Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Web Design
Competitive Analysis
Elizabeth Finley
Natasha Saidikowski
Noah Adler
Table of Contents
3
Executive Summary
Methods
12
Conclusion
13
Appendix A
16
Appendix B
17
Appendix C
Executive Summary
Methods
Categorizing Courses
After determining which courses to include in
our analysis, we divided the courses into three
categories that would help us identify any trends.
To do this, we read course descriptions, contacted
the respective program directors and professors
for more information, and used the materials they
provided. The three categories we created are: Theory,
Application, and Hybrid.
Theory
We found that these courses focus more on the
guiding theories and fundamentals of web design,
research methods for user experience, and user
testing. Coding or hands-on projects are either
peripheral or nonexistent. Many of these courses
focus on the students understanding of principles
behind research methods and what elements of
design increase usability.
Application
These classes focus more on developing hard skills
by incorporating lessons in coding, specifically
HTML, CSS, and XHTML. Students in some
courses are also expected to learn how to use web
design platforms such as Dreamweaver, although
instances of these courses are few. Note that some of
the Application courses have either a Theory pre- or
co-requisite course or require the student to have
previous knowledge of website design software.
Hybrid
We also found courses that incorporate both
Theory and Application elements. For example,
students study research methods for usability while
also developing and enhancing their coding skills
through hands-on projects. Some of these courses
lean towards more Application or Theory and we
will discuss how many and which courses do so.
Figure A: Word cloud displaying the most prevalent terminology from our 32 course descriptions.
Creating A Spectrum
Theory
Application
Figure B: Spectrum listing schools and their respective courses from most theoretical to most application-based.
Results &
Discussion
Theory
The overall objective for Theory courses is to develop
students skills in research methods for user-centered
web design. With a strong understanding of the
fundamentals of information architecture, students
who complete courses within the Theory category
build a solid foundation of research methods and
design testing. In addition, students in Theory courses
examine patterns of user experience interaction
design and can later implement their foundational
experience towards Application courses either within
or outside of the English department if they so wish.
Nine of the 32 courses we located fall into the Theory
category. These courses tend to emphasize research
methods, the abstract theories that support the
concepts of web design, and the fundamentals of
designing a user-centered website rather than the
hands-on process of designing and creating websites.
Application
Hybrid
Hybrid courses provide students with a balanced
skillset that has roots in both Theory and Application.
For the most part, these courses teach students
how to apply the core concepts they learn so that
they can easily transition from school to working
in the web design field. The courses also provide
students with a basic understanding of how the tools
of web design work in conjunction with principles
of human-computer interaction, which may make
them a valuable asset to future employers. Students
who take these courses want a more comprehensive
understanding of both the why and the how of
web design, rather than a specific focus on Theory or
Application. Hybrid classes give students an edge in
the competition of the job market.
In our research, we found that 10 of the 32 courses
employ a mixture of Theory and Application (see
Appendix A). In these courses, students are taught
both the fundamental principles of user-centered
design and research methods along with the tools
used to build webpage content, such as coding in
HTML and CSS.
Two examples of Hybrid courses wed like to
highlight are the University of Chicagos Information
Structure and Retrieval course and North Carolina
State Universitys Online Information Design and
Evaluation course. Students in these classes learn
both the underlying principles of user needs analysis
and information architecture as well as the raw
coding that goes into multimedia information design
and prototyping for human-computer interaction.
The University of Chicago provides its students with
a strong Theory background and teaches them how
to apply those theories through hands-on application
in the Information Structure and Retrieval course.
Information Structure and Retrieval focuses on
theories that support user-centered approaches to
designing and accessing information. Students then
demonstrate their understanding of these theories by
utilizing hard skills, including coding through XML
Conclusion
Appendix A
Theory Schools
School
University of Washington
Course
Information Design
Description keywords
Design principles and procedures
Print versus electronic media
Designing for page and screen
Information topologies
Hypermedia
Clemson University
Seminar
Theory and practice
Designing on WWW
Focus on content strategies
Examines taxonomies of webpage types
Patterns of user experience interactions
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
Practicum in research
Methodology for web usage
Computer-mediated behavior
Data-gathering
Principles of Information
Architecture
Underlying principles
Fundamentals
Information architecture
Information Design
Chatham University
Application Schools
School
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Course
Web Authoring
Description keywords
Hypertext, hypermedia
User-friendly
Interface design
University of Memphis
Technology tools
Usability testing
Single-source content management
Information architecture
University of Washington
Hands-on
Computational Concepts
and Human-centered
Design Engineering
Website Design
Best practices
Design and delivery of information
HTML, XHTML coding
Dreamweaver
Theory and research component
Advanced Information
Design
Clemson University
Digital Publishing
Technologies, Theories in
Practice
User-centered
Applied
Multimedia online documents
Application of theories
Professional Communication technologies
Hands-on experience
Information technologies
Emerson University
Creating Electronic
Publications for the Web
and E-Readers
Chatham University
Web Design I
Hybrid Schools
School
University of Minnesota
Course
Writing with Digital
Technologies
Description keywords
Digital writing technologies
Assess writing
Basic building blocks
Writing in internet environments
Functionalities of web environments
How to produce environments
University of Washington
User-centered Web
Design
Auburn University
Web Development
Current research
Practice of web development and design
HTML and other development programs
Conduct lab research
Usability research
Secondary library based research
University of Chicago
Emerson University
Electronic Publishing
Overview
Various methods
Digital publishing
Website publication
Basic understanding of planning
Development and management
Online Publishing
Communication Design
for the World Wide Web
Chatham University
Audience analysis
Full interface design
Focus on interactions
Behavior of users
Prerequisite: Basic web design skills
Appendix B
Course Sequence offered by Chatham University
Theory
Theory
Application
Writing for
Digital Media
Principles of
Information
Architecture
Underlying basics
of information
architecture
Advances student
coding skills
Hybrid
Visual and
Interface Design
Hybrid
Uses audience
analysis to progress to
full interface design
Client Project
Theory
Application
Hybrid
Application
User-Centered
Design
Information
Design
Computational
Concepts in
HCDE
User-Centered
Web Design
Web Design
Studio
Introduces students
to theories of usercentered design
Underlying basics
of information
architecture in online
and print format
User-needs analysis,
prototyping, and web
site production
Designing and
producing successful
websites
Appendix C
Application Course Tools
HTML
CSS
Dreamweaver
JavaScript
XHTML
XML
Emerson College
Electronic Publishing Overview
HTML
CSS
Dreamweaver
JavaScript
XHTML
XML
Emerson College
Web Development for Electronic
Publishing
Texas Tech
Online Publishing
University of Chicago
Information Structure and Retrieval
University of Minnesota
Writing with Digital Technologies
University of Washington
User-centered Web Design