How to Design a Digital Media Course
Design Practice
MA-Creative Digital Media
What kind of final project would suit the topics of this module and meet the learning objectives of the course document?
In the past, I’ve had people write their own Brief for a Design Problem/Design Solution. Students would identify a problem, analyse that problem in the form of a Design Brief. The brief would define the relevant issues and serve as a call for submissions. The students would then propose their own solution to the problem, including costings.
Previous year’s proposals included a redesign of the entrance to Connolly Station, a website design for the Irish Kickboxing Association, and research on cables that deliver data and power to tv’s, dvd players, etc. to reduce the cable clutter.
In this way, people get to take the concepts from the module and apply them to subjects that particularly interest them.
The learning outcomes for the module are defined in the course document:
Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this module, the learner will be able to:
• Analyse the priorities of a design project;
• Evaluate and specify the usability and HCI requirements;
• Discuss design choices and evaluate the impact on the success of the final
design.
Implement and produce coherent on-screen design for interfaces (i.e. web
page, DVD menus, interactive games/e-learning apps, etc.)
After several years of my “Write a Brief” – project brief, I’m looking to see if there is another method that would work well for this class. What other ideas do you have for final projects that address the learning outcomes and don’t impose too much on the work for your other modules? It could be individual or group work. It should combine elements of analysis, design, and visual presentation. I see this in some ways as similar to the initial stages of your final project: concept, analysis, presentation, design, execution. You can sort of leave out the ‘design and execution’ phases for this module.
So let’s brainstorm a bit and see what we can come up with.
13 Responses “How to Design a Digital Media Course”
maybe design a website
Hola Tim,
I was thinking about a final project that combines your class with Sara Jane’s. What if we matched up groups to review each other’s group projects from design principles? These could be reviewed in the usability criteria set forth in Norman’s book and you could throw in a Photoshop component like putting the review into a faux review site (like what we did before) only these review sites would have to follow the industry standard for each particular area, for example if it is an educational tool then it should be evaluated in those terms and presented in a similar manner to other educational review sites. I think this would be better than introducing a random topic/problem because it would allow us to further develop the designs we’ve been working on all term and look at requirements and methodology from a more practical perspective.
I’d like to focus more on applying the usability concepts from your course to what we are actually developing in Sarah Jane’s class to see where this evaluation belongs in the lifecycle of a project.
Let me know what you think.
Nicole
Hi Tim
There seems to be a lot of cross-over with your Design Practice class and Sarah Jane’s Design Principles. SJ has split us into groups and given us all separate projects to work on and we are currently developing Task 2.
SJ has made it clear that she is interested in the WHAT and not the HOW of the project. In other words she is focused on WHAT it does — functionality and usability, rather than HOW it works — ‘look and feel’ and visual aesthetics.
Rather than giving us separate projects that will eat up our time… perhaps we could have our Design Principles projects evaluated in Design Practice from the HOW point of view.
Just a thought.
Also… other topics that i feel should be part of the course is Design Fundamentals (seeing as the word Principles is taken) — ie. typography, colours, page layout, balance of text with imagery etc.
Dave
Hi all,
I agree with Dave. As we’re going to develop a digital artifact for Sarah Jane’s courses, it would be nice to consider the aesthetic of that as final part of Design Practice course.
I’m not sure how useful these reviews are anymore.
I fully appreciate the value of preparing and putting some foresight into projects before beginning them. Equally I understand the need to reflect on the work that we do once it’s done and consider possible improvements in order to become better designers.
Having said that, I would like it if Design Practice was more practical. I for one would like to have an impressive piece of design to put in a portfolio – “Look what I can do, please give me a job”
I’m also not sure how satisfying writing a brief for a project that never will be, would be. I would find it hard to get excited about something that will never materialise. I’m sure we would learn something in the process but I think it would be more meaningful if we could apply Norman’s method of evaluation to something that we actually made ourselves as we would have an understanding of the decisions we made during the design process, why we made them and could then begin to look at possible alternatives that may have been more suitable without compromising usability or aesthetic appeal.
I think this learner outcome from the course document is what I would like to focus on for the remainder of the module:
– Implement and produce coherent on-screen design for interfaces (i.e. web
page, DVD menus, interactive games/e-learning apps, etc.)
Brian
Hello,
I think our project should be based on a practical application. To be honest the crossover between your class and Design Principles is to great. I think an Idea could be design a Poster in Illustrator or Photoshop. Most of our other modules are based on functionality. So I think it would be good to have assessment on the look and feel of a piece.
Ciaran
Hi Tim,
as this is design Practice, i think we should have a design brief that would get us to implement any design knowledge that we have already, or for those in the class who are only learning the basics of design these year-i think this would be more benifical to them. As we are learning photoshop and illustrator i think a brief, incorporating these two would be helpful, and along the lines of what Brian and Ciaron have already said, this would give us something solid for our portfolio.
Niamh
Hay Tim,
I agree with Nicole and Brian. Sarah Jane seems to be focusing on the process that goes into the construction of a project and less on the look and feel of the finished design. I reckon it would be a good idea to get feedback on the design for different perspective on the same project.
Also maybe a final project that examines some fledgling technology and then we could try to apply it in the real world – look / feel / functionality and so on. I would imagine we would have to work in teams for this and the technologies would be chosen at random.
I would really like to steer clear of simply designing a nice website or DVD as that could be done using a manual and suitable stock imagery. We are studying at a higher level and we need to be able to articulate what good design is and why stuff works or doesn’t. I suppose to that end each of us could examine something (could be anything). Take a stance either loving or hating it but we must back it up with why. The presentation could be in any format the student wishes but as I said there must be concrete reasons for their position. Since design is subjective there won’t necessarily be a right or wrong. The argument needs to be convincing even if many other disagree.
I hope the above is kind of helpful.
Best regards,
Stephen O’Neill
Design Practice,
I think the clues in the title tim..
Functionality and usability aside..
Design is about creation, or execution in an artistic or highly skilled manner. Sitting down deciphering the fundamentals of design implementation is helpful, but it is only when you criticise your own work can you truly understand the concept of design for others. Tim, When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win..
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” Mahatma Gandhi
While there is merit in the exercise of designing a brief – could you comment on whether this is an exercise in “designing a brief” as specified as a typical topic in the module content of the course handbook,
or if the outcome of this discussion will replace the module assessment as specified in the course handbook.
See below as quoted from course handbook:
“Module Assessment:
Final Project Submission: 60%
Candidates will be asked to create a ‘branding’ campaign for an existing or imaginary
product. Design for logos. Print (e.g. magazine ad, business livery, brochure, etc.) and
choice of web site layout, CD/DVD ROM app. Layout or storyboard for TV spot will
be expected in this project.
Written Report: 40%
Candidates will discuss, analyse and evaluate their design strategies and the research
that informed their design rationale.
*These weightings apply to the MA CDM: other programmes utilizing this module for different
purposes may require a different balance of weighting”
If the module assessment is to be changed substantially what is outlined in the course handbook, does this have implications on the academic council approval of the module?
I agree with Stephen when he says ‘Since design is subjective there won’t necessarily be a right or wrong’ which is why I think having a defined, concrete brief is so important.
If we pick our own projects we will ply to our existing strengths and, although we may develop them, we won’t learn anything new.
On the other hand we may want to do exactly that and use the tools available in the college to create a piece that would look good in a portfolio, but I think we can do that at any stage.
If we have a brief that is designed to look like a brief that an employer would give us to create a piece of media about a subject we have no interest in with defined requirements that have to be met, I think we would be less precious about the outcome, we can show our versatility and it would be easier to grade based on how well it met the requirements and expanded on them, innovated, etc.
I do like the idea that we could do it as part of a group or individually as I like working alone, like when I don a bat suit and keep the streets free of scum. You’re all welcome by the way.
Hi Tim,
Maybe a choice of three tasks which require the student to apply design practice in modern situations for example:
1) A charity needs a new logo
2) Design a website for the school of digital media
3)A train station is redesigning their tickets
each task has requirements restrictions etc.
Hey Tim,
I agree with what some of the others have said about our final project being more practical. Having never studied design before I definately think a final project that involves creating something and having the design critically evaluated would be beneficial.
Lorraine