Certificate in Web Design CONTENT

Gain an introduction to the skills and technologies used to design web pages                              

Lesson 1: Basic Networking Topologies

Lesson 2: Introduction To Web Design

Do you know the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web? Do you know the languages of these technologies and how they came to be? Is there even such thing as “The Cloud”?

This lesson will give you an introduction to what is involved in web design. What the internet is, where it came from, and the languages that are used to create websites.

At the end of this lesson you will have an understanding of the history and purpose of the internet and the WWW. You will also have a firm understanding of the function of HTML & CSS on the web.

Lesson 3: HTML & CSS

Now we can start making webpages. In this lesson we will learn the structure of HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language) and CSS (Cascading Stylesheets). You will understand what it means to use HTML to mark-up the content of your webpages and how we use CSS to style our sites.

By the time we finish this lesson you will have an understanding of the syntax and purpose of HTML and CSS. You will also be able to create your own simple webpage with inline styling.

Lesson 4: Planning A Website

In this lesson we will discuss the techniques used to plan a website. Whether it’s to convey your vision to a client or to plan a personal project; This lesson will teach you about wireframes, colour theory, and website layout techniques. We will also have a look at some of the great resources that are available to help you create these elements.

At the end of this lesson you will be able to create simple wireframes while demonstrating an appreciation for good layout standards. You will also be able to choose a harmonious colour scheme.

Lesson 5: Modern Web Design

The main focus of this lesson is what is known as Responsive Web Design, this is the standard of modern web design. It essentially means that we develop a website to automatically fit the size of the screen that it is being viewed on. We will see how CSS is used to make this happen in an effortless way and how we can even use Media Queries to test screen sizes and apply specified styling. We will also be discussing the different design approaches of Progressive Enhancement VS Graceful Degradation.

At the end of this lesson you will be able to start modifying your CSS to allow for responsive design. You will also have an understanding of how different browsers and devices can have different capabilities and how to plan ahead with this knowledge.

Lesson 6: Web Site Enhancements

There are many libraries and frameworks available to designers to enhance their creations. Libraries and frameworks can add new functionalities to your site and help speed up the development process. In this lesson we will discuss the various resources available to Web Designers, why and when they are used.

By the end of this lesson you will have a clear understanding of the role that libraries and frameworks have in web design. You will have also have learnt the various ways you can include these resources in your projects.

Lesson 7: Graphics & Media On The Web

Have you ever seen an image file with a “.jpeg” or “.png” extension, do you know the pros and cons of different media types? Do you know the trade-offs between lossless and lossy compressions? This lesson will cover the different file types, their traits, and how to choose the appropriate file type for your projects.

In this lesson we will also cover how your creations are lawfully protected on the web, and the various licences that are most common on the web.

At the end of this lesson you will understand the different file types, their roles, and their capabilities on the web. You will also have an understanding of the various licences available to content creators and gain an appreciation for the “Open GNU licence”.

Lesson 8: Going Live

In this lesson you will learn all that is required to put your creations on the World Wide Web. We will cover domain name registration, choosing a hosting provider, and uploading content to the web.

This lesson will show you a live demo, start to finish of uploading a project to a hosting provider. At the end of this lesson you will be able to explain what is required to get your creations on the WWW.

Lesson 9: Past, Present, Future

In our final lesson we will review all that we have covered on this course. We will also discuss what “Web Trends” are and how to keep abreast of them. The web and technologies in general evolve at amazing rates, we will be looking into the near future of next gen tech and the impact this will have on your designs.

For example; can you design a webpage for a smart watch? What about an immersive 3D web site for virtual reality gear? Imagine the possibilities and new opportunities that this will give web designers!

Lesson 10: Doing Blogging with the aid of WordPress 4.3.1