Notes for Monday-

Bring your objects into class if you would like to make your images in studio or bring your images of the object to start production on images. 

1. We will discuss image preparation/production for Flash
   
2. Storyboards for animation- Process
3. Flash work 'Environment'
4. Breaking down how an animation movie is constructed
   
5. Importing assets

Welcome Back! It's Winter term.

Happy New Year to everyone.

This is the ART 342 course Blog. Please refer to this Blog for class announcements, schedule, and projects. 

Wednesday Calendar

W/January 7
Reading and responses to articles:
1. The Rules of the Game, Eric Zimmerman
2. Rules, Play and Culure: towards an aesthetic of Game, Frank Lantz and Eric zimmerman
3. Knowledge Maps, Mararek Kohn

In-class: play game board
Project: game board visual map


W/January 14
-Analysis and Defining a Project
reading:
ActionableAnalytics.PDF

- Design Research
Reading:
InformingOurIntution.PDF
GoingDeeperSeeingFurther.PDF

- Design Process
IDEO and it’s Process
reading: http://www.ideo.com/thinking/approach/


W/January 21
**Make Groups for Final Project

- Inspirations
readings: QuestionEverything.PDF

- Interactive Design
readings: InteractionsIDEO.pdf

- Design and Managing Change
readings: Managing Change.pdf


W/January 28
Due: Visual maps project critique

Group Client selection Due

W/February 4
3. Know your technology, Know your Audience

- Semantic, Hierarchical Mark-Up Structures
reading:
PresentationLayersAccessibility.PDF

- SEO- Search Engine Optimization
reading: SOFA.PDF

W/February 11
4. Content and Information Architecture
readings: Content Strategy.PDF
more to come still in this theme.

W/February 18
In-class working

W/February 25
In-class working

W/March 4
Final presentations

W/March 12
Final presentations

Kick-Off Project

Game Boards and Knowledge Maps

Readings: 

1. The Rules of the Game, Eric Zimmerman
2. Rules, Play and Culture: towards an aesthetic of Game, Frank Lantz and Eric zimmerman
3. Knowledge Maps, Mararek Kohn

Context: the Game Board

Play a game board. Yes, that's right, we will be playing a board game during class.

Games are a dynamic design system producing a set of experiences that signify social rules, cultural systems, physical and emotional behaviors. The are, in fact, a constructed object. A design system. An interactive design system. 

Questions:

1. How can we use  "play"  to be a design method for exploring, investigating and mapping?

2. What can a game board model teach us about interactive or participatory design and how can we can utilize these models for developing concepts for thinking about design systems?

3. How can an analog interactive experience inform how we think about interactive design for a the internet?

Knowledge maps:

Translation of one form of knowledge [play] to another [mapping].

Expression of a dynamic system through a visualization of interactivity.

Proposal:

Design a knowledge map [system] that communicates a specific concept/interactivity from of your game. Find a new context for your concept that enables a system to be designed and implemented. Your system should construct a social interaction and reaction.

Proposal should be prototype proposal with visuals and a written description of the project.

>>>> Animation Lab Mondays <<<<

We will be learning basic principles of vector animation design while learning how to use Flash. We will not be learning action scripting. We will learn how to use Flash to produce simple animations.

Project One
vector animations and loops

Select an object. Create an identity for the object through images and a narrative. Animate the object and design a stage and type to animate with the object.

1. Make images of a selected object and produce them to create a loop movie

2. Design a stage for the object

3. Type studies: mock-up your type design in Illustrator and animated your type in Flash

4. Combine all three elements and finalize your animation

Critique: February 9th

Project Two
Animation plus a trigger button

Final Critique March 9th

>>>> Seminar Wednesdays <<<<

Wednesdays: Seminar:Interactive Thinking, Analysis, and Development Lab

Everyone is required to have Blog for this course. You will be required to read our reading due for each week and write a response to each of the articles. Our Seminar class days will be spent discussing, sharing, debating, and looking together. You will be ask to contribute to this format during each class. Believe me when I say that I take note of those you chose to check out of our inclass discussions.


Themes
1. Interaction Design: Mapping interactive elements through play

- Knowledge Mapping
readings:

-Prototyping
readings:
Experience_Prototyping.pdf
Prototyping is the Shorthand of Design.pdf


2. Interactive Design Process: Project based process

- Analysis and Defining a Project
reading:
ActionableAnalytics.PDF

- Design Research
reading:
InformingOurIntution.PDF
GoingDeeperSeeingFurther.PDF

- Design Process
IDEO and it’s Process
reading: http://www.ideo.com/thinking/approach/

- Inspirations
reading:

QuestionEverything.PDF

- Interactive Design
readings: InteractionsIDEO.pdf

- Design and Managing Change
readings: Managing Change.pdf

3. Know your technology, Know your Audience

- Semantic, Hierarchical Mark-Up Structures
reading:

PresentationLayersAccessibility.PDF

- SEO- Search Engine Optimization
reading: SOFA.PDF

- Social Influence and Audiences
reading:

Understanding those Peer Influencers
From Complexity to Simplicity

4. Content and Information Architecture

- Content Strategy
readings: 

Content Strategy.PDF
more to come still in this theme.


5. Final Presentations

We will arrange class into teams of four. Each presentation is composed for the following:

- Integrate readings
- Select a client website and audience

- Collect resources and research
- Write an analysis and project brief for website

- Wireframe new design concepts

Attendance

Attendance in class is essential to do well in this course. We will be covering a lot of technical and theoretical information. As a result, attendance is mandatory. Arriving late, leaving early or failing to attend class will directly effect your grade as described below. Students are allowed one excused absence during the term to allow for illness or personal circumstances. If four classes are missed, an automatically F [=failure] will be given. This does not mean you are allowed to miss three.

One absence= Allowed
Two absences= 5 pts off final grade [half a letter]
Three absences= 10 pts off final grade [one full letter]


Late Arrivals = 2.5 pts off