- Course: ART 285 | Kapiolani Community College, New Media Arts
- Class: KOPIKO 202A M/W: 06:00pm–8:30pm
- Instructor: Mike King, [[email protected]](mailto: [email protected])
- Schedule: Google Calendar / iCal
- Need help?
- It sends message digests to people who aren't active in the room, so feel free to ask a question even if no one's around.
- Look through and create issues for projects
- It sends message digests to people who aren't active in the room, so feel free to ask a question even if no one's around.
ART 285 explores contemporary topics in interface design and new media art in an advanced studio environment. Through the creation of large-scale projects, students explore in depth the full design process of researching, planning, designing, producing, and displaying work that synthesizes interface design principles, topics, skills, and techniques.
6 hours lecture/lab per week
Prerequisite(s): ART 128 with a grade of “C” or higher; ART 229 with a grade of “C” or higher; approval of the Interface Design Studio portfolio review or acceptance into a NMA AS specialization.
Comment: ART 285 may not be audited.
Table of Contents
- Course Objectives & Competencies
- Course Content
- Topics addressed and content
- Texts
- Materials
- Instructor's Expectation
- Method of Instruction
- Method of Evaluation & Grading Policy
- Special Student Services
- Student Conduct Code
- This Class is a “Safe Zone”
- Schedule
- Week-by-Week
- Office Hours
- Emergency Contact
Upon successful completion of ART 285, the student should be able to:
- Through the creation of a large-scale new media art project, apply advanced concepts and principles of graphic design and user interface design technologies.
- Develop conceptual project ideas, plan a full production schedule, and execute all iterative steps and phases of the full design process by meeting project milestones and deadlines.
- Apply theoretical and historically relevant principles of graphic design and user interface design in the creation of new media art.
- Apply successful problem-solving skills and make informed design decisions while utilizing industry standard applications, technologies, and techniques throughout the full creative and technical design process.
- Communicate effectively, both visually and verbally, by presenting work, defending design decisions and by participating as an active critic during group critiques.
- Synthesize the concepts, principles, skills, and techniques of user interface design in the creation of a large-scale project that integrates conceptual thinking, technical execution, and aesthetic application.
The general framework for this course consists of a four stage process based on the user-centered design methodologies: Discovery, Design, Development, Delivery.
- Discovery
- Defining the project
- Estimating the work
- User & business research
- Design strategy (ideation/prototyping)
- Design
- Conceptualizing, creating and refining assets for the project
- Development
- Coding/programming, editing, & revising
- Delivery
- Testing across various display formats/media
- Presenting completed project to client
Topics and Technologies will vary depending upon each student’s chosen project. Individual topics and techniques may include: defining goals, profiles, and users, copy writing, creative writing, defining features and functionality, concept drawings, storyboards, wireframes, site maps, prototypes, mood boards, type & color studies, creation of graphical elements, illustration, branding, graphic symbolism, design mockups, interface programming, motion graphic design; sound design, testing, printing, and quality assurance.
Universal course content:
- Exploration and application of contemporary topics in user interface design and new media art based on need and purpose.
- Overview of the full design process for interface design via theory and practice of historical and contemporary issues in interface design and new media art.
- Theory and application of researching and conceptual planning for large-scale works of interface design and new media art.
- Theory and application of the iterative visual design mockup/comp process for large-scale works of interface design and new media art.
- Theory and application of utilizing various technical production processes including small scale tests, experiments, and explorations of various technologies and techniques for large- scale works of interface design and new media art.
- Development and preparation of iterative presentations that demonstrate meeting project milestones, overall goals, and the needs of the client/user.
- Use of the appropriate industry standard design applications and software.
- Quality Assurance Testing: problem-solving and troubleshooting appropriate technologies.
- Overview of best practices for client presentations, including the importance of using an expanded design vocabulary, highlighting the importance of good design practices, speaking articulately, defending design decisions, taking criticism well, and participating as an active critic of self and others during group critiques.
- Final Presentation of a culminating large-scale project that synthesizes the concepts and principles of interface design and new media art by displaying work that is complete, robust, tested, and ready for launch/use.
There are no required texts for this course. Readings will be supplied by the instructor on a week- to-week basis, in either paper handout form or online.
Recommended, but not required texts:
- About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design by Alan Cooper
- Design is a Job by Mike Montiero
All students are required to have hosting space to post their assignments, internship documentation, and ultimately their final presentation. Students can purchase a hosting plan with a third party hosting provider or utilize Git & GitHub for free static site hosting (GitHub does not include domain name services).
Past students have purchased hosting plans from hosting providers such as Bluehost and GoDaddy (these are just a few of many hosting providers available). Plans should include ample disk space (ie. more than 2GB or unlimited), support for CGI, PHP, and MySQL, multiple domain hosting (to host more than one site), one-click install/support for popular CMS options (Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, etc), and a low, competitive price (an example rate is around $3-$5/month – this is subject to change based upon current trends for hosting prices).
Additional materials may include an external hard drive or thumbnail drive with a minimum capacity of 4 GB.
Attendance and online class participation are important to succeed in this course. It is essential that you attend both face-to-face class meetings, arrive promptly, and remain for the full duration of the scheduled class periods. Time outside of class and at your internship location is required in order to meet the requirements of the class. All assignments are due by posting them online by the specified due date/time as specified on course schedule.
Please use the Laulima’s online discussion feature for general questions that may benefit others or that others can answer (instead of email), and Laulima’s private messages feature, as necessary.
The method of instruction will include individual feedback/instruction, lectures, demonstrations, class discussions, and critiques.
The methods of evaluation used in this course are broken down as follows:
- Projects & Assignments: 80%
- Class Participation: 20%
- Total: 100%
Students will be expected to participate as active class members. This includes attending all classes; meeting all project deadlines; completing production time outside of class and in the lab environment; and participating as dependable team members. During critiques, all students are required to participate as both presenters and critics.
Grading is based on projects and class participation during critiques and online. It is the responsibility of the student to take notes, plan accordingly, and turn in completed assignments on the due dates. Missing a deadline will result in a point reduction equivalent to a full letter grade, unless there is a valid medical reason or a family emergency. Class Participation is calculated based upon a student’s participation during critiques and online via Laulima in the discussion area. Projects may be revised and turned in again for re-grading.
Five major components of the class are worth 100 points each, with a total of 500 points for the course grade. The 500 Points for the final course grade can be broken down as follows:
All Grades are available throughout the semester via Laulima
Discovery
- Proposal & Estimate: 50 Points
- Strategy & Concept Prototypes: 50 Points
- Total: 100 Points
Design
- Round 1 Designs: 40 Points
- Round 2 Designs: 30 Points
- Round 3 Designs: 30 Points
- Total: 100 Points
Development
- 1st Draft: 50 Points
- 2nd Draft: 50 Points
- Total: 100 Points
Delivery
- Post Final Project online: 50 points
- Presented at Final Critique: 50 points
- Total: 100 Points
Class Participation
- Participation online via Laulima and at the critiques
- Total: 100 Points
TOTAL: 500 Points
Dividing the total 500 points by 5 will yield a more legible final course letter grade, dictated as follows:
- A: 90-100
- B: 80-89
- C: 70-79
- D: 60-69
- F: 59-0
If you are a student with a documented disability and have not voluntarily disclosed the nature of your disability so that we may coordinate the accommodations you need, you are invited to contact the Disability Support Services Office in ‘Ilima 107, ph. [734-9552](tel: 734-9552) , or email [[email protected]](mailto: [email protected]) for assistance. For students whose primary disability is Deaf or hard of hearing, contact the KCC Deaf Center in Manono 102, ph. [734-9210](tel: 734-9210) (V) or [447-1379](tel: 447-1379) (videophone).
A college campus is a community with specific behavior expectations designed to allow all students, faculty, and staff to flourish. Please familiarize yourself with KCC’s Student Conduct Code in the course catalog. You should know your rights and responsibilities on campus. The Student Conduct Code describes specific campus policies related to: drug and alcohol use, smoking, lethal weapons, sexual harassment and sexual assault, academic honesty, nondiscrimination, and family privacy.
In all campus environments, Disruptive Behavior will not be tolerated. This means: any speech or action that (1) is disrespectful, offensive, and/or threatening; (2) interferes with the learning activities of other students; (3) impedes the delivery of college services; and/or (4) has a negative impact in any learning environment.
Discriminatory or rude comments of any kind, particularly regarding gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion, will not be tolerated.
Throughout the semester students will be developing one large-scale interface project by going through a 4-step creative design process dictated as follows:
- Discovery (Weeks 1-4)
- Project Kickoff and Research
- Researching topics and technologies, brainstorming project ideas, defining the specifications, outcomes, goals, features, and functionality of a chosen project. Additionally, estimating the time and effort involved in the subsequent phases of the project.
- Key Deliverable: Proposal & Estimate
- Strategy and Conceptual Prototyping
- Depending upon the project, this may include writing, sketching, storyboarding, creating site maps, wireframes, & prototypes for early testing.
- Key Deliverable: Conceptual Plans
- Design (Weeks 5-10)
- Designing, Illustrating, Shooting, Animating, etc.
- Depending upon the project, this may include mood boards, type studies, color studies, illustration, photography, shooting video, recording audio, testing code, graphical asset creation, visual mockups, and multiple rounds of refinement.
- Key Deliverables: Round 1 Designs, Round 2 Designs, Round 3 Designs
- Development (Weeks 11-16)
- Coding, Editing, Printing, etc.
- Depending upon the project, this may include coding and scripting (HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, WordPress, etc), print tests (for 2D digital prints), editing video, animation, motion graphics, sound editing, scoring, and audio mastering.
- Key Deliverable: 1st Round Drafts, 2nd Round Drafts
- Delivery (Weeks 17)
- Testing for Final Launch/Display
- Depending upon the project, this may include QA (Quality Assurance to sure all bugs are fixed, cross-browser/cross-platform/cross-device testing, etc.), final prints (for 2D prints), final rendering and authoring (for motion graphics), and final setup and display (for installation).
- Key Deliverable: Final project posted online and presentation at the final critique
- Week 1-2: Intro to the Course & Brainstorming
- Weeks 2-4: Discovery
- Weeks 5-10: Design
- Weeks 11-16: Development
- Week 11: NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK
- Week 17: Delivery: Final Project Due at Final Critique
The week-by-week schedule along with deliverable (assignments) due dates is available via Google Calendar and iCal as well.
Office hours are held in the computer labs, not at my office. They are operated on a first-some- first-served basis and organized via a sign-up sheet on the whiteboard at the beginning of office hours.
This semester my office hours are:
- Wednesdays 8:30pm-9:30pm in Kopiko 202A or by appointment
In the case of an emergency or if you are unable to get a hold of the instructor and have already tried contacting Mike via phone ([808-291-5971](tel: 808-291-5971)) and email ([[email protected]](mailto: [email protected])), you can next contact the Arts & Humanities department chair, Sharon Rowe, by phone ([808-734-9282](tel: 808-734-9282)) or email ([email protected]).