Web Design for Non-Profit Organizations

Professor Jennifer D.E. Thomas
Pace University
IS Department
Spring 2008

Course Overview
This class will be one of the most exhilarating opportunities that you will have the pleasure of working on. The class is not theoretical but instead will afford you the prospect of working on an actual Web development project, for a non-profit organization. Each team will submit a proposed design to the client, who will then make the selection of the desired design.

Task
To design a website for a client to showcase radio broadcast material on the politics of health, health policy and personal issues.

Prerequisite
All students must have completed the CIS 101 class and have a good understanding of HTML as well as a basic knowledge of web design.

Weekly Assignments
All weekly assignments must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday prior to class. Assignments will not be graded if late.

Textbook
Title: Principles of Web Design
Author: Joel Sklar
Publisher: Thomson Course Technology
ISBN:  0-619-21666-2

Team Assignments
Your course instructor will assign you to a team on the first day of class. There will be six teams of four students. Each student will have a specific role in the team and a clear set of tasks to complete. Each role on the team is as important as the other so the maximum points assigned are the same. The roles are as follows:

1. Web Designer;
2. Quality Assurance Director;
3. Business Analyst / Customer Liaison; and
4. Chief of Research and Reporting.

To ensure that all students benefit from the experience, it is important that every student learn tasks that are primarily assigned to other team members. The rotation of roles is encouraged but is not essential. However, once assigned to your role, you are responsible for all tasks associated with that role. Your individual grade greatly depends on your individual contribution. The completion of a good website does not guarantee of good grade for every member of that team. Team members are asked to assess the contributions of each member of the team to the project.

Grading Policy
Team Contribution & Attendance - (Team & Individual) 10%

Weekly Assignments - (Team & Individual) 20%

Discussion Board - (Individual) 10%

Website Design & Navigation - (Team & Individual) 10%

Quizzes - (Individual) 10%

Quality & Reporting - (Team & Individual) 10%

Journal - (Individual) 30%

Responsibilities

1. Web Designer
   The Web Designer is responsible for a site design that is acceptable by both the class instructor and the relative language center coordinator. It can be a challenging role because what you and your team feel may be good site design may not be acceptable to the customer. Remember, the customer is always right when it comes to choosing the website design.
   Before creating the website, all successful websites are planned and designed before any code is written. Story boards will be a part of your initial submission. You must receive consensus on the design of the site from your team. Once you decide on the design, you will need to submit it to your instructor, who will in turn submit it to your community service partner (CSP). No documentation or designs are to be submitted to your community service partner without prior approval.


2. Quality Assurance Director
   The QA Director will be responsible for all aspects of ensuring quality, of the product, at each stage. Therefore, quality assurance will begin at stage one. Responsibilities will also include the quality of reporting that will be sent to both the instructor and the CSP point-of-contact person.


3. Business Analyst / Customer Liaison
   The function of the business analyst is to bridge the gap between technological development and the goals of the organization. This position requires sound technical knowledge, excellent communication abilities, aptitude for big-picture concepts as well as business acumen. As customer liaison, you are responsible for understanding the needs of the customer and then conveying that to the rest of the team.


4. Chief of Research & Reporting
   Never underestimate the importance of this role. Every successful project must include comprehensive, accurate, concise but detailed reporting. This role requires excellent communication skills, which includes good written skills. You will report the progress of the project at least twice a week to the instructor and/or CSP point-of-contact.

Every job description, aforementioned, is equally important; without any of these roles, it is unfathomable how the project could be completed successfully.

Page 1 of 5
CIS 102W
Spring 2008