December 23rd, 2014, by Brianna Juda

Webpage Production I is a 2nd year course offered in the fall semester. Prior to this year, the course was only available for SMS students in the Golisano building; however, many students felt as if the course did not go deep enough into the basics. For this reason, this semester Webpage was brought into the SMS building and is currently taught by Professor Graham Anthony.

In this course, students learn how to identify content as well as separate format from content. Students get an in-depth learning of the building blocks of HTML, CSS, and SASS in this course, and how to use these building blocks to solve problems. This course causes students to shift their mindset from programs such as InDesign, and focus on using abstract materials as a foundation to create their own brand of creativity. The skills learned in this course are another tool for the Media Architect to have under their belt for the work force.

Webpage Production I only covers the basics, but equips students with the ability to ask the right questions when it comes to tackling new problems. Professor Anthony admits that the class moves fast; however, each tool builds upon its predecessor making the flow of the class easy to follow. The programs used for this class were hand picked by Professor Anthony for their market share and accessibility, meaning almost all of the programs used are open source and easy for students to get their hands on and work outside of the labs.

One of the reasons this course is vital to the MAAT program is because as Media Architects we work as “the bridge”. This means we have to understand all parts of the workflow, including the coding aspect. In the past, students have felt held back because of a weakened skill set in this area, but to be a jack-of-all-trades, the fundamental understanding of webpage production is necessary. This rigorous course is a gateway to coding and Webpage design, which will push students to new levels of creativity.

Webpage Production II is the second installment of this course and is offered in the spring. Current Webpage Production I students can look forward to learning about Javascript, the fundamentals of programming. Any students that are interested in the next step after Webpage I and II should look into courses in Golisano to learn about production from the server side, known as PHP.