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R. Brian Stone, Assistant Professor, instructing faculty
Ohio State University, Department of Design
This 10-week course provides information and experience about interactive visual communication and interface design. Students apply course principles by creating an interactive multimedia CD-ROM that integrates images, sound and motion and uses strong visual communication design principles.
The course gives students an opportunity to learn about the important principles of interface design and the significance of integrating them with effective interaction design. Students address the innovation of screen-based communication and the associated challenges. Design solutions address the user audience’s specific requirements and abilities and support the structure, meaning and purpose of the information.
During the course, students read scholarly approaches and analyzed visual material representing color systems and theories. They also experimented with color relationships using Joseph Albers’ Interaction of Color exercises recreated in a digital format.
Design 673 Interactive Visual Communication is a graduate level course, although many undergraduate seniors also attend. Students increase their level of exposure to interactive media through a sequence of courses beginning in the junior year. This sequence allows students to build their conceptual thinking and authoring skills, so they can create interactive media projects to the required level of complexity. Students first take a course in Type in Motion, which bridges static and kinetic communication problems. Concurrent to Type in Motion, students take an Information Design course that addresses the organization, architecture and visual display of data. As students matriculate into their senior year, or first year of graduate study, they can supplement their study with elective courses in web usability, web communication, and interface semantics.
Assignment: Learning and the Importance of Interaction
Interaction is one of the higher levels of feedback that behaviorists and cognitivists agree is important in the educational process. Because multimedia requires the user interaction, casual decisions cannot be made. Therefore, the engagement of multimedia cannot be treated as a passive activity. The user must accept an amount of responsibility if the program is to be successful.
Students had to design and create a multimedia program on CD-ROM with content related to an issue of teaching and learning. It should challenge current conventions in educational content delivery. Programs should offer multiple navigation paths and explore how information design becomes interaction design.
All projects were completed in March, 2002.
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Wrigley Field—The Experience: Phillip Diol
Wrigley Field, a baseball park in North Chicago, is the current home of the Chicago Cubs. Built in 1914, it is the second oldest Major League Baseball park in the United States. Wrigley Field—The Experience is an educational interactive experience that gives users an insight into Wrigley Field’s history and culture. This experience was developed for baseball enthusiasts, not just Cub fans. However, a user doesn’t have to have any interest in the game of baseball to enjoy it. It compares Wrigley to other ballparks, sport fields and landmarks, which gives users a sense of the relative size and uniqueness of the field even if they have never stepped in a baseball park. Historical aspects illustrate how the ball field has changed architecturally and socially. There are also areas to listen to sounds of Wrigley Field and meet some diehard fans.
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Type in Motion: Daniel Alenquer
This program supports Type in Motion, a junior level studio course taught by R. Brian Stone. The program works as a presentation medium for the instructor and as a stand-alone program for students. It exposes students to concepts regarding motion perception, static and kinetic typographic elements and a history of graphics and motion. Concepts are supported with concrete examples and feature student work from past sections of the course.
The program features a hierarchical interface and its use of an expanding and collapsing metaphor. The controls use clear visual language complimented with subtle audible feedback.
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White Rush: Daniel Landolt
This highly immersive program informs snow-boarders of the causes and hazards of avalanches. It uses a high-energy aesthetic targeted to X-gamers. It synthesizes education with entertainment and blends information design with interaction design.
The program’s content is clearly organized using a left navigation structure; however a three-dimensional rotating model of a mountain immediately engages users. Users can control the speed and direction of rotation. Users acquire informative content through a progressive display: the program gives basic concepts then allows users to explore subject matter in-depth through levels of navigation. Deeper layers of information ultimately link to the web, which keeps content current and avoids obsolescence. The program uses type and image, animations, simulations and video.
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