352: Assignments

• Concept Pitches (6%)

  You will come up with 3 new and original interactive media concept ideas. These will be storyboarded and presented, one each week for the first 3 weeks and also posted on your website. The first is a pitch for the design metaphor for your portfolio. The second is a pitch for an interactive advertisement for a real product. The third is a pitch for a final group project. Final projects will be picked from the pool of concepts generated by the class and ideas brought to the class from outside clients. Text component of concept pitches should include: What is the message? Who is the audience? How will you communicate the message to the audience? How will you measure if you have succeeded? Storyboard should include map of all content and demonstrate how interactivity and delivery work. (2-3 pages)

• In-class presentation (4%)

  You will have 20 minutes of classtime. During this time you will present what you consider to be a compelling interactive piece and your explanation of why you think that this piece is so effective. The presentation should not be a video of the interaction, but the class should be able to actually interact with the media you are demonstrating. Feel free to bring in game consoles, gps systems, Iphones or whatever technology you need to show us how it works. Your presentation should be a critical design and usability analysis of this piece. What works and what doesn't? You should support your argument with excerpts from the readings. Your grade for this section includes your presentation, and a three-page written analysis of the piece which you will turn in at the end of your presentation and post to your class site.

• Advanced actionscript assignments (10%)

  We will do five small assignments to build on the skills learned in 271. This semester you will learn to :
  1. build a master swf file that loads submovies and a preloader on command
  2. how to apply external CSS files to dynamic text fields
  3. drag and drop
  4. how to dynamically load internal movie clips or external swfs with functions
  5. how to code and integrate randomness in your work

• Paper (10%)

  Select a type of immersive interactive multimedia with which you are NOT familiar. Experience this media for as long as you can stand it and then write a 7-10 page paper about this experience. How does this piece work? How many of the senses are engaged in the experience of it? How does the technology work? What is the theoretical structure upon which the piece is based? What are the implications of it for our society? Your paper must include at least three academic citations and must be posted and linked to your index page.

• Portfolio (20%)

  Over the course of the semester you will build a portfolio using Flash software that presents you to the world as a talented individual, ready to be hired in your chosen area of interest. The portfolio will include: a resume, examples of your work in several media, contact information, references, examples of storyboards and usability tests, and any other appropriate information. You will design the interface in a way that reflects your own character and individuality. Sections of the portfolio must be completed and turned in on the dates defined in the schedule. Multimedia Grading Criteria

• Final Project (45%)

  Four weeks into the semester, the class will pick projects from the concept pitches or from ideas that potential clients have presented to the class. Teams will be formed based on individual areas of expertise and interest. Each team will pick a leader who is responsible for guiding the group through this process and for evaluating team performance on a weekly basis. Each team will turn in: Complete storyboards ranging from initial concept pitch through completion(10%), Completed project(25%), Usability test and write-up of results including recommendations for improving the product (10%). The final group notebooks should also include individual sections where each individual in the group describes what s/he did for the group project. Individual grades for the final project will be determined based on the individual descriptions, group leader assessment, and quality of the final piece. Multimedia Grading Criteria

• Class Participation (5%)

  This is a group project and seminar class, so class participation is essential. You are expected to attend class and actively participate in discussions and work sessions. If you miss more than two classes, you get no points in this category.

Paper Criteria

• games
• software programs
• any new technology or interface (Kimble anyone?)
• tutorials
• simulators
• etc.

1. how easy/difficult is it to learn the interface?
2. is there a help area and is it helpful?
3. how quickly are you able to do what you wanted to do?
4. how could the environment be modified to facilitate your task?
5. what are your overall impressions about the environment?
6. would you like to spend more time in it?
7. what were the principal elements that made you like/dislike it?

Also address the issues raised in the description above. Your paper should include at least 3 academic citations and refer to the class readings.