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

Supplies

Storage: You are require to have a personal storage device. Either an USB flash drive or better yet, a removable external drive.

Text books: I do not require a textbook or manuals. I do however, want you to take responsibility for your own education. If you think learning Flash would be helpful and better for yourself to have a reference manual beside you while learning then, please buy yourself a textbook.

Suggested textbooks:

Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers by Tom Green and David Stiller
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training by Todd Perkins
Flash CS3 Professional for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide) by Katherine Ulrich

Amazon has great ways to get used books. Powells bookstore- technical bookstore- is a great local location to purchase too.

Grading

Overview

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I will asses your motivation and personal learning individually . Everyone learns differently and is at different levels of their education. I will not be comparing you to anyone else other than your own learning. I will asses where you are individually and how much you are motivated to learn. Ultimately, I believe that we actually teach ourselves. We are responsible for our own education. I will only provide a structure and environment for learning. Motivation and interaction with your peers and me, is what I need to see. If I see that you are just trying to  simply "earn the credit", there is no way for you to get a grade above a "C". In my book a "C" is average work. "B" means you are applying yourself and motivated to learn. An "A "means that you are going far beyond the expectation of the course.

Assignments

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The grade for this course will be composed of many components: 50% comes from the Seminar days and 50% comes from the Animation Lab days. Each section of the course is broken down as follows;

//////////////////////// Seminar /////////////////////////////////

1. Game board / Knowledge Map

2. Your Blog and Readings

Everyone is required to have a Blog for this course. It will be the site for posting your responses to our readings for our seminar days of the course. You responses need to be insightful and have self reflection. So the Blog correspondes directly to our readings. If you miss a response then your grade will be effected.

3. Team Presentations

A final presentation during the seminar days of the course will be required. I will be discussing the specifics of this project when the time comes. In short you and your team will be required to select a client, integrate the readings, write an analysis and project brief and propose a design in wireframes to illustrate the teams proposed new design.

4. Participation in Discussion

///////////////////////////// Animation Lab ////////////////////////

1. Project One: animations and loops

2. Project Two: animations and trigger

3. Process: A course Flickr site will be available for posting design concept development. You will be required to update your album regularly. Comments must be added to images to contextualize your process and thinking.

Course Overview

Interactive design enhanced through the integration of animation, video, sound, and other media. Critical analysis of work in the field establishes vocabulary and principles for effective design, usability, and interactivity. Animation developed in vector, bitmap, and video formats. Technical standards for delivery of audio, video, and animation. Prerequisite: Art 341.

The format for this course is as follows:

1. Mondays
Animation Lab days
days are spent learning vector animation and motion

2. Wednesdays
Seminar days
days are spent reading, discussing, looking, presenting and analyzing.

I will at different times during the term may need to make adjustments to what we do day to day or even to the project description based on the class performance or needs. I will do my best to keep the Blog up-to-date so that changes are always in writing. A learning environment always needs to be flexible.