Last 2 classes

Thursday, 26th – Go Live/Publish site.
Brett will be in to help with any last minute problems.

May

Tuesday May, 1st - FINAL CRITIQUE

Deliverables for your final:

• Printed business or postcards. Please bring enough for everyone in the class to have one.
• Finished website
• Active email address
• Social Media accounts active (all profiles completed, portfolio created)
                    - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Bio to include your resume and artist statement
                    - Having your resume in an option to download (PDF) is a good idea as well.
• If needed/wanted additional creative network set up
  (Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube channel, etc.)
• Contact info
• Portfolio pages(s)
• FAV Icon for your site.

You will be graded on the following criteria:

• Final site makes up 50% of your grade
• Basic completion of assignments
• Appropriate professionalism of your site and community
• Attendance and participation
• Exploration of material and concepts

How to Track Traffic With Google Analytics

You have a website and you are building traffic to it, but what do you know about your visitors?
Do you know where they come from, how engaged they are with your website or if they have converted as a reader, subscriber or customer?
You can see all of these insights for free using Google Analytics.

This is a great article about how to get it up and running and the best part is, its all FREE! 

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-track-social-media-traffic-with-google-analytics/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

End of Semester Timeline - April

April

Tuesday, 3rd – Studio work time

Thursday, 5th – Quick review of everyone's sites. I think it would be good for you to see what your classmates are working on. We can project your sites for the class to see and give feedback. Don't worry if you site is not very finalized its a work in progress.

Tuesday, 10th –  In class troubleshooting with outside professional.

Thursday, 12th – Printed Material

Design and find printing for business cards and/or postcards to drive people to your site. Have these printed and ready for end of semester shows.Create a business cards or postcard for your May 4th show.

• Create it in the program of your choice but should be vector based. 
• Include your contact information, website, your name, etc.
• At least one image of your work
• Consider if you want to mention the online communities that you are a member of (could be their logo)
• Print to size on good paper for critique on Tuesday the 17th

Extra info

Moo printing: http://us.moo.com

Over Night Prints: http://www.overnightprints.com

Tuesday, 17th - Printed Material critique

Bring a print of your card on good paper for the critique.

Thursday, 19th – Studio work time

Tuesday, 24th – Studio work time

Thursday, 26th – Go Live/Publish site.

May

Tuesday May, 1st - FINAL CRITIQUE
May 1st will be our last class unless we don’t get to cover everyone’s sites then we will have a second class critique on the 3^rd.
Deliverables for your final:

• Finished website
• Active email address
• Social Media accounts active (all profiles completed, portfolio created)
                    - LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Bio to include your resume and artist statement
                    - Having your resume in an option to download (PDF) is a good idea as well.
• If needed/wanted additional creative network set up
  (Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube channel, etc.)
• Contact info
• Portfolio pages(s)
• Have business cards/post cards printed. Bring samples to class.

You will be graded on the following criteria:

• Final site makes up 50% of your grade
• Basic completion of assignments
• Appropriate professionalism of your site and community
• Attendance and participation
• Exploration of material and concepts

End of Semester Timeline - March

March 

Tuesday,  20th – Studio work time

Thursday, 22nd

Due - in the program of your choice create a 2 page document with the following information:

• Template choice. This will act as a style guide for your site. 
                    - template style (can be a small screen grab)
                    - layout (can be a screen grab of your site-in-progress)
                    - body layout (number of columns)
                    - Header and footer layout
                    - Font(s) and color (hex) choices. 
• Print and turn into me at the start of class.

Tuesday, 27th – In class troubleshooting with outside professional. Have your sites and questions ready!

Thursday, 29th – Studio work time

Designing your site - Basic Template Options

Create an overall look and feel for your site. Have two different options ready for review on March 6th. From these two options you will choose one to move forward with what will eventually become your live site.

Homework/Studio time:
• Design your site header (Due March 6th) - This can be a more finalized version of your previous header
   re-sized to fit your site template.
      - Work in either Photoshop or Fireworks (and import into Photoshop)
      - Size may be determined by your choice of template
      - Final files should be saved as either a .jpeg (no transparency) or .png (can be transparent).

• Create 2 different options for your background (Due March 6th)
      - Solid color, repeating pattern, or gradient?
      - keep color palate lower contrast, as it is the background
      - what font colors provide the best readability? Additional backgrounds? Headers?
      - Save as a .png, .jpg, or .gif

• Create a brief style guide of fonts and colors to be used on your site (Due March 6th).

      - Color palate – label with hex color numbers for the following:
      - background
      - footer
      - links: link color, visited color, hover color.
      - type choices – as part of the template
      - body copy – font name, size, hex color (both color swatch & number)

• Site title & description - font name, size and hex color (both color swatch and number)

• Navigation (text color and selected color) - font name, size and hex color (both color swatch and number)

• Date header (text color and selected color) - font name, size and hex color (both color swatch and number)

• Posts/site copy (text color and selected color) - font name, size and hex color (both color swatch and number)

• Social media links/feeds

On March 6th you will choose what option to build out. 

Set up your URL, hosting and email

By now you should have a good idea as to how you want to produce your site. Choose either Wordpress or ProSite and purchase your URL & hosting package.
 -  Set up the email - not your KCAI email, this will be your domain email. You can set this email up to have it
    forward to your gmail, or other personal email account.
 -  Buy hosting and URL. Email them to me.  
Due Feb. 23^rd

Start to plan your site. Your site should include bio, portfolio and contact info pages.

 

Header Critique part 2 & Homework

Portfolios

Your portfolios will be due on Feb 21st. We will have individual reviews during class. I would like you to have around 10 pieces. But remember less is more so if you only have five projects that is ok too. You want to be sure to show the breadth of your work, but be selective. It is better to have a portfolio of a few really strong projects than lots of projects that are just OK. The quality of your portfolio is only as good as your weakest project. Plan on working in class when you are not reviewing with me.

Due Feb 21st.

Header Design

From the feedback you received during the critique please revise and post your final header design.

Due Feb 23rd. 

6 Steps To Creating A Knockout Online Portfolio

Hi Everyone! 

Here is a great article from the 99%. When you have a few minutes please check it out (don't worry it's a quick read). 

http://the99percent.com/tips/7127/6-Steps-To-Creating-A-Knockout-Online-Portfolio

Critique Day - Header designs

This project will be graded against four criteria, for a score totaling 100.

objectives [40%]– ability to meet stated project objectives that clearly exhibits learning through risk-taking, failure, and pushing one’s limitations.

presentation [20%]– attention to detail and sense of craft. level of quality and refinement achieved in final presentation design, and clarity of project presentation in critique.

participation [10%]– ability to articulate thoughts and ideas verbally and in written form in a group setting, in a professional and respectful manner.

process [30%]– consistent level of effort, and ability to follow a logical and thorough path from concept through refinement to completion. absences will negatively affect your average in this area.

For the critique on Tuesday

Hi everyone! 

I just wanted to remind everyone that we will be having a critique for your 3 header options on Tuesday, Feb. 14. We will review these via your blogs. 1st I will be asking you to show your type style inspirations that you've pulled (most of you already have these posted to your blogs). Then we will go over the 3 header options you've created. Remember to "skin" your blogs to match the header you choose to use for you blog header. I will also be expecting you to give feedback to the other students on their headers as well. 

If we can get through everyone in one class that is great but I'm expecting it to take two classes. Don't feel like you have to rush, but you should be prepared to present on Tuesday, nonetheless.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyones designs. Please email me if you have any questions or need help with anything.