CPSC  541 Design of Web Interfaces

Course material is available online to enrolled students

Fall 2000

 

TT 4:00-5:15  Grote 205

 

Instructor:  Stephanie Smullen

Office: Grote 209B                      Office Hours:  MTWT 2-4

Email:  Stephanie-Smullen@utc.edu  Phone: 755-4395

 

 

Suggested Texts

Required:

Designing Web Usability, Jakob Nielsen, New Riders, 12/1999. ISBN: 156205810X

Core Java 2, Volume 1, 4/e, Horstmann & Cornell, Prentice-Hall, 1999, 0-13-081933-6

Core Java 2, Volume 2, 4/e, Horstmann & Cornell, Prentice-Hall, 1999, 0-13-081934-4

 

Optional:

The Essential Guide to User Interface Design:  An Introduction to GUI Design Principles and Techniques, Galitz, Wiley, 1996.

Java GUI Development, Vartan Piroumian, Sams, 1999.

Designing Visual Interfaces:  Communication Oriented Techniques, Kevin Mullet, Darrell Sano, Prentice-Hall, 1994.

Essential Java Script for Web Professionals, Barrett, Livingston, Brown, Prentice-Hall, 1999.

A Java GUI Programmer's Primer, Fintan Culwin, Dintan Culwin, Prentice-Hall, 1998.

 

Course Outline:

This course will cover the principles of human interaction with computers with application to the design of web interfaces.  Basic GUI design principles, techniques to improve visual organization, clarity and conciseness to enhance usabilty.  Application of these principles to the design of forms prepared with HTML, VRML, Java Script. Java for custom interfaces using the Java AWT and toolkit technologies such as Swing.  Prerequisites:  CPSC 540

 

Week by week topics:

  1. Basic design principles: elegance and simplicity; scale, contrast, and proportion; organization and visual structure; image and representation; style.

 

  1. User interface design principles: proper window selection; developing system menus; selecting screen-based controls; organization and layout of windows

 

  1. User interface models:  State Transition Diagrams, Unified Modeling Language

 

  1. HTML controls and window layout

 

  1. User feedback: error messages, undo, help, direct manipulation, VRML

 

  1. Java Script techniques for interactive web pages

 

  1. Midterm exam.  Common interface errors:  inapplicable interface styles, dysfunctional design, examples of common errors

 

  1. The Java Abstract Windows Toolkit (AWT):  AWT components and architecture

 

  1. AWT Class hierarchy, component classes, containers

 

  1. Java Foundation Classes:  JFC model architecture, JFC and Swing Class hierarchies

 

  1.  Swing Containers: JrootPane, JlayeredPane, lightweight and heavyweight containers, configuring the look and feel, Swing lightweight component tool set

 

  1. Layout managers: FlowLayout, GridLayout, BorderLayout,  CardLayout,  BoxLayout,  GridBagLayout, collaboration between containers and layout managers

 

  1. Events and Event Handling: hierarchy, types, handling events, listeners, Swing events

 

  1. AWT Graphics:  model, Graphics class, lines, clipping, translation, modes, component painting

 

  1. Fonts and Colors: color models, fonts, using fonts and colors

 

  1. Final Exam

 

Grading Policy

 There will be one midterm exam (100 points) and a final (100 points). Homework exercises and programs (100 points), group projects (100 points), individual project (100 points). Your final grade will be determined by the percentage of 500 total points:  90-100% = A,  80-89% = B, 70-79% = C,  60-69% = D, below 60% = F

 

Examination Policy

 It is the responsibility of the student to take all of the exams at the scheduled times, except in very unusual circumstances. If you must miss an exam you must inform me (the instructor) in advance of the reason for your absence and present proof of your excuse. Make sure that I am aware of any memorandum showing that you will be participating in a University sponsored trip.

 

Assignment Policy

Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. Late assignments are penalized 50% for each class day that they are late.  Assignments are to be individual efforts - that is, each person's assignment should be uniquely their own. Any assignments which are found to be duplicates or near duplicates will receive a grade of 0. Assignments will be covered on the tests. Specific READING ASSIGNMENTS will not be made. It is your responsibility to read the chapters BEFORE they are covered in class, even if no specific reading assignments are made.  Assignments must generally be printed.  ONLINE RESOURCES: The course web site may be accessed through the Course Syllabi listings at www.utc.edu/cpsc or directly through www.utc.edu/~cslab/cpsc541.

 

Attention

If you are a student with a disability and think that you might need special assistance or a special accommodation in this class or any other class, call the Office for Students with Disabilities/College Access Program at 755-4006 or come by the office, 110 Frist Hall.     Examples of disabilities might include blindness/low vision, communication disorders, deafness/hearing impairments, emotional/psychological disabilities, learing disabilities, and other health impairments.  This list is not exhaustive.

 

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