Final Assignment
Together we have explored the history of media through theory and practice. For this assignment you will engage in “reflective design,” defined by Hancock et al as “promot[ing] critical inquiry over usability and exploratory prototyping over fully realized productions.” You can do this by beginning with the current state of publishing and then projecting potential solutions – or perhaps evolutions – of these tools to enhance the reading experience in the future. We are specifically concentrating on the tools of publishing for this project, since this course has focused on media we use to communicate. Essentially, it is your job to imagine the future of the book. However, these are meant to be visions of the future – featuring a balance of imagination and practicality
This project will be broken into parts:
Stage 1: The Pitch
- Create a proposal for your “design fiction” project ( 450-500 words, 3-5min presentation)
- Introduce the product and explain its purpose – this is the time to dream big!
- Explain what need this product will fill that is not met by currently available technology and how it builds on current technology(ies)
- Prove this item has a customer base, and be specific about your target audience
- Imagine the process and materials it would take to manufacture and distribute this product – even if these do not exist yet
- Provide evidence of preliminary research – especially evidence that this product does not currently exist already (Use MLA citation formatting for in-text citations and works cited entries)
- Present this idea is a “Shark Tank” style pitch in under 5 minutes
Stage 2: Annotated Bibliographies
- Using Zotero, you will build a research base for this project
- Each person must contribute at least 3 resources to our group library
- Each source must include a correctly formatted MLA citation
- Each source must be summarized and evaluated in the “notes” section
Stage 3: Final Proposal
- Create a dossier for your proposal. This should serve as the complete representation of your product. Create a 5-7 page description that features your research (properly cited in MLA format) and connections to what you have learned in this course.
- You paper should include the following:
- Purpose
- Audience
- Technical specifications (what products are you modeling this on, how will the user interface with the product, and include a mock-up/prototype)
- Implementation plan (advertising/marketing/long term vision)
- Include some kind of prototype or mock-up of your tool. Use multimedia to your advantage!
- Include a full works-cited page for all materials used (including media)
Additional Notes:
Each student must meet with me in pre-scheduled conferences. I am also available to consult with you on your individual product pitches during office hours. This description is subject to change after we discuss your ideas.