1
Apr, 2020

Final Project

SP20 project WEB287

Portfolio Draft v1

L15 | DUE May 7th 2020

Professional Reviewers

Your final projects are due on Week 15, however you will be asked to submit a nearly-complete version of your project in Week 13 in order to receive another round of feedback before your final submission.

We have secured industry professionals in Web design and development to review projects for this class. It is possible that one of these industry professionals will be reviewing your site!  Plan accordingly and make a good impression!

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Based on your midterm prototype and subsequent feedback:

  • Design and build a full and complete self-promotional responsive web-portfolio showcasing your own work.
  • Include a brief design document providing background and rational for your site. 

You are required to include links to the following within your site:  

  • An introduction of yourself and/or your company/business  
  • A minimum of three portfolio pieces** (you can rework or polish these if necessary).  

** With the exception of external websites, all portfolio pieces should incorporate seamlessly into the overall design of your site (no pop-ups to old html files or direct links to .jpg files)  

  • Contact Information (this will be a real, live site, so post only information you are comfortable showcasing to the world)  
  • Your resume (see note about contact info)  
  • A link to your blog  

In addition, I will also be looking for the presence of the following technical requirements:   

  • Appropriately titled pages and SEO best practices applied
  • Appropriate usage of CSS throughout your site   
  • Effective organization of content using a responsive navigation   
  • Accessibility and appropriate use of Alt tags
  • Effective and well organized back-end file architecture  
  • Appropriate use of optimized gif/jpeg/png, video, and/or audio

**Be sure to verify your site on all major browsers (i.e Edge, Firefox, Chrome).**  

In addition to the requirements above, your site will be graded on its overall design including responsiveness; your site should look good and be functional across all screen sizes.  Your design will also be graded on how well it accomplishes the goals set in your final design document; you are designing with purpose, with your target audience in mind.

Deliverables:

Upload your work to the wcet3 server 

Upload your work to an external server 

(i.e. www.yourname.com)

Attach your design document to your discussion post

Submit both links to the discussion board

Provide feedback to at least two other students.   

Grading Rubric:

Website Content Deliverables: 
Introduction, Contact Info, Resume, Link to Blog, Complete site/20
Portfolio Pieces: 
3 Portfolio Pieces / Quality, Seamless incorporation/20
Technical Requirements: 
Page Titling / SEO, Appropriate CSS & HTML usage / Best Practice/10
Graphics / Optimization, Alt text / Accessibility/15
User Experience: 
Site Organization / Usability, Responsive / Mobile friendly, Overall Design/25
Other Project Requirements: 
Uploaded / link to wcet3/2
Uploaded / link to your url .com/5
Design Document/3
Total:/100
 

GRADE: This counts for 25% of your final grade.     

PROJECT NOTES:

1.   Whereas I will accept projects that have been started prior to this course, I am expecting to see elements taught in this course in the project. Hence, I will be expecting to see redesigns of web sites that already exist and your project MUST include a link to the original site so that I may see the steps taken to redesign the site.  Please keep in mind, handing in work that has already been submitted/created for another course or for other purposes without significant alteration is considered plagiarism and will warrant an F on the final project in its entirety.     

2.  The content of the site cannot be deemed ‘inappropriate’ by any stretch of the imagination. I will not accept sites that contain content or links to pornography, adult content, violence, drugs, etc. It is better to err on the side of caution. If you are unsure, ask me – do not wait until AFTER you have designed the site to ask. 

Design Document Deliverables

Link to the “Design Document”

One of the deliverables for your final project submission is the inclusion of a Design Document.  Below are the expectations for this document:

1.     Background to the Project

Please include a brief background of your skills and the specific skills (i.e. design, programming, etc) you’re seeking to showcase for your audience. 

If you are doing a redesign, you must include a link to the original site here, as well as information related to the redesign (when was it originally created, by whom, why the redesign, etc.).

2.     Goals

I am looking for answers to your basic set of questions here, such as: 

  • What is the goal or purpose of your site? (i.e. Advertising yourself online, show potential employers, showcase specific programming skills, showcase design skills, etc.)
  • Who are the intended audiences?
    • Who are your potential employers? A large company?  Small businesses?
    • Who within the company might be visiting your site?
    • Will you need to demonstrate your skills to a techie person or non-techie?  How might you address this?
  • Why specifically will people come to your site?
3.  Audience Definition

Includes but may not be limited to such information as:

  • WHO are the users (tip: refer back to your intended audiences list),
  • What are their goals and objectives,
  • What technology they will use to access the site.
4. Flowchart

Include an architectural flowchart for your site, breaking down the site’s organizational scheme.

5. Features List

Describe some of the site’s features/element that draw attention/showcase your abilities.

Possibilities include:

  • CSS3 elements
  • HTML5 coding
  • Specific design elements
  • JavaScript / PHP / Java programming
  • Interactivity

Email Me Form

You can make functioning contact forms with this service. URL: http://www.emailmeform.com/

1
Apr, 2020

L10 | Thank You Letter

Lesson 10 – The Thank You Letter

Make sure to send a thank you letter to all the people you interviewed with.  Additionally, send your letters within twenty-four hours of your interview. After completing an interview, make sure the follow up with a thank-you letter.  The letter is not optional. It is expected and a major part of the interviewing process.  If the job selection comes down to two candidates, the job will most likely go to the person who followed up with a letter.  In addition to making a great impression, the thank you letter serves several purposes:

  • It reminds the employer that you are a great candidate and reiterates your capabilities.
  • It demonstrates your strong communication skills and writing ability.
  • It provides follow up with any information you told the interviewer you would get back to them on.
  • It redresses any questions that you did not answer fully and clearly or would like to elaborate on.

The format of the cover letter should follow a standard business letter style and include the following information:

  1. Top of your letter:
    • Contact information
    • Date
    • Company’s address
    • Greeting
  2. Opening Paragraph:
    • Thank the interviewer for their time
    • Remind the interviewer of the date and the position you interviewed for
    • Reiterate your interest in the position
  3. Second Paragraph:
    • This paragraph should contain information specific to your interview and how you fit the job.  Consider one of the following for the paragraph:
      • Discuss a point that you forgot to mention of did not cover well in the interview and relate it to the job requirements.
      • Bring up something (job related) discussed during the interview and share your enthusiasm for the topic.
      • Discuss the strong rapport you felt with the interviewer or team (be confident that the feeling is mutual before discussing this).
      • Discuss your ability to fill the company’s immediate needs.
  4. Last Paragraph:
    • Sum up your letter by showing appreciation for the employers time, reiterating your interest in the position, and indicating that you look forward to hearing from them.
  5. Signature:
    • Make sure to sign the letter with either a ‘Thank you’ or ‘Sincerely.’  If mailing the letter, type your name and sign above your type-written name.  If emailing, it is not necessary to physically sign it, however be sure to include your name and maintain a professional business format.
10
Mar, 2020

Getting the Job

Preparing for the job interview

Preparing for the job interview

You’ve been called into a job interview.  An interviewer has expressed interest your resume and cover letter and would now like to interview you.  What do you do to ace the interview?  The first thing is to research the company and figure out how you fit into the company’s needs. Some information you should know includes:

  • What is the company’s specialty?
  • Who are their clients (past and present)?
  • What is their target market?
  • What is there to know about the department you will be working in?
  • Who are the company’s competitors and what are their strengths and weaknesses?

Your Appearance

Whether we like it or not, we are often judged by our appearance, and we do not get a second chance to make a first impression   It is important to dress appropriately for a job interview.  Knowing how to dress in a creative field can be tricky.  As creative people, many employers expect some eccentricity, however you should still try to fit into the corporate culture. When in doubt, it’s better in overdress than under-dress   You will never lose a job for overdressing.  A suit and tie in a casual environment will demonstrate that you’re serious about the job.  Being under dressed however, will suggest that you’re not serious about the job.

Things to Bring to an Interview

  1. Resume: Bring several extra copies of your resume as there may be several people interviewing you.
  2. Job Application Information: You may be asked to fill in a job interviewer  so bring any relevant information including graduation dates, work start and end dates, etc.
  3. List of references: Bring at least three references. Make sure the people listed know you will be listing them.  Make sure they are professional references and not friends and family. 
  4. Pen and Paper: You may need to take notes.
  5. Portfolio / Demo DVD: Bring a bring version of your portfolio, mounted properly and cleanly.  If your work is dynamic (i.e websites, programming, games, etc.), bring a copy of your digital portfolio.
  6. List of questions: Prepare a list of questions to cover during the interview if you have any.

The Interview

 Your first impression will set the tone for your interview, therefore, you must present yourself as a professional.

  • Arrive the to fifteen minutes early.
  • Be courteous.
  • Be patient (make sure your cell phone is off).
  • Presentation (be prepared and look organized.  Keep an organizer with your resume, references, etc.)
  • Etiquette (be prepared for a handshake, but let the interviewer extend their hand first.)
  • Respect (Address the interviewer by their last name (Mr. or Ms.).  Wait to be asked to sit.
  • During the interview:
    • Let the interviewer set the tone.
    • Keep your answers direct and to the point.
    • Provide examples o your experience (relate interview scenarios to previous experience).
    • Ask questions when given the opportunity.
  • End the interview with the same respect as you started with.
  • Send a thank you letter.
  • Follow up.  Send a courteous and but brief followup if you have not heard back withing 10 business days.

Next, Please Visit L09 | Assignment

28
Jan, 2020

Good to Consider….

Lesson 3 – Portfolio Design v1

Tips Found while researching for this assignment

Ask these questions

  • Is there a clear call-to-action button for others to quickly learn about you?
  • Is there any confusing part in the website layout?
  • Is your copy too wordy?
  • Does the site take a long time to load? Slow loading time is equivalent to being late for an interview and should be avoided by all means.
  • Does the webpage show the core issues that users care about, or is it just a collection of unorganized achievements meaningless to the user?
  • Can the webpage be loaded and displayed normally on mobile?