Programme overview
Who is this programme for?
The MA Web Design and Content Planning programme takes graduates from many disciplines and provides them with the "hands-on" skills necessary to plan, design and implement an effective website in relation to the needs of a business, profession, government office or other organisation. Applicants should have an interest in design and a working familiarity with the software employed in a modern office environment. On graduating from the programme, students will have the skills to design, publish and manage a corporate intranet or a public website. The objective is to provide a balanced education in the three aspects of website architecture: technical, functional and aesthetic.
The technical aspects of the programme provide an understanding of the use of the wide range of tools that are available for the design, implementation and management of a website. The functional aspects of the programme focus on the creation of web pages that open quickly and reliably are standards compliant and are constructed in such a way as to be accessible and useable. The functionality of websites includes the information architecture of planning access and navigation paths through large quantities of web content. Students require an understanding of how people use the web and how they like to navigate and search for information. The aesthetic aspects of web design are considered with regard to both artistic and business objectives, such as corporate identity and branding. The architectural principle that "form should follow function" is relevant, not as a rule but because aesthetic considerations must be judged with regard to technical and functional considerations.
Much of the coursework is project-based so that members of specific professional groups (e.g. lawyers, teachers, architects and civil servants) can focus on the concerns of their own profession. The design of excellent websites represents a notable intellectual challenge.
It should be noted that this MA programme may not be suitable for those who need to develop skills in web programming, server-side scripting or database design and management. Although all of these technologies are discussed, the content of this programme is mainly focussed on the use of valid XHTML and CSS, design aesthetics and site functionality. Those wanting to develop programming skills might like to consider one of the MSc programmes at the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences.
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