HSU Web Design Group

Building the Web

We are a group of people interested in learning how to create and design for the web. We are interested in different facets of web development and web design. From learning the basics of coding, to working with frameworks or content management systems. If you are interested and enjoy learning by doing (learning how to build webpages by building webpages), you should join us!

We are in a state of continual improvement and are still figuring out what our goals/plans are, so if you have ideas or requests, please share them! You can drop by our meetings or lurk/post on our forum- everyone is welcome. Read on to see how you can get involved.

The basic plan

We are all learning new things and have different goals/projects. A strict curriculum and set of lesson plans won't work for everyone, so our approach is to learn independently and get together to discuss, ask questions and share our work. If you're getting started with web design, be sure to start with the Dash Learn HTML, CSS and JS tutorial from General Assembly.

The first three projects will get you going quickly and then you'll be ready to dive into your own project.

Online Forum

We have a HSU Web Design Google Group set up for meeting online to ask & answer questions, share your projects and see where others are in their progress. Take a look at the Google Group to get a feel for what we are doing. Interested in more? Join us!

Face-to-Face

We also meet in person at the HSU Library. The meetings don't include lectures or lesson plans- they are a place to get together to ask each other questions and share our work. Most of the learning is done outside of the meetings, using free online tutorials. Feel free to drop in!

When
Wednesdays 4-5:00pm
Where
Library 114 (map)
Who
Everyone and anyone!

Intro to HTML & CSS

A good starting point is with the Dash Learn HTML, CSS and JS tutorial from General Assembly. If you are new to web design and coding, this will give you a solid foundation. If you already have a good handle on HTML & CSS, the tutorial will be quick (and feel free to skip sections or go straight to the JavaScript project).

You will learn:
The basics of HTML & CSS and gain a deep understanding of how to apply it to create any kind of website.
Time:
Approx. 5 hrs - work at your own pace. Even for the amitious, this should take a while.
Cost:
Free! You can set up an account (no credit card or payment required) to keep track of your progress.

Tools to Build the Web

You will need to have, at the very least, a text editor to begin working with HTML & CSS. However, there are several other tools that you can use and that can improve your workflow. There is a guide to some great free and open tools in the library's guide on Creating for the Web. Take a look at this guide to find out what they do and how to get them.

It's important to note, however, that you can use online code 'playgrounds' instead of downloading any software. These playgrounds allow you to test out and create content using HTML, CSS & JavaScript online without having to pay for server space or host the pages. Many playgrounds are completely free and even allow you to use them without setting up an account. This page was created using JSBin- if you scroll to the top of the page, you'll notice the "Edit in JSBin" button at the top right-hand side of the page. Click the button to copy this page and remix your own!

More Questions?

For more information, contact Tim Miller: twm2@humboldt.edu · 707.826.4959