The course is a basic introduction into the discipline of web design. Students get training in conceptual web site planning, information architecture, design issues connected to the web and hands-on introduction into basic web coding.

The goal of the course is to introduce students to requirements and tasks of contemporary web design in contrast and in relation to their knowledge about graphic design. Each student is supposed to elaborate a realistic and highly efficient website connected to a given assignment, including a printed version of a "web design style guide" manual. All projects have to be created on a self-responsible basis. Please mind that the main goal of the course does not lie within experimentalism and/or animation, although multimedia content may be implemented.

The assignment for the course is given after the introductory period and will comprise the concept, planning and designing of a website. Students are expected to work basically on their own, alongside regular appointments with their professor and support from a technical assistant. Students are free to choose between creating a web site dummy (using Adobe Image Ready or similar software) or completely coding a full working website.

The course starts off with a short period of research, analysis and introduction into conceptual website planning that goes alongside basic technical training.
As a first task students evaluate two different websites with opposite communication goals (one with an entertaining focus, a secondary with informational focus). Evaluation criteria range from content structure to navigation concepts and technological features. Students present their analysis in front of the class.

In group sessions individual progress will be discussed in context of the aspired communication goals of each presented website.

The technical training introduces basic HTML-coding up to nested tables using code-based editor BBEdit, as well as a brief introduction into CSS and DHTML using Macromedia Dreamweaver, both on a mac-environment. Alongside the coding introduction, students learn about image formats on the web, how to use Adobe Photoshop for creating website designs as precise master for coding and how to use Image Ready for building a dummy version of a website.

Students also get a workshop-based introduction into principles of designing websites, from technical matters to issues of interface design and usability.
Common habits of using the web are discussed in context to mechanisms of current OSs (Operating Systems). Usability criteria are evaluated in context of each individual design solution. Students get an insight into information architecture when organising their content, sketching a storyboard for each web page and planning their navigation concept. They are expected to hand in a printed version of their "web design style guide" in which all interaction elements have to be classified, visual information hierarchies, font styles, colours, dimensions, grids and all other design rules are listed and explained. During the whole course period lectures will be given to cover background information on the medium web