Week 2: HTML and CSS Basics; Résumé Workshop

Thanks for your contributions to a great first class session! We didn’t have time to cover a lot of ground on Day 1, but things will definitely pick up during Week 2.

Next week, we will begin our tour of the basics of HTML and CSS, using the Online Business Card and Résumé project to learn some of web design’s foundational concepts. Here’s how we’ll spend our time in class each day:

• On Monday, we will review the basic elements of HTML and apply them to your résumés. Before you come to class, please read Chapters 4 and 5 in Learning Web Design, completing the exercises throughout these chapters as you go. (For those of you who already know HTML, this will go quickly. If you are new to HTML, please give yourself plenty of time to work through the exercises.) In addition, please bring an electronic copy of your current résumé to class (MS Word or PDF format is fine).
• On Wednesday, we will learn how to alter the visual appearance of your résumés using cascading style sheets (CSS). Before you come to class, please read Chapters 11 and 12 in Learning Web Design and complete the exercises throughout these chapters. (A word of warning: this marks the point at which the textbook begins to get a little more complicated, so you’ll need to spend enough time with each chapter to really understand the new concepts before you come to class each day.) If you haven’t finished converting your résumé into HTML format, please do so before class, and be sure to bring that HTML file to class. Last but not least, you should select a domain name (Domainr can help you see what’s available) and register it through Reclaim Hosting. (If you already have your own domain, please let me know.) You don’t need to do anything with your new site yet — we’ll work on that in class.

By the end of Week 2, you should have a fully marked-up résumé and the makings of a well-styled résumé. If you’re doing all the reading and paying attention in class but still feeling lost, I recommend watching the tutorial videos titled “HTML Essential Training” on Lynda.com. If you need additional help beyond that, please come see me during office hours. The material in this class will only get more complex as the semester progresses, so if things aren’t clicking for you, now is the time to address the problem.

In order to complete your homework, you should download and install one of the following programs on your own computer:

• Komodo Edit (Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux — this is what we will use in the computer lab.)
• TextWrangler (Mac only — my personal favorite.)
• Notepad++ (Windows only — highly recommended by my former students who are Windows users.)

If you have any questions about our plans for next week, please send me an email or contact me on Twitter. Otherwise, I’ll see you in class on Monday!