Creating Websites

Today's Plan

Today you'll use AI to build something many people assume you need to know how to code to build: a website. It could be a site that solves a problem, something useful for you or your friends, a personal page, a game, or anything else you can imagine.

You'll brainstorm what you want to build, share ideas, build it with Replit, and close with a gallery where we'll look at what everyone made. You won't write a single line of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. Replit's AI agent handles the code; your job is to decide what you want and give it good instructions.

In-Class Activity~75 min

Brainstorming~10 min

Share-Out~10 min

Build Your Site~35 min

Gallery~15 min

Feedback~5 min

Brainstorming

What kind of website do you want to build?

Think about a website you'd actually want to exist. It doesn't have to be about you. Some ideas:

Something that solves a problem — splitting costs with roommates, picking where to eat, tracking who owes what in a group
Something useful for a group you're part of — a club info page, a resource list for a study group, a schedule for a shared space
A quiz, game, or interactive thing — a personality quiz, a trivia game, a "which X are you?" generator
A hobby or interest site — something you're into (music, sports, a game, a collection)
A review or recommendation site — books, movies, restaurants, anything with opinions
A personal landing page or mini portfolio — who you are, what you make, a few links
Something weird or fun — a fake business, a fan shrine, an elaborate joke, a tribute to something niche

You're going to build this in about 35 minutes with an AI assistant, so keep the scope small. A few pages at most. Not a whole app.

Write down your idea below:

Share-Out

Let's see what everyone came up with.

Build Your Site

Build Your Site on Replit

Go to Replit and create a new project using the AI agent. Describe what you want to build — not how to build it.

Getting started:

Sign in to Replit (create an account if you don't have one)
Click Create App and choose the AI-assisted option
Describe your website in natural language: "Build me a site that ..."
Let the agent generate the site, then iterate: ask for changes, new sections, different colors, etc.

Tips for working with the AI agent:

Describe outcomes, not code. Say "I want a hero section with my name and a tagline" not "add a div with class hero".
Iterate in small steps. Ask for one change at a time and look at the result.
Preview often. Replit shows a live preview. Check it after every change.
Re-describe when you're stuck. If the agent is taking your site in a weird direction, stop and describe the whole thing again from scratch.
Don't overthink the content. Placeholder text and emoji are fine. You can polish later if there's time.

When your site is working, Replit will give you a public URL. You'll submit it below.

Gallery

Let's Look at What You Made

We'll go through the submissions together. When your site comes up, give us a quick tour: what were you going for, and how did it go?