Interactive Design Concepts (Fall 2009

Cooper Union School of Art
FA 326
Fall 2009
Tue 2p-6p, Rm 804

Office Hours: TBD
Discussion Group: http://groups.google.com/group/ns-cooper-fall2009

DESCRIPTION

This class is an exploration of the nature of interactive design and how it informs and transforms experience. Information structures, navigational issues, design strategies and social implications of interactive experiences using traditional as well as electronic media will be examined. We'll analyze relavant work and use certain readings to support our group critiques.

SYLLABUS

Note: This is a loose template of the schedule for this class - the reading list, homework assignments and projects will change as we move through the semester.

WEEK 1 (9/8) - HI.

Who am I? Who are you?
Goals of the class
The history of IxD
Discussion/Homework: to be explained in class
Reading
- Three Teapots: Emotion and Design
- We are all designers

WEEK 2 (9/15) - WHY DESIGN?

What makes good design? Designing with 'simple' in mind. Designing for people. Borrowing from nature.
Discussion/Homework: to be explained in class
Start thinking about mid-project
Reading

WEEK 3 (9/22) - PROCESS

Guest Lecturer: Paris Marashi
The process of design in the real-world: methods, group work, examples.

WEEK 4 (9/29) - INFORMATION VISUALIZATION

Representing data: charts, graphs, maps, real-time codings
Lab: Data modeling, XML
Homework: to be explained in class
Notes:
- Visualizations. Minard - Napoleon, Stimulus Treemap, Wordmap: Poe's The Raven, Map of the Market, Air space map, Facebook network map, Twitter network map.
- Markup evolution. markup.txt

WEEK 5 (10/6) - DESIGN FOR WEB

Basics of programming the web
Notes: class5.html, style.css

WEEK 6 (10/13) - DESIGNING FOR THE BRAIN

Guest Lecturer: Phoebe Espiritu
The psychology of design: class6.pdf
Links: TED: Jill Bolte Taylor, Wanting vs Liking, Red vs Blue and the outcome of tasks, 10 rules that govern groups, A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy, The Paradox of Choice

WEEK 7 (10/20) - PROGRAM DESIGN

Examples: basics, user input, logic & conditionals, while loops, factorials

WEEK 8 (10/27) - AFFECTIVE ASPECTS (SOCIAL DESIGN, AGENTS & AI)

Programming for groups & enabling communication
Smarter systems: what they can do for us; when and how to use them and what we can expect from them in future

WEEK 9 (11/3) - FLASH (INTRO)

Guest Lecturer: Kate Bauer
Notes: Timeline animation, web design
Examples: see all

WEEK 10 (11/10), WEEK 11 (11/17), WEEK 12 (11/24) - FLASH (ADVANCED LABS)

Notes: Advanced animation techniques
Examples: sound, text, animation, css, xml, see all
Notes: drop-down menu (using buttons), thumbnails

WEEK 13 (12/1) - DESIGN FOR MOBILE

Basics of the mobile web
Lab/homework: design a mobile tour guide for the East Village
Think about final projects

WEEK 14 (12/8) - FINAL PROJECT (INTRO + DISCUSSION)

branches: change, media, memories
examples: danish design school projects, itp sigs, ...

WEEK 15 (12/15) - FINAL PROJECT

WEEK 16 (12/22) - NO CLASS

There is no week 16? Why didn't you kids tell me this?!

PARTICIPATION & GRADING

Grades will be based on:

Participation and attendance: 25%
Homework assignments, lab work: 50%
Final project: 25%