projects

Professional Website

Create a professional website that features your written and multimedia work. In class, we’ll move through the following stages to build the site:

  1. Set up a domain and server at Reclaim Hosting.
  2. Download a text editor (e.g., Brackets) and an FTP program (e.g., Cyberduck).
  3. Learn HTML and CSS via tutorials at HTMLDog.
  4. Modify Story, an HTML/CSS template available at HTML5Up.
  5. Select your own template to modify, add your own content, and post at your URL.

Your website will be evaluated based on these criteria.

Multimedia Project

Create a substantial multimedia project to add to your HTML/CSS website. This project should give you a chance to explore a topic or a tool that interests you and that is relevant for your professional development. Through this project, you can showcase your knowledge and skills in an area that will help you advance your career.

In class we’ll go over three project ideas:

  1. WordPress: Create a WordPress blog that focuses on a specific topic, addresses a specific audience, and provides an opportunity for you to showcase your writing, design, and other skills. Link to the WordPress blog from your website. General guidelines for this project:
    • include at least 5 substantial blog entries, showing command of web writing style;
    • include multimedia elements in each blog entry (e.g., image, video, audio);
    • incorporate several WordPress plugins to enhance the content and design of your blog;
    • demonstrate web design skills in the overall look and navigation of your blog.
  2. Multimedia AI: After exploring a range of AI tools that generate multimedia (e.g., image, video, audio, or other), choose one tool for further exploration. Develop and demonstrate expertise using that AI tool, creating a webpage or PDF that you can link to from your website. General guidelines for this project:
    • produce and present content using the AI tool;
    • create an annotated list of helpful resources for learning the AI tool;
    • write a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the AI tool based on your experience;
    • (optional) use a screencasting program to create a tutorial for one aspect of the AI tool.
  3. Multimedia Software: Develop a multimedia project of your choice in which you learn or develop your knowledge of a software program, demonstrate your skill and knowledge, and write about the process. For instance, you can
    • create a story or a tutorial using a screencasting tool like Screencast-o-matic;
    • create a substantial multimedia project using one or more of the Knightlab storytelling tools;
    • showcase your Adobe skills by learning (or becoming more expert) in a program in their Creative Suite;
    • create a video on a topic that’s relevant for your professional interests;
    • develop another project in consultation with me.

General guidelines for this project:

  • produce and present content using the multimedia software program;
  • create an annotated list of helpful resources for learning this program;
  • write a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the program based on your experience;
  • (optional) use a screencasting program to create a tutorial for one aspect of the multimedia program.

4. Other: I’m open to other projects, such as creating another HTML/CSS website for an organization or business or person; diving into JavaScript and demonstrating your learning; creating another brand style guide (e.g., Anne Parayil’s Starbuck’s Re-brand). The main consideration is that the project be useful to you and also as substantial and challenging as the ones described above.