About this SiteThis site is the result of an assignment for the LIS 385T Information Design course taught by Andrew Donoho at the University of Texas at Austin.
Our assignment was to come up with a concept for a catalog, (we are in library school after all) design the interface for our catalog, provide at least three examples of possible catalog searches, and put it all together on a web page. No sweat!
My catalog (CretCat) was designed to access images and records for drawings in the Paul Cret Collection, currently housed at the Architectural Drawings Collection (ADCO) of the University of Texas at Austin.
Go to Top Okay, I admit it, the primary goal of this endeavor is to get a grade. I expect I'll learn more about HTML, web page design and maybe even hone my time management skills ,though, by the time I'm through! Actually, it's my sincere desire, that as a result of this project I can lay the groundwork for the creation of an actual catalog, not only for the Cret Collection, but for all of the ADCO's treasures.
Go to Top In 1930, Paul Cret was retained by the University of Texas as consulting architect for the development of the master plan for the Austin campus. By 1931 the University began the construction of Cret's buildings, that were, up to that time, only ideas on paper. During the next fifteen years, Cret continued his comprehensive building design for the University of Texas' Austin campus. Cret died in 1945, but his firm, H2L2 Architects/Planners, continued his work, focusing on the completion of buildings facing the south mall.
Approximately 900 drawings chronicle Cret's work at The University of Texas, the most extensive commission of his career. Among the drawings in this collection are the master development plan for the Austin campus, the many alternative schemes for the Main Building, and designs for 18 other buildings, including the Texas Union, Goldsmith Hall, and Mary Gearing Hall.
Go to Top This site is based on a series of prepared search scenarios. To get the full effect, follow the links at the very bottom of each page marked, GO TO NEXT SCREEN or BEGIN SEARCH. These links will take you through the site in the correct order. The other choice allowed is to link back to this page, CRETCAT PROJECT HOME. Ignore the other links and buttons you see, most of them don't go anywhere or do anything anyway.
Once you leave this page you will be entering my catalog fantasy. We'll begin our fantasy at the Architectural Drawings Collection's home page, the primary access point for the catalog. Then we'll link to the CretCat home page. From there we'll go to the How to Search CretCat page to see how the catalog is organized and to pick up some tips on searching CretCat. The remaining screens will illustrate three possible search scenarios in CretCat. If you just can't bear to return to reality you can click on Cret Project Home on the last screen to repeat the fantasy!
Go to Top The images used at this site were scanned from the book, Paul Cret at Texas: Architectural Drawing and the Image of the University in the 1930s, by Carol McMichael and published by the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery and the College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin, 1983.