite of images that you put together);
  • the use of a thumbnail (small, low-resolution) image link to a high resolution photo of the same image;
  • the use of anchor links to specific places in pages;
  • the use of an interactive form that is processed via a script (for example, collecting data to be e-mailed to you, a discussion group, etc.);
  • the inclusion of a page counter (Hint: Google "free page counter" or "free hit counter" to find many options);
  • the use of an original animated GIF image;
  • the use of special image effects using Photoshop (filters beyond the basics like sharpening or blurring); this might include the design of a specialized logo for your site using special Photoshop techniques;
  • creative use of Dreamweaver behaviors;
  • the use of special sound effects using sound editing software, with the sound incorporated into a page using behaviors in an appropriate way;
  • the use of a Java applet that has been personalized in some way;
  • the use of a JavaScript application from Dynamic Drive or some other source, for example, some sort of calculator or on-line survey or quiz that fits logically into the theme of your site (this will be particularly notable if you make some changes to the application yourself);
  • the use of layers to accomplish some effect, such as hidden text or images that appear in response to some event (e.g. mouseover);
  • the use of a short digitized video, either captured from an existing source or created originally (using morphing software, for instance)
  • the use of animation, created using Dreamweaver timelines or a program like Adobe's Flash or Director.
• I will consider other features as replacements for these above, provided you discuss them with me ahead of time.
• I will consider features that go above and beyond what was required in an elegant and well-designed way for extra credit.

When you complete the Web site you must place it on the student Web server so it will be accessible on the Web. Be sure to test your site once it is loaded on the server by accessing its URL from your browser, then checking all its links and features.

Important note: This site should have its own folder in your server account, with its own index page (called index.html). When you upload it the first time, simply copy your entire folder to the student server. This is different from when you first uploaded your personal site for CSC-101, and you uploaded only the files, not the whole folder. The reason is that your personal site is the one that you want people to see when they go to your "root" or "home" directory -- http://students.furman.edu/~userID/. Specialized sites like this project should all have their own folder. (And the folder should have a logical, meaningful name, with no spaces or punctuation in it.)

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What you should turn in:

• As noted above, upload your entire project folder -- with a meaningful name -- to the student server when it is completed.
• When you've done this, put a link to your project in a prominent place on the home page of your personal web site. Once all the projects are turned in, links will be created to each of your home pages from the CSC-101 home page. (A link will be associated with your picture in the pictoral roster), so you can easily view your classmates' projects.
• Send me a brief (2-3 paragraph) e-mail description of the "not to be missed" highlights of your site, and a description of the "behind the scenes" work that you did to learn things on your own. Sell your site, in other words. Which features are you proudest of learning how to do? Which were the hardest to learn? Include the full URL of your project in this e-mail.

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Notes:

• As we learn more about image and sound processing and Web authoring in this class, you will have the opportunity to return to this project to make additional improvements and enhancements. However, if there is something you would like to know how to do now, just ask for instructions.
• We will be learning the Dreamweaver software package for Web authoring in this class. You need not use this tool for your project, however. You are free to use any other authoring tools to which you have access.
• You are expected to take full advantage of the features of whatever tool you choose, however. Don't do things the hard way if Dreamweaver (for instance) gives you a more elegant shortcut.