Course Concept

When Hypermedia Production was introduced in 1996 it had three main purposes:

• To give students technical skills required for advanced Web design;
• To offer practical experience in on-line publishing;
• To promote an understanding of technologies and design practices currently emerging.

As Internet work became more sophisticated, the first of these objectives increasingly crowded out the other two, so that Hypermedia Production became largely a technical course in JavaScript and DHTML. Since we never meant the course to end up that way, we've introduced new advanced courses (e.g., Dynamic Web Sites and Interactive Multimedia) to teach matters formerly handled in Production, and have redesigned the introductory course to cover the basics of DHTML, scripting, and stylesheets.

These developments make it possible to restore the original idea behind Hypermedia Production: a course that unites research, technique, and publishing practice. In its fifth year, PBDS 664 goes back to its roots.

To begin with, we re-emphasize production. In this class we'll design and produce the first issue of a continuing, annual Web publication (about which more at the first class). Operating in small teams, students will produce the content, establish the information architecture, and create page designs. Each team will be assigned a topic relating to an emerging technology, business concept, or publishing practice. Content will include a general introduction to the subject (in the style of a "white paper"), an annotated sourcelist, and an interview with an expert or opinion leader. Groups may also wish to produce a small-scale practical demonstration or proof of concept for their subject.

At various points during the term the class may meet with practicing designers and field experts.

We'll still cover advanced Web production techniques, primarily JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets, and DHTML, but we'll learn these subjects in connection with actual production tasks -- designing layouts and navigation systems for the publication. Grades will be based on research and content production, applied design, and editing, as well as mastery of specific techniques.