DIGITAL MEDIA WORKSHOP

Spring 2000 semester, University at Albany

Instructor: David Washburn

Room: Social Sciences 145

Time: Mondays, 7:15-10:05 p.m.

Phone: 587-7138 (home), 454-5787 (work)

e-mail: dwashburn@timesunion.com

Office: Humanities 363 (442-4051)

Course description

This course focuses on the science and art of editing and design required in today's world of digital journalism. We will look at the growing field of online publishing. This class is intended for anyone who is interested in the process, design, presentation and implementation of message-making through text, images and computer screens/interfaces. Attendance and class participation will count greatly toward final grade. This class will be done in a hands-on workshop atmosphere.

Goals

To provide students with an overview of HTML, online journalism and desktop publishing. To enhance students’ editing, design and computer skills.

Course overview

We'll break up the semester into three parts -- newspaper, magazine and online journalism. Each part will culminate in a final project. Sometimes we'll be working individually, sometimes as a large group and sometimes in smaller groups.

Part I -- Newspaper design

This part culminates with an individual final project due Feb. 28. You will redesign the newspaper front page of your hometown.

Part II -- Magazine design

This part culminates with a two-person final project due March 20. You and your partner will design a fictitious magazine cover.

Part III -- Online design

This part culminates in a three-person final project due May 8. You and your teammates will produce a university Web site that either publishes original campus stories or can be used as a resource by the journalism department. We'll start this project about one month into the semester and develop it throughout the rest of the semester.

Grading

Each of the three parts described above is worth 30 percent of your final grade. The other 10 percent is based upon attendance. You are allowed one unexcused absence. Two absences will result in a loss of five points; three absences results in a loss of 10 points; more than three absences means you will struggle to achieve a passing grade and hurt your teammates in the workshop atmosphere. Please be considerate.

Text book

"HTML for the World Wide Web" by Elizabeth Castro.

WEEK 1 Monday, Jan. 24

• Welcome and syllabus overview.
• Guidelines for computer use and file storage.
• Principles of print layout with attention to typography, graphics and headlines. We’ll look at layout and design rules, including modular design (think in terms of rectangles), use of headline sizes and fonts, use of boxes, use of rules and lines, use of multiple pictures on a page, package design (many elements for the same topic) and filling the space. Designing a page often can be like putting together a puzzle.
• Assignment: Draw, with pencil or pen and paper, the general layout design of five newspaper front pages. Bring your drawings and newspaper clippings to class Jan. 31.

WEEK 2 Monday, Jan. 31

• Turning thoughts into objects on the computer screen. We'll work on taking ideas and manipulating them. You'll learn how to layer objects, change sizes and change shapes to your advantage.
• Assignment: How would you have designed the coverage of Super Bowl XXXV on the front page of your newspaper? Design -- on computer -- a front page, either A1 or for sports, indicating what city your newspaper serves, for Jan. 31, 1999. Due Feb. 7.

WEEK 3 Monday, Feb. 7

• Second half of class: Review of Super Bowl assignment and work on newspaper final assignments.

WEEK 4 Monday, Feb. 14

No class Feb 21 -- University Holiday

WEEK 5 Monday, Feb. 28

• First half of class: Guest speaker, Tom Palmer, Editorial Art Manager, Times Union

• Selection of partners for magazine assignment.
• Continue work on newspaper project.

No class March 6 -- Spring break

WEEK 6 Monday, March 13

• Newspaper final project due. Share projects with classmates.

• Begin team work on magazine project.
• Introduction to HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), the standard language used for World Wide Web sites. Selection of teams for online assignment. Discussion of possibilities and restrictions of this project.
• Assignment: Read chapters 1, 2, 3 of text.

WEEK 7 Monday, March 20

• First half of class: Continue team work on magazine project. Time to ask questions.
• Review of chapters 1, 2, 3 of text. Team building -- design the structure and goals of your Web site using sticky notes.
• Assignment: Read chapters 4 and 5 of text.
• Assignment: Create at least three Web pages that could be used in part of your site. DO NOT create links. That will come later.

WEEK 8 Monday, March 27

• Magazine final project due. Share projects with classmates.

• Introducing images into your Web pages.
• Assignment: Read chapters 6 and 7 of text.
• Assignment: Choose your three favorite Web sites. Create an HTML page with the names of those sites, links to those sites and a description of what you like about it.

WEEK 9 Monday, April 3

• Continue team Web project.

• Analysis of local, national and international newspapers online. What works and what doesn’t. Roundtable discussion of "favorite" Web sites.
• In class exercise: Creating links on your Web site. Turning your static HTML pages into part of the Web.
• Assignment: Read chapters 8 and 9 of text.
• Assignment: Make all of your pages linked to and/or linked from.

WEEK 10 Monday, April 10

• Continue team Web project.
• In-class demonstration of how tables work and how to manipulate them.
• Assignment: Read chapter 10 of text.

• Assignment: Use tables in your Web pages, either ones you have already designed or new ones.

WEEK 11 Monday, April 17

• Continue team Web project.
• In-class demonstration of effective uses of frames.
• Assignment: Read chapter 18 of text.
• Assignment: Implement frames somewhere on your site.

WEEK 12 Monday, April 24

• Continue team Web project.
• In-class demonstration of JavaScript.
• Assignment: Read chapter 19 of text.
• Assignment: Implement JavaScript somewhere on your site.

WEEK 13 Monday, May 1

• A class that teaches students how to produce online resumes.
• Tips and tricks.
• Discussion of how the World Wide Web has changed publishing and created a competitive career field. How newspapers, magazines, TV and radio have reacted. A discussion of the future of publishing, on paper and the Internet.
• Continue team Web project.

WEEK 14 Monday, May 8

• Online final project due. We'll share our Web sites and comments with classmates.

WEEK 15 Monday, May 15

Final exam: Good news -- no class, no final exam. Have a productive summer.