21W785
Communicating in Cyberspace
Spring 2007
Instructor: Ed Barrett
Office: 14N-336
ebarrett@mit.edu; x3-6475
TA: Jeremy Smith (jeremyis@mit.edu)
This class gives you the chance to propose, design, build and assess a semester-long digital communications project. Students work in collaborative development teams and share their expertise within their team and with other teams. Guest speakers visit frequently to discuss a range of topics related to the rhetoric of digital communication, visual design, technical implementation and IP issues. Teams document project development throughout the semester with oral and written reports.
Classroom: All
class meeting are held in 1-379.
Objectives
In this class you have the opportunity to develop skills
for:
á Collaborating
with a team of peers on large-scale digital projects
á Planning
and managing a successful group project
á Graphic
design
á Writing
for the Web
á Programming
for the Web
á Usability
testing
á Crafting
successful proposals and reports
Complete
syllabus and requirements, formats for oral and written reports (with
examples), and suggested readings and reference works can be found at:
Grade Breakdown
Written Reports: (50%)
á Statement
of Project (1-2 pages)
á Usability
Documents (User Profiles, Scenarios, Task Breakdown) (2-3 pages)
á Progress
Report, design logs (2-3 pages)
Oral Reports: (50%)
á Initial
Statement of Project (brief, 3 minutes max.)
á Progress
Report (5 minutes)
á Presentations
to Usability Team (in-class)
á Final Presentations (25
minutes)
Attendance is required for all class meetings.
Credit
Students receive 12 units of credit upon completing
21W.785 that will count towards fulfilling part of their HASS requirement.
21W.785 is also a CI-H subject.
Roles
Students organize themselves into groups of three or four,
with each student adopting one or more roles. Roles can include the following,
in no particular order:
á Editor/Writer
á Programmer
á Multimedia
designer (graphics, sound, video)
á Project
manager
á Information
architect
á Storyboarder
á Liaison
T, 2/6—Introduction to class; student introductions; project ideas/roles.
Assignment: continue team formation.
R, 2/8—Debby Levinson (Nimble Partners, Inc.) on project development process and examples; use of metaphor in design.
Assignment:
1-page memo describing your teamÕs project (include motivation,
audience, objectives), due 2/13.
T, 2/13—Hagan Rivers (Two Rivers Consulting) on large-scale project development; consulting. 1-page project memo on team project due.
Assignment: prepare Òelevator speechÓ for next class; include storyboards or wireframes; discuss models influencing your project.
R, 2/15—ÒElevator speeches;Ó Jeremy Smith (TA) on project development in Microsoft, tech questions related to your project.
Assignment: brief technical description of your project, due next class.
T, 2/20—NO CLASS
R, 2/22—Joanna Proulx, UI design and effects on usability Project tech description due.
Assignment:
formal oral presentations of project proposals begin on T, 3/6
T, 2/27—
IS&T team on user-centered design; elements of oral and written proposals
reviewed.
R, 3/1—Project development time; no formal class meeting
T, 3/6—Oral proposals
R, 3/8—Oral proposals
Assignment: written proposal due Tuesday, 3/13.
T, 3/13—Written proposals due. Elements of paper prototyping.
Assignment: paper prototype testing next class.
R, 3/15—In-class paper prototyping workshop.
T, 3/20—In-class collaborative tech session; code sharing.
R, 3/22—Private conferences
T, 4/3—ATIC Lab tour; ADA compliance and effect on information architecture
R, 4/5—Mike Jung, MIT Intellectual Property Counsel, on IP issues
T, 4/10—Informal project design reviews/progress reports
R, 4/12—Development time
Assignment: your project should be substantially complete for usability tests beginning week after next.
T, 4/17—NO CLASS
R, 4/19—IS&T team on usability testing protocols.
Assignment: usability tests begin next week in N42: project development substantially complete by this time; arrange for tester; complete documents IS&T team has requested.
T, 4/24—Usability tests in N42
R, 4/26—Usability tests in N42
T, 5/1—Accessibility testing, ATIC Lab
R, 5/3— Accessibility testing, ATIC Lab
Assignment: final project presentations begin next week. Final written report due Friday, 5/18.
T, 5/8—Final presentations
R, 5/10—Final presentations
T, 5/15—Final presentations
R, 5/17—Final presentations