Computers and Computing

Understanding computers and computing is your first order of business. Here are some open courseware classes that can help give you a handle on computers:

1. Introduction to Computers: This course from the University of California Berkeley offers you the basics of computers and how they work.
2. The Anthropology of Computing: MIT looks at the importance of computing and computer developments and how they influence our society.
3. Computer Networks: Another MIT course, this class helps you learn about the global network infrastructure of the Internet, and offers basic design principles.
4. Computers and computer systems: The Open University offers you a look at how computers and processors work, and how they affect us in every day life.
5. Data Mining: MIT provides useful information about data mining and how it can be used.

Programming

An essential skill of the web designer is the ability to understand and use programming languages. Here are some helpful open courseware classes on computer programming.

6. Basic HTML: The University of Washington presents a helpful course on HTML, which is one of the most important languages in web design.
7. Programming Languages: Get an overview of different program languages and learn about Scheme+ especially.
8. Java Programming: Sofia provides a look at using the programming Java.
9. XML Foundations: Berkeley offers a course on the basics of XML.
10. XML with Java: Learn how to combine XML with Java, and get a handle on JavaServer and XQuery from Harvard.
11. Server-Side Web Development Distribution Lectures: Indiana University provides a helpful look at server-side programming.
12. Flash: Learn how to use Flash in web design, and how to use ActionScript, from Utah State University.
13. Introduction to Multimedia Programming: Monash University looks at the basics of using programming languages with multimedia.

Web Design

These web design classes can help you learn about how design works on the Internet, and how you can improve your skills.

14. Web Design: Miami Dade College offers this course on web design and the principles behind creating online content.
15. Software Engineering for Web Applications: ArsDigita University allows you to focus on software for web applications.
16. Digital Typography: MIT offers this look at typography and how it functions as part of your web design.
17. Creating Interactive Multimedia: The University of Southern Queensland provides a look at how you can design interactive web pages.
18. Introduction to Web Design: Indiana University looks at the basics of web design and uses video to introduce you to a number of concepts.
19. The Future of the Internet: Stanford University offers a look at where the Internet is going, and what to expect in the future.

Graphic Design and Visual Elements

Learn about creating graphics and images, as well as arranging other visual elements on web sites.

20. Information Visualization: This course from the University of British Columbia helps you learn how to take information and then put it in an attractive visual form.
21. Art of Color: Learn about how color works, and how you can use it in the visual arts, from MIT.
22. Historical Foundations of Visual Technology: DePaul University offers a look at the history behind visual technology.
23. Survey of 3-D Animation: Another offering from DePaul University, this course looks at the basics of using 3-D in web design.
24. Algorithms for Computer Animation: MIT has another course for graphic designers — this one dealing with animation.
25. Graphic Design Basics: This course from About U looks at the basics behind graphic design.

Usability

One of the essential skills of a web designer is to make things accessible and usable for a wide range of people. Here are some open courseware classes that can help you create web pages that are more user friendly.

26. Designing the user interface: Get information on how text, sound, animation and other elements can be used to make a more accessible online experience from the Open University.
27. People-centered Design: This is another course from the Open University that focuses on helping you understand how to design web sites for people.
28. Human Computer Interaction: The University of Washington offers a class on the interaction between humans and computers, and how to make computer more accessible.
29. Foundations of American Cyber-Culture: Get a handle on cyber-culture and how people use computers and the Internet in this class from the University of California Berkeley.
30. Social Visualization: This MIT open courseware class focuses on social interactions online, and how you can make your web design more compatible with social media.
31. User Interface Design and Implementation: Another MIT course, this class can help you learn about interface design and provide practical methods for implementing your vision.
32. Advanced Internet and Web Services: This course from the University of Washington offers insight into how you can make web services and the Internet more useful to ordinary people. Includes information on search engines and how they work.

Content Development

You will need to know how to develop content and create interesting visual, video, audio and text. These courses can help you learn about content:

33. Electronic Media: This basic course from Abilene Christian University offers a basic look at electronic media, and what people enjoy about it.
34. Information Security: Part of good content development is helping it remain secure. This course from the University of Bristol can help you learn about keep information safe.
35. Media in Cultural Context: Popular Readings: This MIT open courseware class helps you understand new media and the Internet in today’s culture.
36. Communicating in Cyberspace: Another MIT course, this one looks at how to develop content that conveys what you want it to.
37. Dynamic Content Development: Purdue offers a course on creating dynamic content that can help add interest to your web design.
38. Blogs, Wikis, New Media for Learning: Get a handle on how to use blogs, wikis and other development online from Utah State University.
39. Reading visual images: The Open University provides insight into how to make visuals part of your content.

eCommerce Design

More people are shopping online and making money online. You can use your knowledge to design web sites that are compatible with the new electronic economy.

40. Economics and E-commerce: This course from MIT focuses on the economics of the Internet, and how things are changing.
41. An introduction to e-commerce and distributed applications: The Open University offers insight into e-commerce and the applications that go with it.
42. Transaction Processing for E-Commerce: Learn about how transactions are processed online in this course from the University of Washington.
43. A new era?: Another offering from the Open University, this course looks at innovation in ecommerce.
44. Search Engines: Technology, Society and Business: This Berkeley course emphasizes the role search engines play in society and business transactions online.

Electronic Law and Ethics

Get a handle on the rules behind web design, content and what goes on over the Internet.

45. Ethics and Law on the Electronic Frontier: This course from MIT looks at how ethics and law apply online.
46. Introduction to Copyright Law: Another MIT course that can help you understand some of the fundamental issues associated with Internet content.
47. Communications and Information Policy: MIT offers a look at policy online and information that goes with it.
48. Online Media Law: This class from News University provides helpful information on the basics of online media law.
49. A Fair(y) Use Tale: This video presentation from Novell is short and to the point — and it teaches about fair use law.
50. Introduction to Ethical Decisions Making: News University offers another class on ethics and how to make good decisions with online content.

Best Practices

These are web design blogs dedicated to best practices and helping you figure out what you can accomplish. Many of these blogs are also more general in terms of web design topics.

1. A List Apart is one of the premier web design blogs. Plenty of inspiration and the latest information on best practices.
2. Fuel Your Creativity holds interesting discussions on items related to web design, as well as providing good examples and helpful hints.
3. Just Creative Design provides a portfolio of interesting work, as well as information on bettering your web design practices.
4. Noupe offers a number of great posts on best practices — as well as the worst practices and things you should avoid.
5. Web Designer Wall has a number of examples of best practices in different web design areas.
6. Vandelay Design offers a number of posts and examples on good design and helps you identify best practices.
7. David Airey is a graphic designer with a great blog on design and best practices.
8. Apples to Oranges focuses on different practices and provides inspiration for web design.
9. Unmatched Style provides galleries and good examples of design that works. Also includes podcasts on best design practices.
10. Stopdesign looks at different aspects of the web design world and shares insight into practices.
11. 24 Ways is an interesting concept in blogging. It’s an advent calendar updated every December with all sorts of design goodness. The archives provide great educational insight.
12. The Design Cubicle offers insight on how to run a successful design business. Also includes information on best practices and resources.
13. Creattica Daily looks at news and information from the design world.

Tips and Tricks

While these blogs do concentrate on design aspects, they also focus heavily on providing helpful tricks and tips to improve your web design ability and use various tools.

14. Smashing Magazine is home to a plethora of helpful tips and tricks. From tips for help with HTML5 to information on Photoshop plugins, you can find useful design hacks.
15. SitePoint has a blog that offers a number of design hacks and tricks that can help you find faster ways to be more effective.
16. Woork offers a number of quick tips and code tricks to help you with better web design and development.
17. CSS Tricks is a great place to head if you are looking for some CSS design hacks.
18. Web Design Ledger keeps you updated on the latest tricks for making web design a little bit easier.
19. BittBox offers a number of helpful hints and features “free texture Tuesday” within interesing — and realistic — design elements you can add to your web design.
20. Line25 provides information on helpful design tricks and tools you can use to improve your look.
21. 1stwebdesigner has a number of helpful tips and tools for your web design needs. Includes typography tools, as well as information on finding icon sets.
22. In the Woods provides tips that can take your design to the next level.
23. The Design Superhero offers a number of useful tips and tricks to improve your web design — and make it easier on you.
24. SpoonGraphics has a number of helpful tips and ideas for better web design.
25. Simple Bits offers interesting tools and tips for effective web design.

Guides and Tutorials

These blogs go beyond offering tips and tricks to providing in-depth how-to and tutorials. Many of these blogs offer handy guides to web design elements and can help you seriously enhance your skills.

26. Six Revisions offers a number of helpful guides, including one on using FirePHP for logging and benchmarking. A number of other tools and inspirations are also available.
27. Nettuts provides a variety of tutorials and guides that can help you learn more about web design.
28. Sharebrain has tutorials and guides about a variety of web design needs. Very educational for both the beginner and the pro.
29. Tutorial9 provides access to and information on some of the best web design tutorials and guides out there.
30. DesignM.ag includes a number of helpful tools and guides in helping the web design community to its job better.
31. CSS Vault offers in-depth descriptions of different CSS techniques that can help your web design.
32. Boxes and Arrows offers interesting insight into design, and provides how-tos and tutorials that can help you learn more about better design.
33. MyInkBlog provides helpful guides on a number of design aspects, from Photoshop blend modes to choosing a web hosting company.
34. creative briefing looks at different ways to enhance design through helpful guides and how-tos.
35. Vector Tuts offers in-depth tutorials for vectors and for Adobe Illustrator. Very helpful for learning web design.
36. SylizedWeb offers design tutorials and other educational hints for the budding — and professional — web designer.
37. Speckyboy Design Magazine has a number of tutorials and helpful hints focused on web design.

Development

These are blogs that focus on development. You want help developing web sites for yourself and for clients in ways that are user friendly and that provide a pleasing look.

38. ColourLovers focuses on using color in your web design. Very interesting and inspirational for those looking to add something to their web development skills.
39. Devlounge is designed for web developers. Helpful and insightful posts on various areas of Web development.
40. We Function focuses on icons and other functional items that help in web development. Great design ideas and integrations as well.
41. SmashingApps provides a number of useful development tools and tricks for developers. Includes content management help, as well as design tools.
42. Design Melt Down helps you with development, as well as identifying and fixing problems in web design.
43. Design Shack offers a number of helpful posts on development and design, inlcuding using Ajax and integrating with Google.
44. mezzoblue provides insight into fixing problems and other developmental design issues.
45. Ajaxian is a web design and development blog focused on Ajax and incorporating it into your web design.
46. UX Booth offers information on user experience that can be very helpful from a development standpoint.
47. Webdesigner Depot looks at different tools you can use to improve design and development.
48. 456 Berea Street explores different development issues. There is a helpful emphasis on designing with and for Macs.
49. Snook offers development tools that can help you improve your web design.
50. CSS Globe is aimed at designers and developers looking for the latest CSS news, articles and tutorials.

The list below is split between overall tips and checklists and those specifically aimed at theme developers and wanna-change-my-look hopefuls. WordPress themes can be easy or difficult to play with, but the tutorials and cheat sheets we’ve pulled together may help make sense of all the PHP tricks involved.

Both sections of the list are in alphabetical order, which means we do not favor one cheat sheet or checklist over another.

General

1. 3 WordPress Hacks For SE-Friendly Blog Archives : Three easy and simple cheats to make your WP blog archives more search-engine friendly.
2. 4 Simple Ways To Speed Up WordPress: Here are some quick tips on how to speed up a self-hosted WP site. They’re easy to do, and you don’t need to be a WP developer to handle these tasks.
3. A Checklist of Preparing A Working WordPress Blog: This is a quick short checklist of things that need your attention when you develop a WordPress blog. Most of the tasks can be done easily through the WP admin control panel.
4. Compilation of WordPress Hacks: If you need it, you may find it on this list. WordPress Hacks wrote a ton of tips, hacks and cheat sheets for any WP fanatic to use.
5. Custom Fields Hacks For WordPress: If you’ve wanted a way to customize those custom fields, then read this article by Smashing Magazine…it’s your ticket to ride the custom field express.
6. DiggProof your Wordpress: This author blames server configuration for WordPress crashes with Digg traffic. And, he supplies answers as he addresses Apache, MySQL Query Cache, Other MySQL Tweaks, Optimize MySQL and Worpdress Specifics.
7. From Del.icio.us to WordPress: How to automatically post daily links: Are you a lazy blogger? Or, are you enamored with Del.icio.us to the point where you’ve developed a Del.icio.us trigger finger? Use your habit to populate your blog with this great cheat sheet.
8. Lorelle on WordPress Blogging Tips: This entire Web site is useful for anyone who develops and maintains a WP blog. The link takes you straight to the category archives for blogging tips.
9. WordPress Accessibility Hacks: Bruce Lawson is known for his work in Web accessibility. Here, he claims his love for WordPress, especially if users take on his hacks for even better accessibility for users.
10. Wordpress as a CMS – Content Management System: The Graphic Design Blog offers an easy step-by-step explanation on how to make your WordPress installation a CMS foundation for a gallery, portfolio site, e-commerce and more.
11. WordPress Blog Maintenance Checklist: If WordPress is installed on your own server, you can use this list to conduct maintenance. Failure to do so can render your blogs sluggish and vulnerable to security problems.
12. WordPress Codex: WordPress developers started and maintain this site so WP users can find quick and easy answers to seemingly difficult questions.
13. WordPress Hacks: This link takes you to WP Engineer’s archives for all their hack articles. You don’t need to be a developer (nor an engineer, for that matter) to understand how to accomplish these hacks.
14. WordPress Hacks: Moving a Static HTML Site to WordPress: This is for intermediate users who have a little skill with .htaccess files and plugins. It’s a pain, but it can be done.
15. WordPress Help Sheet [PDF]: Liquidicity offers a useful and easy-to-use help sheet that covers basic template files, PHP header snippets, PHP template snippets and “extra stuff.”
16. WP: Keyboard Shortcuts: The shortcuts shown may not work exactly the same in all browsers, but it’s worth a shot!

Themes

17. 15 Useful Wordpress Tricks to Make Your Theme Even Better: While fifteen tips seems paltry, these tips address many topics you won’t see elsewhere – like how to use a simple PHP snippet to eliminate those curly-cue quotes that keep turning into gibberish on your blog.
18. How to Create a Wordpress Theme from Scratch: This tutorial looks at turning an HTML/CSS template into a functioning WordPress theme. The steps are short and sweet, making this one of the easiest cheat sheets around.
19. How To Create WordPress Themes From Scratch Part 1: This ‘cheat sheet’ demands Photoshop, slicing, coding into fully css based HTML, and WordPress implementation. The instructions are easy to follow, however, so if you’re vaguely familiar with Photoshop and code, this article should work for you.
20. Mastering Your WordPress Theme Hacks and Techniques: This link is to the first of four articles from the Powerful guide to master your WordPress. Not only is this article filled with hacks and techniques for your theme, it carries plenty of links to help out as well.
21. So you want to create WordPress themes huh? Learn the WP lingo while building your first theme. The author swears it’s easy, and the steps are outlined in an easy checklist style.
22. Widgetizing Themes: This page contains technical instructions on updating a theme for use with widgets. You’ll need basic PHP editing skills, but you probably won’t have to write any code of your own in the processes shown.
23. WordPress Theme Development Checklist: Visit this link to download an extremely useful PDF version of the WordPress Theme Development Checklist. The checklist includes answers to stylesheets, browser compatibilities and more.
24. WordPress Theme Generator: Talk about cheats! This generator supports WP 2.1 to 2.7, and it was talked about at CNET News . Why not? Give it a whirl!
25. WordPress Theme Hacks: If you’re more of a designer than a programmer, then you can use the tips offered by this tutorial on theme hacks that range from conditional tags to custom fields and more.

The following list of cheat sheets and checklists are fairly recent; however, some older usability checklists are useful for older sites that haven’t been upgraded. You can find cheat sheets and checklists for forms, blogs and more below, all listed in alphabetical order.

1. 15 Essential Checks Before Launching Your Website: Use this Smashing Magazine list to double-check your site’s usability before you launch.
2. 15 Valuable Usability PDFs You Never Heard Of: This list of usability papers in PDF format will put you well ahead of the pack.
3. 25-point Website Usability Checklist: A concise list of checkpoints to make sure your site is usable.
4. Checklist for Usability Forms: This checklist is for HTML forms along with links to a few articles that are very helpful.
5. Everyday Usability – 14-Point Checklist for Success: Kimberly Krause Berg from Cre8pc.com is convinced that a “tweak a day convinces visitors to stay.” Learn more from this short checklist.
6. General Usability Checklist: This is a true checklist that assures users they don’t miss a trick in testing usability.
7. How to Conduct Usability Evaluations for Accessibility: The Nielsen Norman Group offers these guidelines for testing Web sites and Intranets for users who use assistive technology.
8. How to Improve Web Site Usability: This former SEO expert provides articles, checklists and a “bonanza of resources” for usability.
9. Contents of Measuring the Usability Index of Your Web Site: Benjamin Keevil presented this information at the annual Special Interest Group on Systems Documentation (SIGDOC) conference in 1998.
10. Practical Usability Testing: This article explains how to conduct testing, what to test and how to analyze the results.
11. Quick Usability Checklist: A short list that addresses the most common usability problems.
12. Sensible Forms: A Form Usability Checklist: Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be off to a good start in developing usable forms.
13. Test your Website: A 57-Point Checklist for Maximum Usability: You can go quickly through this checklist to make sure your design is up to snuff.
14. The Blog Usability Checklist: If you think your blog is usable, you might check it against this 19-point checklist first.
15. The Essential Website Usability Checklist: This is a 13-point usability checklist designed for Webmasters from DailyBits.
16. Top 10 Web application usability guidelines & checklist: An easy-to-follow set of guidelines and a checklist for Web site usability.
17. Usability: 456 Berea St. offers a series of articles that list accessibility guidelines in detail.
18. Usability Checklist Detail: Richard Waller, designer, created this outline for his own use and offers it to other designers.
19. Usability Guidelines: MIT developed these guidelines, which include most factors to consider during a usability evaluation of a web site.
20. Usability resources: A plethora of information, resources, tools and techniques to conduct usability testing and reviews.
21. Usability Toolkit: This is a collection of forms, checklists and other useful documents for conducting usability tests and user interviews.
22. User Testing Techniques: This page includes information on how to conduct user-based testing along with a skeletal checklist.
23. Web Site Usability Checklist: This usability checklist highlights five important components of a usable Web site.
24. Website Usability Checklist: This list was put together recently for a shipping company that was expecting PPC traffic. Learn highlights quickly from this list.
25. Website Usability Checklist: This is a different checklist than the one immediately above. This list attacks usability in all stages of Web development.

The following list of 50 free open courseware classes can help you develop better Web sites. The university or learning center name is included so you can begin to browse through their other online resources as well. The list is categorized, and each link under those categories is listed alphabetically. This method assures readers that we do not value one resource over another.

Code and Programming

The courses listed below can provide you with the basics of Web development, including some software techniques.

1. Cucumber Tutorial – Ruby on Rails: This tutorial will show you how to install what is required to run cucumber then work through a simple demonstration. [University of Glamorgan]
2. Data and processes in computing: In this unit, you can take an introductory look at two key ideas: forms of data handled by a software system, and the processes that may be applied to that data. [The Open University]
3. HTML Basics: Learn the basic structure of an HTML document, what HTML tags look like, the fundamental document structure, and basic tags found in nearly all HTML documents. [University of Washington]
4. Introduction to Computer Science I: More than just teach you how to program, this course teaches you how to think more methodically and how to solve problems more effectively. [Harvard College]
5. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming: Aimed at students with little or no programming experience. [MIT]
6. Introduction to Flash MX: This course offers an introduction to the Macromedia Flash multimedia authoring environment. [Sofia Project]
7. Java Programming: Students will learn object-oriented programming, and will create applets which can be incorporated into HTML documents for the World Wide Web. [Sofia Project]
8. PHP: Anything and everything you’d want to know about PHP. [Landofcode.com]
9. Server-Side Web Development Distributed Lectures: Instructor Andy Harris offers lectures, files and more on server-side development. [Indiana University / Purdue University at Indianapolis]
10. Three-Dimensional Modeling, Animation and Rendering Using Blender 3D Software: The DR-21 3D Design course is intended to offer students an introduction to the world of computer generated 3-D modeling and animation. [Tufts University]
11. Understanding Computers and the Internet: A smorgasbord of lectures, videos and more on programming, software and the Internet. [Harvard College]
12. Web Developer’s Virtual Library: Connect with Flash, Photoshop and other software tutorials in this library. [Web Developer's repository]
13. Web Page Authoring: This is a beginning hands-on introduction to HTML (Hypertext Mark-Up Language). [Sofia Project]
14. Web Programming, development and Data Integration: Covering various software development such as Dreamweaver MX, ASP and more. [Purdue University]
15. Web Programming Quick Start: XTHML – Forms: This module discusses how to add forms to your XHTML files. Find many more XHTML articles to the left menu in “related material.” [Rice University Connexions]

Web Design

Learn about type, color, layout and other aspects of visual communication through the courses provided in the list below:

16. Computer Graphics: An introduction to computer graphics hardware, algorithms and software. [MIT]
17. Creating Interactive Multimedia: Learn about some technologies, tools and techniques associated with the creation of interactive multimedia. [University of Southern Queensland]
18. Creative Typography: Exploration and experimentation with letter forms and page layout for expressive communication. [Sofia Project]
19. Designing the user interface: text, colour, images, moving images and sound: Learn how to use text, colour, images, moving images and sound all interact to produce a user friendly environment within a user interface. [The Open University]
20. Digital Typography: This class introduces studies in the algorithmic manipulation of type as word, symbol, and form. [MIT]
21. Fundamentals of Computational Media Design: Expressive examples that illustrate the intersection of computation with the traditional arts are developed on a weekly basis. [MIT]
22. How Good Visual Design Helps Learning: Improper use of fonts, colors, and graphics can also serve as a distraction and hamper the effectiveness of a course Web site. Learn how to avoid these problems and more. [Rice University Connexions]
23. Information Visualization: Weekly syllabus, lectures on graphics and elements and principles of design. [University of British Columbia]
24. Introduction to Multimedia Programming: Learn about information design, labeling, typography, color and much more. [Monash University]
25. Introduction to Web Design Lectures: Instructor Andy Harris offers these audio instructions. [Indiana University / Purdue University at Indianapolis]
26. Multimedia & World Wide Web: In this audio course, you’ll learn how to create user-centered documents using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Flash. [DePaul University]
27. Special Topics in Multimedia Production: Experiences in Interactive Art: Discussions of the history of interactive digital art and contemporary issues in the field will take place. [MIT]
28. Web Design II: Audio course on Web design. [Miami Dade College]
29. Wordpress Codex: Simply everything you need to know about how to tweak Wordpress, including building template designs and shaping them to your needs. [WordPress.org]

Interaction

If people cannot interact with your Web site, you won’t develop a following. The list below covers a wide gamut of learning from accessibility to usability and user interaction psychology:

30. Accessibility in interaction design: Learn about individual impairments and how you can design to meet these challenges. [The Open University]
31. Designing Sociable Media: This course is about social life in the on-line world. Its focus is on how the design of the interface influences people’s interactions with each other and shapes the cultural mores and structures they develop. [MIT]
32. Full Web Building Tutorials: At W3Schools, you can study everything you need to learn, in an accessible and handy format. [W3Schools]
33. Instructional Technology & Learning Sciences: Learn how to use technology to the best advantage of any project, including blogs, wikis, new media and open education. [Utah State University]
34. People-centered designing: One of the primary considerations in all fields of design is ‘usability’ and, increasingly, the phenomenon of ‘user-centered design.’ Learn more here. [The Open University]
35. Seminar on Deep Engagement: This class explores what underlying principles and innovative methods can ensure the development of higher-quality “deep engagement” products that appeal to a broad audience and that have lasting value over the long term. [MIT]
36. Social Visualization: In this course you can examine ways of visualizing people, their activities and their interactions. [MIT]
37. Techno-identity: Who we are and how we perceive ourselves and others: In this seminar, Professor Judith Donath examines the impact of science and technology on identity. [MIT]
38. User Interface Design and Implementation: This course introduces the principles of user interface development, focusing on three key areas: Design, Implementation and Evaluation. [MIT]
39. Visual Design for Distance Education Content: This course covers many tips to help you successfully create the navigation, layout, colors and design of course content. [Rice University Connexions]
40. Web Accessibility 101: The University of Wisconsin-Madison requires that web pages be made accessible, so they shared their knowledge about how they do this here. [University of Wisconsin-Madison]

Business, Marketing and Advertising

Learn how to conduct a Web-based business, including marketing and advertising for yourself or for your clients through the lessons listed below:

41. Completing the project : Explore some aspects of bringing any complex project to completion. [The Open University]
42. Entrepreneurial Finance: This class examines the elements of entrepreneurial finance, focusing on technology-based start-up ventures, and the early stages of company development. [MIT]
43. Entrepreneurial Marketing: This course clarifies key marketing concepts, methods, and strategic issues relevant for start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs. [MIT]
44. Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier: This course considers the interaction between law, policy, and technology as they relate to the evolving controversies over control of the Internet. In addition, there is an in-depth treatment of privacy and the notion of “transparency.” [MIT]
45. Information technology: a new era?: Debates concerned with the new economy and innovation of information and communication technologies. [The Open University]
46. Marketing communications as a strategic function: Learn how to emphasize the strategic importance of marketing communication, rather than seeing it as merely a tactical process of promoting the other elements of the marketing mix. [The Open University]
47. Planning a project: This unit will help you to develop the skills required when planning any project. [The Open University]
48. Pricing: This course, primarily discussion based, provides a framework for understanding pricing strategies and tactics. [MIT]
49. Search Engines: Technology, Society and Business: Webcast courses on how search engines work so you can make them work for you. [University of California]
50. Social marketing: Learn about the nature of social marketing and how the adoption of marketing concepts, frameworks and techniques developed for commercial marketers can be applied to social interactions. [The Open University]

Open courseware solutions may be the answer to your Web development woes. No matter where you live, you can take the courses listed below at your own pace and in the comfort of your home or office and at no cost to you. While some courses listed below are sponsored by colleges and universities, others are provided by experts in their fields.

The following categories are listed alphabetically, and each link in those categories also is listed alphabetically. This methodology ensures that we do not favor one resource over another.

Accessibility

Accessibility issues have come to the forefront with lawsuits against companies that maintain sites that are inaccessible to some users. Stay on top of this topic with the resources listed below:

1. Accessibility in Interaction Design: Learning Space analyzes some common impairment and disability groups and how they interact with interactive design [Learning Space].
2. Accessibility of eLearning: Introducing accessibility and disability and how online materials either limit or enhance learning for others [Learning Space].
3. HTML Best Practices: Illinois Center for Information Technology Accessibility offers tutorials on how to develop an accessible Web site [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign].
4. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) provides information on how to create an accessible Web site [W3C].

Animation

Animation has become more accessible and is considered a very usable option for online communication. Learn more here:

5. Advanced Computer Graphics (and Animation): Learn more about OpenGL programming, computer graphics and computer animation [University of Virginia].
6. Algorithms for Computer Animation: An MIT course that investigates the algorithms that make computer animations possible [MIT].
7. Animation: Adrien-Luc Sanders is your guide in this extensive section about animation and the tools involved in the process [About.com].
8. Special Topics in Cinematic Storytelling: This course is great for anyone who wants to learn how to create a relationship between story creation and story appreciation [MIT].
9. Survey of 3D Animation: You’ll need iTunes to listen to this lecture about three-dimensional animation [DePaul University].
10. Three-Dimensional Modeling, Animation and Rendering: Using Blender 3D software, this Tufts course is intended to offer students an introduction to the world of computer generated 3-D modeling and animation [Tufts].

Basic Web Design

The following courses provide information on how to build a site. Some links listed below are updated as changes occur in methodology.

11. Fundamentals of Computational Media Design: An MIT course that introduces principles of analysis and synthesis in the computational medium [MIT].
12. HTML Basics: This course covers the basic structure of an HTML document, what HTML tags look like, the fundamental document structure, and basic tags found in nearly all HTML documents [University of Washington].
13. Introduction to Web Design: Indiana University offers several modules on Web design. You’ll need Real Player [Indiana University].
14. W3Schools: Instructors often point their students to this site for basic information on everything from HTML to PHP and more [W3Schools].
15. Web Page Authoring: Jo Anne Howell from Gavilan College offers this course through the Sofia open content initiative [Sofia].
16. Weekly Web Design Class: Jennifer Kyrnin is a professional Web developer who has assisted others to learn Web Design, HTML, CSS, and XML since 1995 [About.com].

Copyright and Legal Issues

Copyright and legal issues have increased for Web designers over the past few years. Stay on top of these topics with the classes and information listed below:

17. Creative Commons: Creative Commons provides education, free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry [Creative Commons].
18. Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier: This course considers the interaction between law, policy, and technology as they relate to the evolving controversies over control of the Internet [MIT].
19. GNU Licenses: Learn more about the GNU license, a free, “copyleft” license for software and other kinds of works [GNU].
20. Internet and Copyright Law: This article is designed to provide readers with information on how they can protect their intellectual property or avoid putting themselves in the line of legal fire [Web Developer's Virtual Library].
21. Introduction to Copyright Law: This course is an introduction to copyright law and American law in general [MIT].
22. Text as Property/Property as Text: This course covers topics such as ownership, plagiarism, and ethical and legal topics in writing [Rice Connexions].

E-Commerce

You or your clients will want to make money on the Internet to pay all those writers, Web designers and hosting solutions. The courses below teach various aspects about E-Commerce solutions:

23. An Introduction to E-Commerce and Distributed Applications: This unit examines the type of system which is described by the umbrella term ‘e-commerce’ [Learning Space].
24. E-Commerce and the Internet in Real Estate and Construction: This module examines the long term effects of information technology on business strategy in the real estate and construction industry [MIT].
25. Economics and E-commerce: This course uses theoretical models and studies of “old economy” industries to help understand the growth and future of electronic commerce [MIT].
26. Transaction Processing for E-Commerce: Transaction processing is a systems engineering problem, with many interacting parts. This course covers them all [University of Washington].

Graphics and Design

Web design, or the ability to communicate visually, incorporates elements and principles that are timeless, yet that change constantly in the digital world. Learn more about color, typography and other creative topics with these courses:

27. Art of Color: This seminar introduces, through studio projects, the basic principles regarding the use of color in the visual arts [MIT].
28. Color Theory 101: Color theory made simple [Planet Photoshop]
29. Creating Interactive Media: This course introduces students to some technologies, tools and techniques associated with the creation of interactive multimedia [University of Southern Queensland].
30. Creative Typography: Carolyn Brown from Foothill College provides this course on typography at the Sofia open content initiative [Sofia].
31. Design: This unit looks at the process of design – from assessing the complexity of design as an activity to exposing the difficulty in making general conclusions about how designers work [Learning Space].
32. Designing the User Interface: This course covers text, color, images, moving images and sound [Learning Space].
33. Digital Typography: This class was one of the earliest classes taught in the Aesthetics and Computation Group at the MIT Media Lab, and it focuses on the history and traditions of typography, and its entry into the digital age [MIT].
34. Feeling and Imagination in Art, Science, and Technology: This course is a seminar on creativity in art, science, and technology [MIT].
35. Intro to Instructional Design: Instructional technology includes aspects of instructional design, product development, interactive learning technologies, multimedia, distance education, and library and information literacy [Utah State].
36. Principles of Design: This course deals with advanced design theories and textual analysis with an emphasis on script analysis in general, as well as the investigation of design principles from a designer’s perspective [MIT].

Usability

Unlike accessibility, usability affects the success of any digital communication with all users, not just a segment of the population. The following courses can help you learn more.

37. Common Sense Reasoning for Interactive Applications: This course explores the state of the art in common sense knowledge, and design and interfaces that can exploit this knowledge to make information more usable and helpful [MIT].
38. Communicating in Cyberspace: Students are encouraged to think about the Web and other new digital interactive media not just in terms of technology but also broader issues such as language (verbal and visual), design, information architecture, communication and community [MIT].
39. Designing for Humans: This lecture focuses on how to prevent user errors and design human-oriented solutions [Gresham College].
40. Designing Sociable Media: This course is not about how to use social media, but how the design of the interface influences people’s interactions with each other and shapes the cultural mores and structures they develop [MIT].
41. ICTs: e-government: Although this course at the Learning Space is about e-governments online, it contains some remarkable information on information graphics, usability and accessibility [Learning Space].
42. People-Centered Design: One of the primary considerations in all fields of design is ‘usability’ and, increasingly, the phenomenon of ‘user-centered design.’ Learn about it at the Learning Space [Learning Space].
43. Social Visualization: In this course you can examine ways of visualizing people, their activities and their interactions [MIT].
44. User-Centered Design and Navigation: This course is based upon using user-centered Web design as a means to design content [Rice Connexions].

Writing

You may be visually oriented, but communication also involves writing. Learn how to write or how to improve your writing through the links below.

45. Intro to Tech Communication: This course includes a list of web resources helpful to technical writers [MIT].
46. Technology for Professional Writers: You may already be an accomplished writer, but lack necessary technical skills to obtain the most fulfilling and best paid position in the writers’ market. Discover how you can expand your skills here [Utah State].
47. Three Modules on Clear Writing Style: This is an introduction to The Craft of Argument, by Joseph M. Williams and Gregory Colomb [Rice Connexions].
48. What is Good Writing?: Learn how to write through various exercises and thought processes [Learning Space].
49. Word and Image: This unit deals with a range of printed literary texts which use visual communication as a meaning-making resource [Learning Space].
50. Writing and Humanistic Studies: MIT goes all out with this department that provides users with the opportunity to learn the techniques, forms, and traditions of several kinds of writing, including for digital media [MIT].