Description
This course opens the door to different ways of thinking and making forms, and adding interactivity through computer programming, and looks at how it can be used for creative projects by creating a new context or extending what we already know. Class time will be split between lectures, work sessions, discussions, presentations, and critiques.
Learning Outcomes
- Become familiar with basic programming languages and emerging interactive tools
- Learn how to amplify key project concepts through interaction
- Explore innovative approaches to advance creative projects
- Understand the foundational principles of user interface design
Courseware
Please check our class website and Slack channel regularly. The class website will be used for sign-ups and uploading course materials, while Slack will be used for group communication. We will use Are.na for sharing insightful resources.
Project Submission
All projects should be uploaded to the class Google Drive by the date specified in the class schedule. Files uploaded after this date will be rejected for your semester grade.
Grading
You will receive one-semester grade (A—F) according to the following metric:
- Course assignments & Projects :
clarity of topics and contents, final deliverables, visual ability
- Depth & Breadth :
in-depth research, exploration, curiosity, and experimentation
- Class Participation & Contribution :
actively participate and contribute in class
Disability Statement
Students who have self-identified, provided documentation of their disability, and requested reasonable accommodations may be entitled to receive approved modifications in the classroom, appropriate academic adjustments, or auxiliary aids that enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities. Please see http://www.bu.edu/disability for more details.
Attendance & Absences
Please make every effort to arrive punctually. You must attend all the classes. According to the SVA Attendance Policy, unless specific permission for absence is arranged with the instructor of this course, students must attend class to receive credit for the course. Unexcused absences exceeding 1/4 of the total class hours in a given semester are considered excessive in all SVA courses. Tardiness and any unexcused absences will reduce your course grade. Three unexcused absences will reduce your semester grade by one step (e.g. A- to B+). Seven unexcused absences will earn you a failing grade for the course.
Wellness and Health
Your health and well-being are important for your journey as a professional graphic designer. It is important to work hard and balance that with rest, self-care, and attention to your mental and physical health. I will challenge you in this class through assignments, activities, and discussions. However, the work in this class should not be at the expense of your well-being. If for any reason you are struggling to find balance in your work life and health/wellbeing, please reach out. I am happy to discuss ways in which this class can support you in your learning and growth. You can find more resources provided by BU CFA Mental Health & Wellness Resources.
🄋 Collaborative Codebox
Knowing what is feasible in programming greatly expands the range of ideas you can explore in your projects. Interactive Design is a collaborative space where every class member supports one another. To grow our coding knowledge, we will operate a Collaborative Codebox Are.na channel. Each member will sign up for a date and share five code-related resources they find interesting or new. These resources will be posted on the Are.na channel so that everyone can use them as assets for future projects. The five resources can be anything you think will be helpful to yourself and the class. For example, they could be an online CSS generator, a new JavaScript library, a sample code snippet you discovered on CodePen, or even an AI code generation tool.
➊ Interactive Poster
Interactivity is a key strength of digital media. This project explores how web-based interaction can reimagine traditional print media and foster deeper engagement. Using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you will learn techniques ranging from basic CSS media queries to more dynamic interactions such as sound detection and machine learning, and apply them to design an online interactive poster. The interactions you learn in workshops should meaningfully enhance your poster’s idea and concept.
➋ Digital Narrative
Based on the workshops from Project 1, you will create a single-page web zine (or multiple pages if you are comfortable with programming). The choice of text and its length are entirely up to you—it can be something you’ve written before or a new piece you would like to explore. It is important to apply interactions that suit your text in order to strengthen the narrative and create a more engaging experience for the reader. You are encouraged to use interactions that were not included in Project 1, or to combine multiple interactions together.
❸ Moments Online
The internet is not a fixed medium. In Project 3, you will create a website that functions or appears only at specific moments. As the final project of Interactive Design, your work can take any form—for example, another interactive zine, a web-based performance, a music video, or a poetic website with other creative ideas—offering more freedom than Projects 1 and 2. While workshops on time-based interactions and additional body detection will be provided, you are encouraged to freely apply any other interactions to create a website that responds to the “Moments Online” prompt.