In this one week certificate program you will learn how to design a simple website including creating the user interface in Photoshop, building standards compliant pages using XHTML, CSS and Javascript. These skills will enable you to create basic professional websites.

Program Description

Our web design program is the perfect way to get started on your journey to becoming a web development professional. In one short week you'll learn from an industry veteran how to build a website from the ground up using best practices. From user interface design to writing HTML and CSS and even Search Engine Optimization you'll be guided through the process with lectures, hands-on learning and guided practice time all the while building an actual sample website.

Many people get started in web development doing things the wrong way or get taught layout methods that are antiquated such as using tables. Our program teaches you the right way so that your code is clean, manageable, semantic and search engine friendly right from the beginning.

Click here to read more about what makes our Transitions Certificate Programs unique.

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic understanding of the web and feel that they have the aptitude to learn a reasonably technical skillset. This class will focus on professional web development methodologies and tools rather than relying on visual or WYSIWYG editors.

Equipment

BDA provides a computer workstation when necessary; however, some people prefer to bring their own computer in order to use it during our mentoring hours or practice what they've learned in the evenings. If you are planning on bringing your own computer our staff person will provide you a list of all the necessary software and/or hardware requirements in advance of the program.

After You Register

BDA is committed to making your week-long learning process as enjoyable as possible and making sure that you can focus on your learning. After you register you will be contacted by our staff who will get your meal preferences and who are available to help you with any logistical and travel concerns you might have. BDA provides a complimentary catered lunch every day.

Schedule

Monday

• 9am - 3pm : Creating Usable Designs in Photoshop
  Discussion of best practices in user interface design and typography on the web. You'll learn how to use Photoshop to create a visual composition of the interface and then "slice" that layout for HTML.
• 3pm - 5pm : Practice Time
  Interact with Photoshop with the instructor available to answer questions and offer guidance.

Tuesday

• 9am - 3pm : Introduction to XHTML and CSS
  We'll start out with a quick discussion on available software tools including text-editors, WYSIWYG editors, FTP applications. Next we'll dive into developing out our Photoshop user interface with XHTML and CSS. You'll learn about HTML markup and how control your HTML layout and style with CSS by following along at your own workstation. During this presentation you'll also be introduced to architectural-level SEO principals such as the use of keyword-rich "title tags", "meta tags", H1, etc. as part of creating clean, logical, semantic code.
• 3pm - 5pm : Deployment and Web Hosting
  Discussion and demonstration on web hosting, how to FTP/SFTP to transfer your site to the server, basic SSH commands, and more. We'll also talk about choosing a host, setting up domains and DNS, backup strategies and some best practices around website security.

Wednesday

• 9am - Noon : Building Out the Site
  We'll start the day with a lecture on the best way to take your template/starter page and build out the entire site using that as a starting point. You'll also be introduced to PHP includes for sections of the pages that may often change such as navigation as well as how to embed of Flash or use third-party code such as YouTube.
• 1pm - 3pm : XHTML/CSS Tips and Troubleshooting Techniques
  Troubleshooting your code is a critical skill. During this session you'll learn tips and tricks gleaned from years of experience and be shown examples of common mistakes, common problems and their fixes. You'll also hear about the different browsers and their quirks.
• 3pm - 5pm : Practice Time
  During this time you'll be creating more pages in your website and including embed objects like Flash as well as adapting our template page into an alternate version that has a different column structure. The instructor will be available to answer questions and help you hone your troubleshooting skills!

Thursday

• 9am - 5pm : Practice Day
  You have learned a lot in short period of time. Today is the day to make sure that all the pieces are coming together and that you understand the process. Throughout this day you will be building a 5-page website for a fictional business. You'll start with a Photoshop file representing the user interface and you'll build out the site based on that layout and upload your finished website to our web server for testing and viewing. The instructor will be available all day to help you with your questions and guide you when you get stuck. By the end of the day you'll feel a lot more confident about your skills!

Friday

• 9am - 3pm : Introduction to Adobe Flash
  Adobe Flash is a powerful tool for creating dynamic presentations and animations on the web. While we don't recommend creating entire websites, Flash is a great tool to have in your arsenal and one way to add color and richness to your site. In this session you'll learn the basics of Flash and how to accomplish animations in the timeline.
• 3pm - 5pm : Search Engine Optimization and Analytics
  During this session we'll expand on on Search Engine Optimization concepts and strategies and introduce you to Google Analytics and how to use it effectively.

Instructors

Kelly McCormack is a freelance web designer, Adobe Certified Instructor, and artist who has been producing web sites professionally since 1995. After earning a BS in Fine Art and Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, he managed the 7th Federal Reserve District's intranet site and became an early adopter of Dreamweaver he then started his own web design business. Soon after, he added Flash, Fireworks, and Photoshop to his repertoire and began teaching. A move from Chicago to Boulder in 2003 followed, and over the past many years Kelly has become one of the most sought after Dreamweaver and Flash instructors in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Kelly McCormack is an Adobe Certified Instructor and Adobe Certified Expert in Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, and Contribute. He offers private training, has developed his own training materials and has authored a Quamut Dreamweaver handbook.

Kelly specializes in visual design and efficient and correct production techniques for web site projects. He believes in attention to detail and usability, pixel-perfect graphics, character-perfect HTML/CSS code, and an intuitive user experience.

In his fine art life, Kelly enjoys painting, drawing, photography, and uses Photoshop to bring it all together. He has participated in many group shows in Denver's Santa Fe arts district and recently earned two Honorable Mentions for his work. You can see his work on his website at kellymccormack.com

Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is widely recognized as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written twenty business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. Dave maintains four weblogs: The Business Blog at Intuitive.com, Ask Dave Taylor, Dave On Film, and Attachment Parenting Blog. Dave is an award-winning speaker, sought after conference and workshop participant and frequent guest on radio and pod programs.

Evening Mentoring

BDA is committed to providing the best learning experience possible. One of the distinctive benefits of our Transitions Certificate Programs is evening mentoring from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Our evening mentors are different than the class instructors who are also working professionals in the industry offering you a broader perspective and a great opportunity to practice the skills you've learned, get particular questions answered or simply hang-out with peers and exchange ideas and conversation.

Location

This certificate program will be held in the Boulder Digital Arts Arapahoe Studio classroom.