Credit Hours: 2
Prerequisites: None
Semester: Spring 2016 (7 Weeks)
Time: TBD
Room: C3 029 (IM Lab)
Instructor: Craig Protzel
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: TBD
This 2-unit 7-week Directed Study course will provide students with an environment to work on an interactive media project that may fall outside the scope of currently offered classes. The course will offer the necessary structure and timeline to complete a single project as well as the opportunity for peer learning. Appropriate projects lie in the area of web-based applications, trans-media narratives, virtual reality experiences, and interactive art installations. A project may be an entirely new idea or it may be an existing project that reqires more time and effort. Students may work independently or in teams.
Class will meet weekly for 3 hours. Each week students will fulfill assignment deadlines and post their progress online. During classtime, students are expected to share project development, obtain critique, and offer critique. Guests will be invited to offer feedback and advice in one-on-one sessions and in a group setting. The course will culminate with a final project presentation open to the entire NYUAD community.
10% - Attendance
10% - Participation
20% - Weekly Assignments
20% - Mid-Term (Week 4) Project
40% - Final Project
Students are expected to attend ALL classes. More than 1 unexcused absence is grounds for failing the class. During class, students are required to share work, offer feedback to fellow students, and present their final project at the end-of-term show. Lack of participation in these activities is grounds for failing the class.
Each week, there will be assignments that demonstrate and encourage iterative development of the student's individual project. The intent is that each week's work will build on the preceeding week and culminate in one large final project.
Students are required to build a "user-testable" version of their project by Week 4. Outside guests will join class to interact with the projects and provide independent feedback. A successful mid-term project will be a functional version of the project that has a clear set of testable objectives. A written analysis of the test results will also be required.
At the end of the 7 weeks, each student will be required to publicly present their work. The final project is expected to demonstrate a working proof of concept. The final project will be evaluated based on:
- Initial project brief
- Weekly assignment updates and progress
- Mid-term project test results
- Implementation of class feedback
- Introductions
- Gazelle writing review exercise
- Homework: Project Brief - answer the following questions, be prepared to share in class
- Project Title
- Project Description (max 100 words)
- Who is the user?
- What is the user experience?
- What is the creative aesthetic/angle/approach?
- What technologies are required? Why?
- What do you need to learn/research/decide?
- What assets/content/code already exists?
- What assets/content/code needs to be created?
- What resources/books/sites/examples will you rely on?
- What is the end goal?
- How will you determine if this project is a success?
- Cite 3 sources of inspiration
- Do you think all of this feasible in 7 weeks? Why?
- Share project brief + Class feedback
- Homework - Create the "Hello World" version of your project
- Share "Hello World" prototype
- Create list of next steps
- Homework - Outline a "user-testable" version of your project. Continue working on project.
- Share progress
- Guest feedback
- Homework - Complete "user-testable" project. What will you test for and why?
- User-testing day
- Homework - Write an analysis of the test results. Rework priority list + continue working on project
- Share user-testing results + subsequent progress
- Guest feedback
- One-On-One Meetings
- Homework - Create a final 2 week timeline + continue working on project
- Workshop
- Homework - Complete project, prepare for final presentation
- Final presentations with guests