DES 483 / Digital Media 5 : Syllabus

Place: Group 6, Room 252 and 254
Time: Friday 9:00 am - 2:50 pm
Required Text: Your required text (in the form of video training) is provided on the DVD which will be handed out during the first day of class. Additionally, you will be required to read all PDF documents which are assigned throughout the semester.

Introduction
For most of the last five hundred fifty years, print has been the de facto currency of information. Printed material educates, informs, and facilitates the exchange of ideas. Print is a rich medium of expression. A book, a brochure, or bus schedule can categorize its content for readers simply through size, shape, color and layout. The print medium also offers many formats, each with its particular interface and vocabulary; a text book has its own organization and structure, and so does an annual report. A book has a formal hierarchy of navigational clues—page numbers, chapter headings, bibliographies, footnotes, and so on—which define the relationships among its contents. The mixture or syntax of these elements gives the print medium its richness.

It was just a hundred years ago that broadcasting became the second mass media type to become significant in human communication. First came radio, and thirty years later, moving pictures; forty years after that, television breathed new life into the art of theater, and became an information source as well. The broadcast medium’s greatest strength is its ability to deliver a single scheduled event during a specific period of time. In both television and radio, events have to be experienced in real time. Because broadcasting is time dependent, it is unlikely to survive as a medium on its own. The overwhelming popularity of DVDs, Tivo and video-on-demand is evidence that people want to be able to experience broadcast media on demand.

Digital technology and computing have changed how both print and broadcasting media are delivered. A computer can masquerade as a television or a calculator or a document. In print and broadcasting, what is presented is intended to be fixed. The computing medium can present absolutes, too, but it also allows users to act on those elements in an endless variety of ways. The computers true contribution to communication is its ability to process data to deliver multiple media types on demand and to facilitate a dialog between the creator and user.

While multi-sensory design is certainly not new, the explosive growth of computers as a means of delivering content opens up new possibilities that deserve considerable study. In his book, City of Bits. Space, Place and the Infobahn,” William Mitchell writes “...technology has expanded our natural sensorium by new telematic means of perception and representation (global digital networks, two way video etc.)” In other words, this technology enables us to artificially extend our senses out into the world; to see, hear, and interact with people, places and ideas that we might not otherwise experience.

While it is easy to become bewildered and frustrated by the promise and hype of new technology we designers must remember our role in this new medium. We are as Paul Rand so succinctly put it, “synthesizers of form and content.” We must use these new tools to create messages that engage all the senses and fuse multiple signs and narratives into one cohesive whole. We do not experience each sense separately. When watching a movie, we do not think “Ok, here come some sounds, I’d better listen. Here come some images, what am I seeing?” We experience these signs simultaneously. Our goal this semester is to engage as many senses as possible to create a memorable user experience. By using this multi-sensory delivery methodology, the messages become more immersive, more memorable and more compelling.

The three major communication disciplines are converging and designers must prepare themselves for a future that demands an understanding of multiple media and how to harness the strengths of each to communicate effectively.

Course Overview
Students will design and develop an educational project that synthesizes imagery, text, sound, video and interactivity into one cohesive multisensory experience. Special attention will be given to developing an understanding of the various stages of the design process including: research, information design, interaction design and presentation design.

Objectives:
Improving the ability to create effective multimedia communication.

Developing a design process that synthesizes traditional design methods and the computer to create more effective and rewarding communication.

Becoming fluent with the use of electronic tools and techniques and integrating these tools with art and design skills to create meaningful communication.

Understanding how to research a topic, select appropriate data and document and identify sources.

Learn to organize information into a coherent, intelligent document. Understand how to simplify and present complex information in a concise manner.

Improving verbal communication skills by presenting work to others in the form of a well-organized oral presentation.

Learning how to respond to constructive criticism and take the steps necessary to defend or improve your project or incorporate new ideas.

Learning how to constructively critique the work of others from formal, technical and conceptual frames-of-reference.

Learning how to organize time and meet deadlines. Only with patience, careful planning and clear thought will your ideas develop into work that communicates clearly.

Discussions and Demonstrations
There is a great deal of information to cover in this course and relatively little time. It is in your best interest to...

Listen
Throughout the semester I will be conveying information to you that may not be available in written form. It is critical that you pay attention to avoid missing out on key information.

Question
This is a must! In order to gain a high degree of comfort in computing, we all must attempt to obtain the information that will allow us to freely explore these exciting tools.

Take Notes
It is essential for you to take notes during lectures, presentations, and demonstrations in order for you to have an organized body of information you can refer to in the future. Please be prepared to move and have the proper materials at hand for taking notes, as I will tend to call the class to one computer to share in a problem or I may take the class to another area, for a demonstration or lecture.

Projects and Exercises
Throughout the semester there will be one major project in this class. This project will be broken down into sections due weekly. The class will meet as a group once each week for a lecture or demonstration period and to look at homework. Additionally, you are expected to spend at least 12 hours outside of class each week. Please become familiar with the lab hours and regulations. You may work during any open hours unless a class is in progress and using the lab.

Integration of Traditional Skills and Computer Skills
The implementation of your final design will focus on the computer as a delivery medium. Design skills which you have learned and utilized in other classes will be necessary. For your major project, sketches, storyboards etc., will be required. Keep your tools and materials handy.

Critiques
Final assignments will be due at the beginning of class on the date specified. There is no time for last minute changes. All pertinent files must be in place and any print-outs or other materials must be prepared ahead of time, as specified. On that day we will hold critiques or discussions of the projects presented. Everyone is expected to participate and be vocal!

Materials
You will need the following materials for this course:
— a ring binder or other file folder to use as your notebook
— a digital camera
— a USB2 Flash Drive (512 MB or larger) OR
— an external hard drive (USB2 or Firewire)
— several writable CD's (700 MB CD-R's) for backup purposes
— general sketching materials (tracing paper, pens, pencils, etc.)
— presentation materials (illustration board, special papers, etc.) for your flowcharts and storyboards

Attendance
Since I will be taking attendance every class, I trust that you will make every effort to be in class and to be on time. Of course there is some limited flexibility, however, excessive absences or tardiness will hurt your grade. You may have 1 unexcused absence, no questions asked. Each additional absence will drop your entire course grade by a full letter grade (ie. A to a B, B to a C, etc.).

Late Assignments
In the design profession, missing a deadline will cost you money and can even cause you to lose the job. Late work is equally unacceptable in this class. Your major project will be broken into sequential stages due weekly. Late work will receive an automatic grade drop. Missing a group critique will drop two grades.

Course Evaluation Criteria
You will be evaluated based on the following:
— the quality of your projects and weekly assignments
— your demonstrated understanding of the multimedia design process
— results of exams on readings and lectures
— participation, motivation and attendance
— your demonstrated understanding of the use of the software and hardware
— your risk taking and visual innovation
— your overall artistic development

Project Evaluation Criteria
Your final projects will be evaluated using these criteria. Please make sure that you understand these terms and are confident that your projects will receive high marks in each category.
— concept / idea
— form / composition
— craft / presentation
— process / sketches
— risk taking
— information design
— navigation design
— interactivity
— sound / video / animation
— class participation

Have a great semester!

© Scott Ahrens 2009. All rights reserved. Last Updated: 08 23 09.