Digital Design: Reading Choices

Please choose from the following reading choices:

National Educational Technology Standards
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has created standards for students, teachers and administrators which can be downloaded.
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS

Let the Kids Do the Work, Joseph Lawlor
ISTE is a source for articles as well as technology standards. This article describes a middle-school teacher who finds himself in the learning seat when his students "makeover" the class wiki.
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Let_the_Kids_Do_the_Work.htm

Better Typography, Mark Boulton
For the visual learner, this slide show presents elements of typography.
http://www.slideshare.net/markboultondesign/better-typography

Designing for the Web, Mark Boulton
Mark Boulton has published this book online. Of particular interest are the chapters on Typography, Colour, and Layout.
http://designingfortheweb.co.uk/book/index.php

Five Steps to Simple Typography, Mark Boulton
A series of five articles that explore the "mysteries of typography."
http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/five-simple-steps-to-better-typography

The Non-Designer Design Book, Robin Williams
Google Books has a limited edition of this book available for on-line viewing. The author explores four basic design principles: contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. Written for readers without design experience, it provides helpful examples to improve the appearance of on-line documents.

http://books.google.com/books?id=n1AuwXafMO8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+non-designer%27s+design+book+3rd+edition&ei=URTBS7CgKKrgkQSuxYWjCQ&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Some Ideas About Composition and Design: Elements, Principles, and Visual Effects, Marvin Bartel

Bartel describes the principles of design and composition for teachers of children. Principles are illustrated visually and teaching tips for young children are included.
http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/Compose.htm

The Principles of Design, Joshua David McClurg-Genevese
The Elements of Design, Joshua David McClurg-Genevese
Published in the Digital Web Magazine, the first of these companion articles introduces the "principles of design" as the "basic assumptions...that guide the design practice, and affect the arrangement of objections within a composition." The discussion is continued in a second article, The Elements of Design, in which the "components of the composition" are described (point, line, texture, color, typography, pattern, movement).
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/elements_of_design/

Simple CSS: Creating More Readable Text, David Rodriguez
This article from the Digital Web Design Magazine takes the reader step-by-step through the process of creating readable text in an on-online environment. Don't let the code or references to Cascading Style Sheets scare you. Be sure to view the links to the modified text as you read through the article.
http://www.wpdfd.com/issues/86/simple_css_creating_more_readable_text/

Web Design for Instruction, Bonnie Skaalid
Published by the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, this site contains information about design theory. It is written for an audience of educators and contains examples that may be helpful to teachers.
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/skaalid/theory/theory.htm

Art, Design and Visual Thinking, Charlotte Jirousek
This site is an on-line textbook written for a course taught at Cornell University. It provides information on language, elements, and principles of design in a format that is easy to navigate. Permission is required to use the material in your own teaching.
http://char.txa.cornell.edu/

Lines and Bubbles and Bars, Oh My! New Ways to Sift Data, by Anne Eisenberg
A feature of the New York Times Technology Section (08/30/08), this article describes the Many Eyes website designed by two IBM researchers to bring new ways of visualizing and sharing data sets in an on-line environment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/technology/31novel.html?_r=1&ei=5070

Type City
Enjoy this multimedia marketing approach to learning about type. The fonts presented are for sale.
http://www.veer.com/ideas/typecity/gallery.aspx

Resources