DMA 264 - Web Design II

5 CR

This course teaches the basic principles of usability as it applies to Web design. Students learn the practical knowledge and skills to create a user-centered design, and to conduct usability testing. Emphasis is on strategies to design sites based on user needs, and to develop appropriate testing scenarios. Either DMA 264 or DMA 217 may be taken for credit, but not both.

Prerequisite(s): DMA 263 at BC with a C- or better. DMA 264 replaces DMA 217.

Course Outcomes

Explain the Web site development life cycle and the role that defining user needs plays in the development process.
Define the Web site mission and measurable goals of success.
Identify the target audience of the web site.
Apply survey and interview tools and techniques to gather requirements from the user population.
Create user profiles and scenarios to help determine what the users need from the site and how the users will interact with the site.
Explain how the technical differences of browsers, screen resolutions and download speeds impact usability features, and adapt the design to accommodate these differences.
Determine the information the site will present to satisfy user needs.
Identify, organize and prioritize the information.
Diagram the site architecture showing the user-based information flow.
Develop a navigation plan based on the site architecture and employing user-friendly labels.
Create page layouts that apply user-centered design principles.
Identify the design elements that will provide a user-friendly presentation of the site content.
Identify the importance and the critical steps in testing for usability at different stages of the development cycle.
Explain the use of prototyping to evaluate and validate usability.
Develop a testing plan including identification of users, creation of site tasks to be tested, and the logistics and procedures to conduct the testing.
Analyze test results and develop recommendations for design changes.

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