Don't Forget: Missing work due tonight!

Several of you are missing certain assignments or quiz grades. They must be made up and turned in by the end of class TONIGHT if you want to get credit for them. Don't let zeroes bring your grade down!

Final websites due tonight!

O.k. everyone. You've survived the semester and should have some cool websites to show. Pat yourself on the back!

Tonight's class will be work time to finish up your final website projects. Be sure to TURN THEM IN before you leave. :) They are due tonight! It was great having you all in class this semester and I hope you see you around the SVHEC in the fall!

Continue working on your final websites

As per the the consensus in class last week, we will use class time tonight for work time. Take advantage and ASK QUESTIONS if you need help. I'll be available all evening to help you solve your problems with your websites. Remember, websites are due by the end of class next week!

Homework:

• Finish up your website!

Building your website

O.k., so you've already got your business picked and your photos taken (or found.) We will be resizing your images in photoshop tonight and building your web pages using your wireframes as a blueprint. If you don't have wireframes in class, you won't be allowed to work on your website until you make them. They must be NEAT! No sloppy hand-drawn wireframes will be accepted. If you are hand drawing them, they must be super-tight and clean. (Use a ruler.) Otherwise, a computer printout is preferred.

We will build the two pages you have wireframed and make them link from one page to the other. By the end of class tonight, you should have two, fully coded HTML pages! So, when you get to class, sit down, buckle up and be prepared to WORK! They are due TONIGHT before you leave class.

Also, it seems as though you all would like a little more class time to get this stuff done before the end of the semester. Tonight, we will discuss having some extra class time for those interested. I am willing to make the trip down to help you if you are willing to come to work outside of normal class time. We need to nail down times and dates that work for everyone!

See you all tonight!

Homework: (held over from April 12)

• Have your business picked before coming to class

• Have your photos ready. Make sure they are large enough!

• Wireframe TWO pages of your site. Make sure to keep header, footer and nav. consistent!

• Be ready to WORK tonight. They are due before the end of class!

Let's get a little flow going in our websites

The websites you turned in several weeks ago were good. Now it's time to make them great. We're going to jazz up our designs a bit with a few easy tricks to make them flow a little better, look a little nicer and generally be easier on the eyes.

We're going to talk about resizing images to fit the page. Remember, you're supposed to be wireframing your sites before you build them. You should go into the construction phase with a nice set of blueprints for how your website should look. You should know how big your images need to be before you start constructing the html.

We're also going to talk more about consistency with your navigation and footers. These need to be the same on every page, so people don't have to look for them. It is imperative that you don't make a visitor think too much, or else they may click right out of your site. We want them to stay!

Homework:

• Pick one of these types of business to build a website for: travel agency, bakery or an auto repair shop.

• Gather together some photos to use. Remember, if you are getting them off the web, make sure they are big enough (resolution) to use BEFORE you come to class. If they are tiny, they probably won't work. Please feel free to take your own photos if you would like!

• Wireframe TWO pages for your site. Remember to keep your header, footer and navigation consistent!

• Be ready to work on them in class on Monday, April 12!

Working on our Flash web banners

We will spend tonight's class time (after taking your quiz) working on your web banners. We will look at everyone's sketches and hear why you chose the local business that you did. Remember, we are trying to help out the community and hopefully get these businesses to USE these banners! Be creative! Think of what they might want to advertise and come up with something great!

After reading over all twelve chapters of the Flash Learning Guide, you should be ready to tackle starting your banner in Flash. We will talk about the basics of a new document and how to get started animating. Take your time, be patient and you'll be fine. Flash isn't as scary as you might think. You'll be animating your web banners in no time!

Homework:

Finish your web banners (if you don't finish them in class.)

No other homework tonight!

Let's get ANIMATED!

O.k., so you've built a website. Now let's see how to jazz up the world wide web a little. How about adding a little animation to it?

Adobe Flash is a great way to add animation to your website. But be careful: If overdone, it can look tacky. Flash is one of those things where a little dab will do it. So instead of trying to build an entire site out of flash, let's focus on something a little smaller.

Let's make a web banner!

You've seen them all over the web. Little banners that advertise everything from Shamwow's © to Ginsu © knives! Small boxes that play music or animate text are staples of advertising on the web. So let's learn how to make them!

First, you'll need some background. I want you to read up on what Flash is and what it can do here. I want you to read ALL TWELVE sections. Remember, each section may have 5-10 pages! I want you to read it well, as there WILL be a quiz. And no, this time it WON'T be open book! Quiz will cover "Frame rates", "Timelines and Keyframes", "Motion Tweens" , and "Motion Paths." I want you to start to understand what Flash is and what it can do.

Once you've read the Flash learning guide (above) I want you to start thinking about your flash banner. We are all going to design a banner for a local South Boston business. Pick out a business in downtown South Boston (or near) that is a mom-and-pop shop. No big corporations allowed! Prepare some ideas on what you'd like to advertise for this business and make some drawings of what you'd like your ad to say. You will be required to animate some text for this project, so think of what you need to say and how you might like to animate it. It can fade in or our, zoom in or out, fly in from the side/top/bottom, etc. Think about what the banner should look like and decide if you will need any photographs to use. If so, I want you to go out and take the photos yourself. If you don't have a digital camera, the Higher Education Center has a few they can check out for your use. But think ahead: Other students use these and they may already be checked out. Plan in advance if you need to borrow a camera!

Homework (due March 29):

• Read all twelve sections of the Flash Learning Guide

• Study sections listed above for quiz - NOT open book!

• Pick a local South Boston business to make a flash banner for

• Bring in 3-5 color sketches of your banner (MINIMUM of 3!!)

• Take any photos you might need for your banner.

ALL OF THIS WILL BE GRADED!