Website Design and Development Topics Covered
How the Internet Works
Our course starts off with an introduction into how the web works. You don’t need to be an IT professional to understand the basics of how information flows over the Internet, but it is important to have a solid working knowledge of the concepts. Websites contain information, and this section gives you a clear understanding of how that information gets to the users who need it.
Introduction to XHTML
What is XHTML and how is it different from plain old HTML? Why is it better? This class is vitally important because here we learn the latest markup language that drives the web, XHTML. In this part of the course we begin building our project site using XHTML and web standards laid down by the World Wide Web Consortium, an international community that develops standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web. You will be amazed at the power and simplicity of this easy to use markup language!
Classes Cover:
- Most commonly used elements
- Linking
- Lists
- Tables
- Forms
- Much more!
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets, commonly referred to as CSS, is its own language that allows us to change the look and feel of text, links, or any other element of a web page. This course section is truly exciting as we apply colors, borders, backgrounds and other style elements to our project site. You’ll learn how to build cool navigation menus and other tips and tricks to bring your website design to life!
Course Covers:
- Inline, embedded and linked styles
- Declaration types
- Working with fonts
- Styling forms
- Much more!
Introduction to Photoshop
Photoshop is an amazing program that can help you create stunning visual elements in your website design. In this course section we cover many topics including layers, transparency, image file types, image optimization, best practices and much, much more.
Classes Cover:
- JPG, PNG, GIF file types and when to use them
- Optimizing for the web
- Working with transparency
- Working with layers
- Much more!
Introduction to JavaScript
JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language that lets you design your web pages to interact with your users and respond to what they do. Though many web design courses do not include this class, JavaScript has become such an integral part of web design and development that it is nearly impossible to create a professional layout with a working knowledge of JavaScript.
Classes Cover:
- Script tags
- Methods and properties
- Events (onclick, etc.)
- Creating alert boxes
- Validating form information
- Much more!
Domain Name Registration
In this class we cover how to choose a domain name, where to register your domain name, and how to point your domain name to your website. DNS, Name Servers, and other important concepts are explained clearly and concisely.
Classes Cover:
- What is a registrar?
- What is DNS?
- Best practices for choosing a domain name
- Name Servers
- Pointing your domain to your site
Putting Your Site on the Internet
Who hosts the websites you design is a very important decision. Most clients turn to the web designer or developer to help them decide where to host their site. In this part of the course we give you all the information you need to pick a host with the right features for the job. Also covered is how to launch your site, best practices for FTP uploading, and many other details to insure an easy transition from your computer to fully functional website!
Class Covers:
- How to choose a web host
- Bandwidth, file storage and other considerations
- FTP upload
- Submitting to search engines
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Accessibility
A very important and often overlooked area of web design is making your site accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Throughout the entire course we look at ways to make your designs accessible. Furthermore, you will also learn some tips and tricks to make sure that your website design can be seen the way it was intended in all browsers and even hand-held devices including smart phones.
Class Covers:
- Accessibility elements and attributes
- Best practices for accessibility
- Cross-browser functionality
- Much much more!
Ecommerce with PayPal
Millions of businesses today rely solely on their site to generate income, and in this course section we learn how to accept credit cards with PayPal. The shopping cart, the checkout process, every aspect of creating an online store is all covered. By the time you have completed this section on our project site, you will have a complete understanding of how to sell on the web!
Class Covers:
- Setting up your PayPal account
- Create your online store
- PayPal “Add to cart”
- Validate the PayPal generated code
