CMST 385: Principles of Web Design and Technology I

CMST 385 at UMGC is the first of three web design and technology courses, in which you plan and produce a professional website using HTML5 and CSS.

UMGC now lists it as WDDE 365, Principles of Web Design and Technology I (formerly CMST 385). Alongside code, the official description covers internet protocols, usability, accessibility, and the social, ethical and legal issues around website production.

It is also the gateway to the rest of the sequence: the second course and Fundamentals of JavaScript both list it as a prerequisite. Habits formed here, good or bad, follow you into every later web course.

Many students can copy a tutorial layout but struggle to explain why their markup is structured the way it is. Instructors look for semantic HTML, tidy CSS and pages that work for every visitor, including those using assistive technology.

What CMST 385 Covers

Key Concepts Explained

Semantic HTML

HTML5 elements such as header, nav, main, article and footer describe what content is, not how it looks. Screen readers and search engines rely on that structure, and it makes your CSS simpler.

The CSS Box Model and Layout

Every element is a box of content, padding, border and margin. Many layout surprises come from forgetting that width does not include padding and border by default. Setting box-sizing: border-box makes sizes behave as most people expect. Flexbox and Grid then handle rows and columns.

Responsive Design

A viewport meta tag plus media queries let one page adapt to phones, tablets and desktops. Designing for the narrow screen first and adding layout as space allows usually produces cleaner CSS.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Accessibility Checks Worth Doing

The course lists accessibility as a core topic, and simple checks catch most problems:

• Every meaningful image has descriptive alt text; decorative images have empty alt.
• Headings follow a logical order without skipping levels.
• Text has enough contrast against its background.
• All links and controls can be reached and used with the keyboard alone.
• Link text makes sense out of context ("Download the menu", not "click here").
• Form fields have labels connected to them.

The W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the usual reference for these checks.

Where Students Get Stuck

• Inline styles everywhere. Makes changes slow and inconsistent. Move styles to an external stylesheet.
• Broken file paths. Images and stylesheets that load on your computer but not on the server, often due to capital letters or absolute paths.
• Layouts that break on phones. Fixed pixel widths. Use flexible units and media queries.
• Unlicensed images and fonts. The course covers legal issues, so use licensed or original assets.

Study Tips for CMST 385

• Run every page through the W3C markup validator before submitting.
• Use your browser's developer tools to inspect boxes and test CSS changes live.
• Keep a consistent folder structure (css, images, pages) from day one.
• Test with the keyboard only for a few minutes each week.

How We Help with CMST 385

Send the brief, rubric, your HTML and CSS files (or a zip) and any instructor feedback. A web tutor explains validation errors, layout problems and accessibility issues, and can provide a model site plan or commented example code for a similar layout so you can apply the technique yourself.

GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus. Our help is tutoring and reference material only; the website you submit should be your own work under UMGC's academic integrity policy.