it started out at upenn as a class project, where the original group of four people developed the concept by mapping out the underlying information architecture as well as making decisions on important features and functionality. two of us then took these ideas and rebuilt, redesigned and refined the project over an entire summer, finally implementing it to completion.
currently, the university offers a similar course review service. Penn Course Reviewed simplifies this system, as well as spicing it up with a friendly and attractive user interface, and lots of extra features.
live, september 2008
the design underwent several iterations. at one point, all mock-ups were trashed for a fresh blank page. the goal was to achieve a penn-like feel, giving off a professional and serious look, while at the same time diffusing friendliness. after several nights without sleep, the yin found the yang and the perfect design emerged.
the most important technical aspect about the design is the optimization. since the page is image heavy, it ended up being over 700kb. after some research, learning new vocabulary, and sprite-izing the css, the page was reduced to only 50kb!
utilized fireworks, css, and pure imagination
there is a lot to say about the code, especially because it's hard to see what really went into it. spicing it up with mod_rewrites, some online ajax form validation, dynamic loading forms, star ratings, and expandable/retractable sections, penn course reviewed turned into a complete web application.
the university does not offer anything even near the extended search feature, which allows the user to search by course title, description, professor, ratings, and even requirements. the neat autosuggest feature filters through matching courses as you type.
digging deeper, there is a regex parser which extracts the data from the upenn course pages, professor pages, and section pages and inserts it into the database. and while reg-ex is now on good terms with us, each page demanded its own attention.
