Advanced Web Design

Course Outline

This course helps delegates build or upgrade existing web sites using strict XHTML and CSS to meet latest compliancy standards plus prepare for likely future challenges. The course provides students with an understanding of advanced web design techniques using standards compliant development. The main focus will be on the implementation phase of developing a W3C compliant web site.

Delegates can also gain professional qualification credits towards a 60 credit University Certificate of Professional Development or degree from De Montfort University.

This module is worth 20 UCPD credits.

Overview

The course covers the following areas :

• An overview of Markup Languages
• Overview of eXtensible Markup Languages (XML)
• Standards support in existing development tools

• Structural Markup (XHTML)
• Structuring documents for the XHTML1.0 or XHTML1.1 Strict Doctype
• Effective use of title and meta tags for better search engine optimisation
• Working with the link tag to attach external stylesheets
• Using structural tags to identify content areas
• Marking up content appropriately using tags such as headings, paragraphs, ordered and unordered lists, tables, links, images and formatting
• Creating reusable site templates
• Building forms for interaction
• Optimising code and content
• Validating Web Content to meet W3C Standards
• Markup validation services
• Validation versus quality controls
• Supporting Javascript and 3rd party plugins

• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• Understanding browser, user and author styles
• Implementing inline, internal and external styling
• CSS Syntax
• CSS selectors (type, class, id, pseudo and relational selectors)
• CSS Property values
• Working with background images and attachment options
• The Visual Formatting Model
• Understanding the CSS box model and quirks mode
• CSS layouts using natural flow, fixed, Absolute & relative positioning
• Layered presentation
• Building and styling accessible forms for interaction
• Cascading, Inheritance and Specificity within stylesheets
• Creating stylesheets for print or mobile devices

Who is it aimed at?

This course is aimed at :

• Individuals and business staff who have already created or are mantaining existing websites
• Those who want an in depth understanding of creating websites through hand coding XHTML and CSS
• Web designers who would like to eventually move on to server side web development languages like PHP or ASP

Entry requirements

Although there are no formal qualifications required to attend this course, delegates should have an understanding of web design and should ideally have built simple websites in the past. If you are unsure about these requirements, please contact us via the contact us page.

Student Support

These links provide students with a whole range of study skills and support materials to help you gain your UCPD qualification and successfully complete your coursework.

• The Ask Gateway to DMU study resources
• DMU Focus On Study Skills
• DMU Study Skills

Delivery method

The course is a 6 day fully trainer led course. To help reduce the effect on your business of losing a member of staff for 6 days, this course runs 1 day a week over 6 weeks. Delegates then have the time needed to absorb and implement the information gained during these intensive training days.

Course feedback