to class -- to about -- to syllabus -- to people -- to the library

syllabus

what is interaction?

If a computer is a tool for thinking with, then the web is a place to share your thoughts with others. In this class we’ll think about the networked interface as a unique means of representation, speculation, and communication.

This class seeks to give a broad, nuanced and critical understanding of what it means to design for the web today. A core aim is for you to develop appreciation of the web as a medium in its own right: a creative and communicative tool that encapsulates a unique set of affordances. It has a history that long predates the computer, intertwined with printed media, the postal system, libraries and the military.

This class is structured around a series of projects that inform different approaches towards web design, and together will stretch and challenge you. These projects are contextualised by readings and lectures that give a theoretical and technical basis to the material covered, and discussed in studio during structured critiques.

learning outcomes

By the successful completion of the studio course, students will be able to:

By the successful completion of the lab course, students will be able to:

course overview

Date Theme Assignment Reading
W1
01/21
studio
hello studio!
In this class, we will all get to know each other, review the syllabus together, and establish the structure of the studio for the rest of the semester.
web archaeology - use the wayback machine to explore the history of a site of your choice, to be presented on Thursday’s class.
due: 01/23
Daniel van der Velden, Research and Destroy
W1
01/23
studio
what is the internet?
This class we will look at what the internet is, where it came from, and the ways in which it operates today.
reading response (200 words).
due: 1/27 noon
Kalli Retzepi, You, the Users, Hito Steyerl, “Too Much World: Is the Internet Dead?”
W1
01/24
lab
hello lab!
This class will introduce the lab format this semester, and get you set up with the tools we’re going to use. Please come to this class with the computer you plan to use for the rest of the semester.
Tutorial: git
Create your personal website on GitHub pages, and add the URL to this google sheet. You will get help with this during class.
due: 01/31
Laurel Schwulst, my website is a shifting house next to a river of knowledge, what could yours be?
W2
01/28
studio
user ⇆ environment
Where is the user and what can you do with one? This week we will explore the concept of communication, the relationship between the user and the environment, platform or website, and what it means for designers.
reading response.
due: 02/03 noon
Michael Rock, Fuck Content David Reinfurt, A New Program for Graphic Design (Excerpt)
W2
01/30
studio
introduction to prototyping
Research, wireframe, prototype, repeat. This class we will acquaint ourselves with the process of taking a design from the page to the web, ahead of your first assignment ↘

 
W2
01/31
lab
building the house
We will use this class to re-visit the basics of HTML, and to make sure our Github Pages websites are working.
Tutorial: HTML structure and hierarchy
Using just HTML, experiment with 10 different ways to format a recipe.
due: 02/07
chapters 1-8 (they’re like 1 page!!) TIL HTML J4F
W3
02/04
studio
semiotics and the web
We will look at the history of writing techniques as they relate to the Web, from the invention of writing to unicode.
reading response
due: 02/10
Rem Koolhaas, Junkspace (tbc)
W3
02/06
studio
documentation and research
A practical guide to doing research as a designer, archiving, documentation and processing media for the web.

due: 02/10
Lakoff and Johnson, Metaphors We Live By
W3
02/07
lab
painting the house
making a webpage with <style>
Tutorial: CSS combinators and selectors, the Box Model
using just HTML and CSS, take last week’s recipe and explore 10 more variations
due: 02/14
Shay Howe Writing Your Best Code
W4
02/11
studio
interaction ⇆ feedback
We explore different forms of interaction, workshop your metaphor ideas, and prep you for your first studio assignment.
reading response
 
W4
02/13
studio
feelings, slow and fast
The web is full of feelings beyond “like”, today we go online with an open heart.

 
W4
02/14
lab
remodelling the house
In this session, we’ll start to explore the principles of responsive web design, looking at ways that sites can change depending on the environment they’re in.
Tutorial: flexbox, grids

watch Learn Javascript in just 5 minutes
W5
02/18
studio
group meetings

working on metaphor assignment
Computer Lib, Ted Nelson
W5
02/20
studio
assignment 2 crit
a group crit session for your metaphor assignment

 
W5
02/21
lab
hello js!
This class introduces basic Javascript and some other ideas about interactivity, looking at events and console debugging.
Tutorial: event listeners
Style a plain HTML webpage (that I will give you) using only Javascript. Think about how the page might change as different events occur.
due: 02/27
Paul Ford What is Code
W6
02/25
studio
what is the web?
We will discuss the power and politics of protocol on the web, and how algorithms shape our online environments.
reading response and viewing assignment
due: 02/26!
Adam Curtis, The User and Abuse of Vegetational Concepts <== 👀 WATCH
W6
02/27
studio
cybernetics and design
we will discuss cybernetics as a key history of modern human-computer interaction and network culture, and examine systems-thinking strategies in design.

due: 03/16
 
W6
02/28
lab
intro jQuery
In this lab, we’ll talk about DOM manipulation using jQuery.
Tutorial: functions revisited

Eric Lippert, How to debug small programs
W7
03/03
studio
introduction to midterm assignment
the parasite project
Use the console editing tools (javascript and CSS) to create sketches for your parasite. Document your ideas on your class site.
due: 03/26
 
W7
03/05
studio
console
Using jQuery and DOM manipulation in console + homework

 
W7
03/06
lab
browser extensions
We learn how to make a browser extension, and how to write more complex javascript. we’ll talk about strategies for debugging.
Tutorial: Browser Extensions 101

 
W8
03/10
studio
parasite group work (first remote class)


W8
03/12
studio
parasite groupwork


 
W8
03/13
lab
cancelled :(
In this class we’ll explore how to store, transform and transmit knowledge in the form of objects and arrays. We’ll also take a first look at ‘iterators’
Tutorial: JSON

Kent Beck, A Laboratory For Teaching Object-Oriented Thinking
W9
03/17
studio
spring break - no class!


 
W9
03/19
studio
spring break - no class!


 
W9
03/20
lab
spring break - no class!


 
W10
03/24
studio
No Class
Study Week! Gary will be available for 1-on-1s over zoom.

 
W10
03/26
studio
No Class
Study Week! Gary will be available for 1-on-1s over zoom.

 
W10
03/27
lab
cancelled :(
In this lab, we’ll explore the command line and Unix filesystem.
Tutorial: NodeJS command line interface.
make a command line interface, using either NodeJS or bash. This tool should address some need you have from your computer which it does not currently address.
due: 04/03
 
W11
03/31
studio
Midterm Crut
Group crit for Parasite midterm.

 
W11
04/02
studio
design (as) ethics
what are the responsibilities of the designer? we will discuss the challenges of ethical design, and consider design as ethics.
write a short response about what ethics mean in design.
 
W11
04/03
lab
objects and arrays
In this class we’ll explore how to store, transform and transmit knowledge in the form of objects and arrays. We’ll also take a first look at ‘iterators’
Tutorial: JSON

Kent Beck, A Laboratory For Teaching Object-Oriented Thinking
W12
04/07
studio
introduce final assignment


due: 05/07
 
W12
04/09
studio
composing a critical glossary of interaction
we reflect on the discussions and readings we’ve done this semester and collectively compose a glossary of what interaction means, and what it could become.

 
W12
04/10
lab
input ⇆ output
playing with interactivity

 
W13
04/14
studio
individual meetings
Meet individually with Gary to discuss final ideas.
reading response
due: 04/20
 
W13
04/16
studio
individual meetings
Meet individually with Gary to discuss final ideas.

 
W13
04/17
lab
object orientations
this week we’ll cover some more great material on objects and arrays

 
W14
04/21
studio
group discussions
45min small-group sessions for presenting and critiquing sketches for finals.

 
W14
04/23
studio
group discussion
45min small-group sessions for presenting and critiquing sketches for finals.

 
W14
04/24
lab
work session
pair programming and debugging on final projects

 
W15
04/28
studio
work session
working on finals, office hours

 
W15
04/30
studio
work session
working on finals, office hours

 
W15
05/01
lab
refactoring
pair programming and debugging on final projects

 
W16
05/05
studio
work session
working on finals, office hours

 
W16
05/07
studio
final crit!
there will be snacks!

 
W16
05/08
lab
final class
making websites in the world!

 

studio

The studio will cover the aesthetic, theoretical, social and cultural concerns of designing for the web, covering both design and research techniques. The structure of the class will vary between lectures, critiques and group discussions of the readings.

presentations

Google Doc for signing up to weekly presentation slots.

lab

The lab will complement what you are learning in the studio, both in giving you the skills to address the assignments, and in appreciating and engaging with code as a medium in its own right.

There are also sometimes readings associated with the lab: when these are set, they will be short, and seek to provide a variety of perspectives on the art and craft of programming, both on the web and off. When a reading is set, we will discuss it during the introduction to the following week.

lab classes

Each week, bring to lab a website you find interesting or appreciate. You should present a short summary of how it’s structured, and how the code works, which will also be documented on your blogs.

on asking questions

A vitally important part of learning how to write code (and, indeed, learning how to learn to write code) is learning the art of asking good questions. We’ll talk in class about how to ask questions well. Whenever you ask questions about the code you’re writing, you should be putting thought into how to make it a good question.

At some point during the semester you might use a platform like Stack Overflow to ask a question about some code you’re struggling with. Take a screenshot of the question and replies, and write a short discussion of how you think it went: whether the interaction was helpful, whether you had to follow up etc etc.

policies

on grades

The division for both classes will follow the following distribution:

Grades in this class are non-negotiable. As a corollary of that, we will grade your work regularly, to give you feedback on progress, and to inform an idea of what high quality work looks like in this context. If you are concerned about a grade you have received for an assignment, by all means come and talk to us: the grade won’t change but we will give you some thoughts on how to improve.

A student’s final grades and GPA are calculated using a 4.0 scale. Please note that while both are listed here, the 4.0 scale does not align mathematically with the numeric scale based on percentages of 100 points.

A, 95-100: Work of exceptional quality, which often goes beyond the stated goals of the course A-, 90-95: Work of very high quality

B+, 87-90: Work of high quality that indicates higher than average abilities

B, 83-87: Very good work that satisfies the goals of the course

B-, 80-83: Good work

C+, 77-80: Above-average work

C, 73-77: Average work that indicates an understanding of the course material; passable. Satisfactory completion of a course is considered to be a grade of C or higher.

C-, 70-73: Passing work but below good academic standing

D, 60-70: Below-average work that indicates a student does not fully understand the assignments; Probation level though passing for credit

F, 0-60: Failure, no credit

Grade of W The grade of W may be issued by the Office of the Registrar to a student who officially withdraws from a course within the applicable deadline. There is no academic penalty, but the grade will appear on the student transcript. A grade of W may also be issued by an instructor to a graduate student (except at Parsons and Mannes) who has not completed course requirements nor arranged for an Incomplete.

Grade of Z The grade of Z is issued by an instructor to a student who has not attended or not completed all required work in a course but did not officially withdraw before the withdrawal deadline. It differs from an “F,” which would indicate that the student technically completed requirements but that the level of work did not qualify for a passing grade.

Grades of Incomplete The grade of I, or temporary incomplete, may be granted to a student under unusual and extenuating circumstances, such as when the student’s academic life is interrupted by a medical or personal emergency. This mark is not given automatically but only upon the student’s request and at the discretion of the instructor. A Request for Incomplete form must be completed and signed by student and instructor. The time allowed for completion of the work and removal of the “I” mark will be set by the instructor with the following limitations: Work must be completed no later than the seventh week of the following fall semester for spring or summer term incompletes and no later than the seventh week of the following spring semester for fall term incompletes. Grades of “I” not revised in the prescribed time will be recorded as a final grade of “F” by the Office of the Registrar.

academic integrity

From ‘writing code’, in academic integrity at MIT:

“Writing code is similar to academic writing in that when you use or adapt code developed by someone else as part of your project, you must cite your source. However, instead of quoting or paraphrasing a source, you include an inline comment in the code. These comments not only ensure you are giving proper credit, but help with code understanding and debugging.”

“You should not simply re-use code as the solution to an assignment. Like academic writing, your code can incorporate the ideas of others but should reflect your original approach to the problem.”

Communication Design Zero Tolerance Attendance Policy

In order to foster a studio learning environment where we all learn from peers and through dialogue, timely and regular attendance is a strict expectation for all Communication Design students. Students who are not present in class are unable to meet the learning outcomes of a Communication Design course.

For classes meeting once a week, students are allowed 2 absences. For classes meeting twice a week, students are allowed 4 absences. Any absence beyond the allowed absences will result in an automatic failure (F) for the course. There are no excused absences. This applies to each and every student.

A student is deemed tardy if a student fails to arrive within 15 minutes past the beginning of class. 2 tardies will result in an automatic absence. A student who arrives an hour past the beginning of class will be deemed absent.

No Late Work and Missed Critiques

Work that is submitted past the assignment due date will result in an automatic failure for the assignment. For work presented in critique, absence at the critique will result in an automatic failure for the assignment.

CD App

Information about upcoming CD Lectures, events from AIGA NY/TDC, the CD Library, and the CD Paper Store can be found on the CD App.

https://cdparsons.glideapp.io/

To install the app on your phone:

For iOS users:

  1. Visit the link in Safari, tap on the “Share” icon located at the bottom of the page
  2. Tap the “Add to Home Screen” button
  3. Tap the “Add” button at the top right corner of the screen

For Android users:

  1. Tap on the notification banner at the bottom of the page (alternatively, you can tap the “Add to Home Screen” option inside the menu at the top right corner of the screen)
  2. Tap the “Add” button on the modal

Mandatory CD Lecture Attendance

Every fortnight, the Communication Design program hosts the CD Lectures Series that brings in practicing designers to share their work and practice with our community. The CD Lecture Series is an important part of achieving an understanding of contemporary design culture.

It is mandatory for students in Core Studio Typography and Core Studio Interaction to attend all lectures. Attendance is recorded. Each missed lecture will be recorded as 1 tardy.

Lecture dates can be found on the CD App (https://cdparsons.glideapp.io/).