webdirections | september 26-29 2006 �

2006 workshops

Molly Holzschlag and Andy Clarke - Extreme Standards

Using markup and CSS to create detailed, aesthetic and progressive site designs

As Web designers and developers we are often challenged by the complexities of technology and the nuances of design. We want to create usable, useful and aesthetic sites and know how to implement it effectively across web browsers. We want to manage our documents and workflow efficiently, to implement best practices in markup and CSS, and to create designs that are extremely manageable, accessible, forward thinking and visually compelling.

In this full day session, Andy Clarke and Molly Holzschlag bring their respective experience and insight into the standards-based approach to client-side Web design. There will be plenty of visual and code examples as well as forays into other genres of design including the fine arts, architecture and multimedia design to demonstrate exactly what can be done with their more inclusive approach.

Who’s this workshop for?

To get the most out of this workshop you will have done some hand coding with (X)HTML and CSS, and understand the basic principles and techniques of this approach. But you’ve got a hunger to create pages that sparkle and really showcase your design and typography skills.

What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

• understand structure and why it is important
• see how semantics relate to visual expression on the web
• generate ideas for breaking out of table-based thinking by using art, architecture, package and industrial design models for inspiration
• use lists to create beautiful navigation
• work with definition lists to create sophisticated interface elements
• gain control of space using margins, borders and padding
• creatively use element backgrounds to create patterns, layers of imagery and design components
• use element backgrounds and text-based type to master web typography
• work with shadows, transparency and shape for break-out-of-the-box design
• create common layouts with floats as well as CSS positioning
• combine floats and positioning for even more exciting results
• use CSS as a management tool
• work with child, adjacent sibling, attribute and other advanced selectors
• recognise how, when, and why to push the envelope and implement progressive design

Jeremy Keith - DOM Scripting and Ajax

Code the latest generation of web apps

Workshop slides and materials

Whether you like the word or not, the collection of technologies called Ajax, and the new kinds of web applications it enables, are here to stay. Learn how to use Ajax to turn your sites into richly interactive web based applications. In this one day workshop reknowned developer, author and educator Jeremy Keith will strip away the hype and explain the benefits and the pitfalls of these techniques.

Illustrating with straightforward examples, Jeremy Keith will work through Javascript, the DOM, data formats like XML and JSON to get you to Ajax and Hijax. By the end of the day you’ll be ready to head back to the coalface and take on new coding challenges. Most importantly you’ll also get the hows and whys of Ajax: don’t let the code put you off because the most important lessons to be learned are about concepts, not syntax.

Who’s this workshop for?

To get the most out of this workshop you will have done hand coding with (X)HTML and CSS, and understand the basic principles and techniques of this approach. You’ll also need to have a basic understanding of Javascript. If you’ve got this you’re ready to take it to the next level and really start creating web applications by learning about the DOM, XMLHttpRequest and Ajax.

What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

• look past the hype of Ajax, boil it down to its essence, and really understand what it is and how it can benefit a given project
• understand the DOM and, most importantly, how you can manipulate it to create and update markup on the fly
• judge what the right and wrong way to attach behaviour to the page will be given different circumstances
• understand what a XMLHttpRequest object is and how to use it to create snappy interactivity without constant page refreshes
• make decisions about appropriate data formats
• create Ajax applications that degrade gracefully, using Hijax
• realistically assess the accessibility of your web apps
• draw from a collection of Javascript libraries to kick start your applications painlessly

Dan Saffer - Designing for Interaction

Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices

This broad and deep examination of the discipline of interaction design will feature activities and seminars that take participants from the prehistoric roots of interaction design to its future in transmedia interactions, ubiquitous computing, and digital tools for making digital tools.

Starting with a brief history of interaction design, Dan Saffer will cover the four approaches to interaction design; the elements, principles, and attributes of good interaction design; design research techniques; documentation; designing for multitasking, adaptation, and hacking; and service design.

Participants will walk away with not only a firm grasp of the underlying principles of interaction design, but also the tools to put those into practice.

Who’s this workshop for?

Designing for Interaction is for new designers and anyone interested in interaction design, as well as more experienced designers who want a deeper view of and new methods for practicing interaction design.

What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

• Understand what interaction design is and what interactions are
• Use the history of interaction design to understand current trends and ideas
• Use the four approaches to interaction design to create products and services
• Work with the “laws” and principles of interaction design
• Know what to look for and how to record it when doing design research
• Interpret design research
• Better document interaction designs
• Employ interaction design techniques to designing services
• Consider designing for multitasking, adaptation, and hackability
• Prepare for the future of interaction design

About Dan Saffer

Dan Saffer has worked in interactive media since 1995 as a webmaster, information architect, copywriter, developer, producer, creative lead, and interaction designer. Currently, he is an interaction designer at the design firm Adaptive Path and is the author of the book Designing for Interaction: Creating Smart Applications and Clever Devices (New Riders, 2006).

Dan has designed a wide range of projects, from Web sites and interactive television services to mobile devices and robot navigation systems. His clients have included Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, non-profits, and start-ups. He holds a Master of Design in Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University, where he taught interaction design fundamentals.

Derek Featherstone - Accessibility 2.0

Build applications the smart way: make them accessible and usable

Web applications are fundamentally different from web sites and their creation demands that we break out of our usual development routines and take a whole new approach. Reputations are built on web apps that excite rather than frustrate users ’Äî make sure your apps are as elegant and bulletproof as possible. Mastering relatively simple yet ingenious techniques, discovering creative solutions to frequently encountered challenges, dispelling the myths, and targeting the technologies you really need will all be covered in this energetic, full day workshop with Derek Featherstone.

We won’t just be covering the basics or theoretical situations. We’ll be examining original research conducted by Derek’s company and real-life test cases. We’ll see assistive technologies and prototypes of new techniques in action. During this intensive workshop we’ll even put a selection of existing web apps through their paces ’Äî zeroing in on how well they meet the needs of people with a variety of disabilities.

Who’s this workshop for?

To get the most out of this workshop you will have some experience handcoding (X)HTML AND CSS, and understand their basic principles and techniques. You’ll have a handle on at least the basics of Javascript and general web accessibility practices. You’ll have the drive to create top-notch web apps that are inspirational in the standard they set for universal accessibility.

What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

• grasp the difference between accessibility for web apps and for websites
• build intelligently ’Äì plan for accessibility from the outset of a project
• understand the significance of Javascript and how to use it wisely
• implement simple HTML techniques that help ensure accessibility success
• recognize the impact of Ajax and dynamically-generated content on people with disabilities ’Äì and know what to do about it
• create an effective strategy for building more accessible applications that work with current assistive technology and anticipate future developments
• see how various assistive technologies interact with modern web development techniques such as DOM Scripting and know how to make developmental decisions based on this first-hand experience
• define best practices for testing the accessibility of your own web applications

Kelly Goto - The Iterative App

Due to the diverse demands of clients, bosses, engineers, and designers, web application design has reached a new level of frenzy and discord. Kelly Goto can help you refine your application development process and project management to an art form. Learn the behind-the-scenes techniques for rapid prototyping and see how to include iterative usability testing cycles in your project development.

Discover how to verify requirements before you code by employing PDF prototypes and HTML click-throughs. With a collaborative mindset and the proper process in place, your organization’s design and engineering teams can work together and launch the “iterative app” successfully.

Who’s this workshop for?

Anyone whose work comes under the umbrella of design. Web designers, web developers, content managers and copywriters, project managers, marketing managers, independent web professionals and in-house web development and web marketing teams will all benefit from this workshop.

What are the learning outcomes?

After this very full day you will be able to

• understand and apply the primary workflow for the design process and website development
• feel comfortable using an iterative web app development process
• prepare a Current State and Future State initiatives plan
• create audience profiles and use cases

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