The goal of this course is to “engage” your minds in exploring ways to create and enable meaningful “conversations” between “brands” and “consumers.” As we do that, we’ll discuss questions like - what is “engagement?” What does it mean to be “digital?” And what the heck is “digital engagement,” especially since we are “analog” creatures?
Lots of “quotes” here – because these things we presume to understand are constructs, and we have to define what they mean (semantics), why they mean that (semiotics), and under what circumstances they mean those things.
We will be looking at crafting engaging user experiences within environments we create or manage, using tools that may rely on the plumbing, applications and attributes of the Internet and which have components that are expressed using digital distribution, display, and interaction technologies. These may include things like games, giving users control of the content, users as media, social networks, encouraging consumer feedback, encouraging consumer pass-along (viral efforts), mashups, and involving the consumer in product design. We’ll explore the core aspects of the modern web: the long tail, the anywhere-consumer, data-driven applications, permanent beta status, collaboration, lightweight programming, and usage designed for multiple devices.
When you’re done, you’ll have created a number of interesting integrated campaigns with a focus on digital integration. You’ll be working in project groups whose composition will change with each project but will always include at least one member from each of the Brandcenter tracks.
All software you need is on the Brandcenter Computer and Video Lab workstations.
Some sort of backup storage device. You’ll be taking a lot of time to create your projects, and you really, really, REALLY don’t want the only copy of your project to be on a computer that crashed. And you don't want it to be living only on a Brandcenter computer, either. Get a few USB jump drives or something. Just remember that 1) things always crash, and 2) you will have been ABOUT to make a backup just before they do. Be smart and be prepared. Back up often to different places.
Also, make sure that each member of your team ends up with the entire project, including all the procedural artifacts – each of you may want to be able to use these projects for your portfolio, and that’s a challenge if you only have parts, or you only have pdf or jpg versions of the final.
There will be regular readings of various texts to be distributed or found on the Web. You will be expected to contribute to in-class discussions of the reading and to apply what you’ve learned in your work.
Additionally, we'll have time for a few cool-thing-of-the-week-that-you've-found presentations. I will randomly call on students to show off what you've found, so come prepared to participate.
In the course of the course you’ll work on at three major projects, one smaller project and possibly some individual work. All projects will be performed as teams or groups. You are expected to contribute professionally and equally to the group work, and your peers will be evaluating your participation, as you will be evaluating theirs. 20% of your grade for any project will come from a combination of my observations of your participation and from your peer evaluations. As a result, it’s important that you do more than just show up – and it also means that your grade for a group project may differ from your teammates. Details on the projects and requirements will be distributed in class.
On the successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to: