Website Design

Website design is a vey broad topic, using numerous different types of technology. At its very base, students should be learn HTML, which is the language used to develop a website, and CSS, used to format web pages. No expensive programs are necessary, Microsoft Notepad is perfect for teaching HTML and CSS. Once students have a firm understanding of these two languages, then programs such as Adobe Dreamweaver and other web editors can be introduced. It is highly recommended that students have a deep understanding of HTML, as well as the web design process, before teaching Dreamweaver. This way, students learn the concepts of web design instead of simply learning how to use a new program to achieve results.

System Requirements/Recommendations

To teach HTML and CSS using Notepad, all you need is a basic Windows computer with minimal RAM and a small hard drive. Once you begin developing sites with Dreamweaver, Flash, or other advanced tools, then I recommend having at least 1 GB of RAM. Because websites should be kept to a minimum file size, a small hard drive should work just fine. The larger the files in your website, the longer your site will take to load. Since more and more sites are using streaming video and Flash content, you may find it advantageous to have at least an 80 GB hard drive.

Software/Equipment Options

While web development only requires a text editor such as Notepad or a web editor such as Dreamweaver, you may want to invest in other programs such as Adobe Premiere to incorporate videos in your site, Photoshop for custom graphics, Flash for animated content, or a number of other programs.