Website Criteria and Stretch Goals

Work to have done: Website Preview, Tutorial 1-6 + flexbox / responsive design

Plan for the day:

  1. Reflective writing (5 min)
  2. Refresher on unit goals (7 min)
  3. Gathering criteria (45 min)
  4. EXT: Studio and microconferences

1. Reflective writing (5 min)

In your own space – you won't have to share this unless you want to – do a little writing about your website-in-progress. What's exciting about it? What's challenging about it? What are you unsure of?

2. Refresher on unit goals (7 min)

Pause in your writing to look again at the top-line goals for this unit, as framed by the assignment prompt:

  1. to learn how to manage a composite project made up of multiple interlinking files, and
  2. to explore the affordances of the web design stack as a medium, and especially its ability to flexibly render content for multiple audiences or reading priorities.

Take another few minutes to think in writing about your project in light of these goals: what audiences are you aiming for? What various things will those audiences want to find first within your site? What paths have you built in to accommodate their different priorities? What paths could you build in?

3. Gathering criteria (45 min)

Primed now by that writing and thinking, I’m going to ask you to get in groups and brainstorm in pursuit of baseline and aspirational criteria for this unit. Just like last time.

Aba, Jared, Anthony, and Aliyah / Russell, Jesse, Laura, and Tessa / Jenny C, Jenny H, Margaret, and Tyler R / Tyller B, Christy, and Ryan / Beth, Nicole, Lauren, and Emma

3b. Crowdsource ideas (10 min)

To bring all our notes together while allowing for real-time collaboration, use this google doc: bit.ly/miller2019spring.

Take 10 minutes in groups to make some lists: given the goals of the unit, what should we set as our minimum criteria for full credit? What are some ways we might push beyond that minimum – not just in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality? I really want you to see these aspirational goals as opportunities to stretch yourselves and your skills, not just to do more of the same. Think about what would be new and potentially exciting, but not required for everyone.

3c. Discuss and Integrate (30 min)

Quickly read through the other groups’ notes, adding comments in the margins to upvote or propose modifications. As you see consensus forming, propose an official version for our list of shared criteria.

We’ll refine as a group, and repeat, and then come back and revise after spring break and a full workshop.

EXT: Studio and microconferences

HW for next time:

  • Work on your website when you can!
  • Enjoy your break if you’re able to!
  • In pursuit of a fun way to stay involved with the class, I have some Twine links to send around; that way, when we get back from break we can have a good conversation about what forms that might take.