It was uneventful, with low productivity. However, I received only one email the entire day, so no one else must be doing anything either.
I got my car inspected, which expired on 12/31/04. While I waited for my car, a read a good amount of The Design of Everyday Things. It’s a great book, and an easy read. It’ll be nice to be a little bit ahead when school starts next week.
I got email from Dr. Swartz listing the two books for his class. I sent email asking Dr. Dicks for the name of the 2nd book he’ll be using, so I can do one Amazon order. Dr. Swartz also gave us “a sneak peek at the (as yet) unorganized structure of the course.” I don’t like seeing that we’ll have to do a website as a project in there. Those are always a bitch to do. Grrrr.
For the first part of the semester we will set up a practical/pragmatic/theoretical theory for guiding design choices and apply it to the analysis of three emerging online genres (homepages, blogs, and memes). Our analysis will rely on genre theory. For the remainder of the semester, we will apply the theory to the production of a multi-page website. Along the way, we’ll discuss information architecture and principles that speak to the physical, cognitive, and affective dimensions of web design.
I’m planning on the following assignments: 1) research/analysis paper (length TBD), 2) reading discussion starter (length TBD), 3) planning report, 4) testing report, 5) multi-page website (likely to be a portfolio – we’ll talk about it).
Irene called me today, and asked me if I’d be the executor of her estate as she is updating her will. That makes me the executor of five estates now: mom & dad’s (when they get their will done), Vivian and Jeff’s (when they get their will done), Janet’s, Irene’s, and Donna’s. Whew.
I renewed my Sam’s Club membership today.
I’m only a little bit sore from my bike ride. I can feel it most when I walk upstairs to my second floor.
I had brief AIM conversations with briandru, Robert, Steve, Jay and Joe tonight.