We still can’t get over how much we learned last month during our Web Design Intensive!
"This was definitely a very empowering and eye-opening experience for me. Having designed and developed a couple of websites before, it never occurred to me how important accessibility is for people with disabilities and how one can develop accessible websites until I went through this intensive training."
- Millicent Auma, '21
For three days during fall break, nineteen Bryn Mawr students allowed us to take them on a deep dive into the world of web design and web development. Designed as career exploration opportunities, Digital Intensives offer students a hands-on inside look into careers such as web design, digital storytelling, and data science.
We wanted to show participants the wide range of possible careers in web design and development, and how to hone the skills they will need to be successful as web professionals. That’s why we gathered a talented and varied team of staff, alumnae, and working professionals to teach us exactly what they do, how they do it, and how our students can do it, too. The intensive kicked off with an overview of web design and development principles, followed by hands-on workshops on topics such as wireframing, HTML, and CSS. The following day, students created prototypes of their own webpages by using , Bryn Mawr’s free domain service. They also practiced designing for accessibility, a digital skill in high demand these days.
Chris Boyland, Senior Educational Technology Specialist, LITSA recurring theme [during the panels] was the importance of student employment, where most of the panelists first developed their skills and enthusiasm for web work, and I think this was an important discovery for our students. Learning isn't just the province of the classroom, especially where technology is concerned.
For the first two days, our learning continued during lunch, when alumnae and professionals in web design and development shared their experiences in landing web jobs, developing a wide range of competencies, and keeping up with new technologies. Professional panels are essential to career exploration, as they provide students with the opportunity to get first-hand advice from experts in the workforce.
Our final day took us on a site visit to , a digital product design and development agency in Fishtown, Philadelphia. There, an exciting team of developers, designers, and engineers taught us the ins and outs of project design, SEI feature development, and using content management systems to build dynamic websites.
Chelsea Lobdell, Web Services Team Lead, LITSI am in awe of and impressed by the amount of dedication, determination, and curiosity the students brought to the intensive. I feel honored and gratified to partake in work that advances the educational mission of the College and to help students gain and develop digital competencies during their tenure here. I am also happy the students got to develop their networks and be exposed to professional role models - many of whom are women in STEM.
Want to develop your Digital Competencies, too? Registration extended until November 15th!
Also, courtesy of Nathalia Santos '18, Educational Technology Assistant, LITS