A Guest Lecture, a Live Demo, and the Best Design Feedback I've Gotten All Year.

Dave here, I got to do something really fun today. Melissa Gordon invited me to speak to her Web Design 2 class at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. The class runs from ninth through twelfth grade, and these students already know HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. 

What We Talked About

No PowerPoint slides, we had a conversation and a practical walk-through of how we create websites. AI, VS Code, hosting, tools, and process. Everything. 

I wanted them to understand that web design isn't just a job. It's communication, it's listening, it's a space that's changing faster than anyone can keep up with. That means the people walking into it right now get to shape what it becomes. 

We talked about what it actually looks like to use AI as a thought partner, not a search engine. I showed them how I build repeatable processes, so I don't have to reinvent the wheel on every project. We talked about how the barrier to build something real is lower than it has ever been.

The Part I Didn't Expect

When I showed up to the session, Melissa turned it around on me.

She had the students evaluate the PlusCode website as a design exercise. Every student gave detailed notes. What they liked. What they didn't. What they'd change.

Honest feedback from a room full of people who know enough to have real opinions. That's not easy to come by.

It was one of the more useful pieces of feedback I've gotten in a while, and it came from high schoolers on a Monday afternoon. How valuable is it to see your message through the lens of this next generation? Fascinating!

Thank You, Melissa

Melissa Gordon runs a class that takes her students seriously. She's also one of the people in her district pushing hardest for thoughtful AI literacy, not just restrictions. The work she's doing matters.

If you ever get the chance to speak to a class like hers, say yes.

These students are going to build things. I hope our conversation gave them a slightly bigger idea of what that could look like.