Syllabus

TITLE OF COURSE: Multimedia Project Lab

COURSE NUMBER & SECTION: MMP460-1100, Fall 2022

SCHEDULE: Mondays & Wednesdays, 11AM-1:15PM. This is a hybrid class – please review the dates on which we will be meeting in person carefully below. We will have 4 in person sessions (about 1 per month). These dates are highlighted in green below – please save them in your calendar. Attendance in person on these dates is mandatory.  We will meet in 199 Chambers Street S-608 (the Makerspace) (unless otherwise stated). The recurring link for online, synchronous Zoom sessions will be posted on Blackboard (to insure privacy). Please email me at apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu if you cannot find the link.

PROFESSOR: Anna Pinkas | email: apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu | Office hours on Zoom: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30AM – 11AM. The recurring link for these sessions will be posted on Blackboard (to insure privacy). Please email me at apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu if you cannot find the link or if you’d like to schedule a different time to talk. 

CREDITS: 4| CLASS HRS: 3| LAB HRS/WEEK: 2

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will work collaboratively to plan, design and create a complete interactive, multimedia project. Projects may be drawn from such applications and tools as: media campaign; information kiosks; websites and mobile apps; physical computing, and digital fabrication.

PREREQUISITES: MMP200 and any 200-level MMP or MMA course.

REQUIRED TEXT

• This is an OER course. All resources are provided on the class website: https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mmp460-1100-f22/

RECOMMENDED TEXT

• A good HTML5/CSS book
• The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition by Don Norman
• Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (3rd Edition) by Steve Krug
• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan Weinschenk

 OTHER REQUIRED RESOURCES

• Cloud storage (Dropbox or Google Drive). You can claim your free CUNY dropbox account by following these instructions: https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/cis/technology-services/dropbox/trainingresources/

 USE OF TECHNOLOGY

• The preferred software for this course require the use of a computer (laptop or desktop) with certain specifications as well as a WiFi connection. If you have any concerns regarding access to a computer, software or Internet please email me at apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu to make me aware of the situation ASAP. We will work together to find a solution.

  You can get a free license for Adobe software for the semester by following these instructions: https://servicedesk.bmcc.cuny.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=1070

  Alternatively, you can access the remote labs by following these instructions: https://servicedesk.bmcc.cuny.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=2084. If this isn’t working, please email me too: apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu).

• In person labs are open on campus. You can find more information here: https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/students/lrc/lab-services/

• You will use a variety of software applications to work on your interactive, multimedia projects. Here is a list or recommended software (and open-source/free alternatives when available):
  • UX Design: Adobe XD or Figma
  • Raster imaging: Adobe Photoshop (preferred), GIMP (alternative)
  • Vector imaging: Adobe Illustrator (preferred) or Inkscape (alternative)
  • Audio editing: Audacity
  • Animation: Adobe After Effects and Adobe Animate
  • Code editors: Brackets or Sublime Text 
• You will need to access Blackboard to submit certain assignments. I will upload grades and comments there as well. To login to Blackboard, go to https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/, login and click on the Blackboard menu item. If you do not have (or cannot remember) your id and password, contact the BMCC helpdesk right away: 212-220-8379; helpdesk@bmcc.cuny.edu ; RoomS141 (199 Chambers Street). You may also try reseting your password by going to https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/ and clicking on “Account & Password Reset. 
  • All Students are required to use their full BMCC email address when signing into the computers, Wi-Fi, BMCC Portal and other BMCC IT Services requiring authentication. (For example, John Doe would now sign in as john.doe@stu.bmcc.cuny.edu)
• You can access tutorials on Lynda.com on a variety of topics related to this course. While I will not assign Lynda.com tutorials, it’s a great place to learn techniques that can be useful for your portfolio and campaign project. Please follow these instructions to login for free.

TUTORING

Take advantage of BMCC’s one-on-one tutoring services (free!).You can find more information on online tutoring on this page (https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/students/lrc/online-tutoring/)

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Participation in the academic activity of each course is a significant component of the learning process and plays a major role in determining overall student academic achievement. Academic activities may include, but are not limited to, attending class, submitting assignments, engaging in in-class or online activities, taking exams, and/or participating in group work. Each instructor has the right to establish their own class participation policy, and it is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with and follow the participation policies for each course.

REQUIREMENTS & EVALUATION OF STUDENTS

Grading is based on the successful completion of workshop exercises, a web-based portfolio, the campaign project, and on class participation. Students are expected to attend every synchronous session, to follow the workshops and discussions (in-class and online). Failure to do so will affect the “class participation” grade (see below). Projects must be handed in on time. Points will be deducted for work that is handed in late. It is your responsibility to contact me in the event of an absence or of an issue with meeting a deadline. I will do my best to help you catch up, but I must be notified. You may also re-submit workshop exercises to improve your grade.

• Workshop exercises: 25%
• Portfolio: 15%
• Campaign project: 50%
• Class participation: 10%

OUTLINE OF TOPICS

• Digital media workshops (four from the following list: Typography, HTML/CSS, Bootstrap, WordPress, UX, Design Systems, Designing for Social Media, Kinetic typograph, AR/VR, Physical computing, Digital fabrication)
• Portfolio review and enhancement
• Teamwork/collaboration strategies
• Campaign project – Project research
• Campaign project – User Experience
• Campaign project – Visual Design
• Campaign project – Development
• Campaign project – Presentation

WEEKLY BREAKDOWN (subject to change)

Week One (Mon 8/29 & Wed 8/31)

• Intro to course
• Portfolio review
• Intro to OpenLab

Deliverable: portfolio review: gathering, organizing, describing + OpenLab portfolio creation and link

[ANNOUNCEMENT – PORTFOLIO/PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITY *OPTIONAL*]

The Kids Hall of Fame Project is seeking illustrators for its website, upcoming books, etc. Each assignment (emailed to us as JPEG files) is twofold. It depicts the extraordinary achievement of one person under age 20, in color and a duplicate without color, suitable for an 8½” x 11” coloring book. Each accepted assignment includes a byline and $50.

 Sample illustrations may be seen on the 14-Year-Old Extraordinary Achievers to the 17-Year-Olds Extraordinary Achievers page of our website www.TheKidsHallofFame.com. Illustrators are invited to send samples of their work to this email address: Editor@TheKidsHalloFame.com 

!!! NO CLASSES ON MON 9/5 – Labor Day !!!

Week Two (Wed 9/7 & Mon 9/12)

• Crit: portfolio review
• Campaign project overview
• Wed 9/7: Presentation by FFAC (Factory Farming Awareness Coalition) (https://ffacoalition.org) . Teams are invited to create a campaign for this initiative for their campaign project, in which case they will receive feedback from FFAC several times throughout the semester. 
• Creating groups for the campaign project
• Brainstorming ideas

Deliverable: team contracts + shared folder creation and link + pitch presentations + Please fill the survey for the FFAC presentation: ffac.io/claire and consider applying for their Internship for Spring or Summer. You can find more info here: Advocacy Institute

Week Three (Wed 9/14 & Mon 9/19)

• Brainstorming ideas
• Creating a pitch
• Planning the digital media workshops

!!! NO CLASSES ON MON 9/26 – Rosh Hashanah!!!

Weeks Four (Wed 9/21 & Wed 9/28)

• Digital media workshop I (Makerspace)
• Pitch presentations
• In-class workshop: portfolio review update

Deliverable: portfolio review – formatting

!!! THU 9/29 FOLLOWS A MONDAY SCHEDULE!!!

Weeks Five  (Thu 9/29 & Mon 10/3)

• Pitch presentations (Thu 9/29)
• Group meetings to debrief the pitch feedback
• Debrief Pitch presentations (Mon 10/3)

!!! NO CLASSES ON WED 10/5 – Yom Kippur, and MON 10/10 – Colombus Day!!!

Week Six (Wed 10/12 & Mon 10/17)

• Digital media workshop II & III 
• Target audience
• Creative Brief
• Time management

Deliverable: persona, creative brief, task analysis

Week Seven ( Wed 10/19 & Mon 10/24)

• All workshop exercises are due
• Sketching and developing ideas
• Writing and presenting project proposals

Deliverable: text, start sketches (due on week 10)

Week Eight ( Wed 10/26 & Mon 10/31)

• Color
• Typography

Deliverable: style guide

Week Nine (Wed 11/2 & Mon 11/7)

• Preparing the preliminary design presentations

Deliverable: preliminary design presentations (including sketches)

[Extra-Credit Opportunity 11/9 and 11/10: Portfolio Review with the Once Club:Students can still register here: https://www.oneclub.org/events/-portfolio-reviews-november-2022  the tickets are under $15 I think, but if a student needs a comp code email Professor Esquirol (jesquirol@bmcc.cuny.edu) to inquire about comps. ]

[Media Arts Transfer Fair: Wednesday, November 16, 2:00 – 3:15 PM | Register & Join Zoom Meeting. Have questions about transferring to a senior college to complete a degree in design, film or animation? Join representatives from the following schools and programs to learn more about your transfer options:

Weeks Ten (Wed 11/9 & Mon 11/14), Eleven (Wed 11/16 & Mon 11/21), Twelve (Wed 11/23 & Mon 11/28), Thirteen (Wed 11/30 & Mon 12/5)

• Last touches to design presentations
• Preliminary design presentations (Mon 11/14)
• Revising and finalizing the design
• Portfolio reviews

Deliverables: Revisions based on feedback received during the design review + portfolio requests for feedback (last chance)

[Speaker event on 12/7, 2PM – 4PM : https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/media-arts-and-technology/ux-research-with-meghan-witmer/]

Week Fourteen (Wed 12/7 & Mon 12/12)

• Final Portfolios due (in the form of a live URL on Blackboard AND on Open Lab (+ post it on this page: https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mmp460-1100-f22/category/week-11-13-final-portfolio/). We will look at 5-6 portfolios together in class (please consider volunteering – this can help with your class/participation grade) (due 12/12 as a URL on Open Lab)
• Campaign project finishing touches + final presentation preparation

Deliverables: campaign project assets + presentation prep + final portfolio submission (in the form of a live URL on Blackboard)

!!! NO CLASSES ON WED 12/14 – Reading Day!!!

Week Fifteen (Mon 12/19 & Wed 12/21)

• Deliverables: Final campaign projects presentations

BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement

Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC’s Web site, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).

Gender-Inclusivity

BMCC community members have the right to use and be referred to according to their preferred name, title, and/or personal pronouns. Everyone also has the right to use all spaces according to their self-identification, including restrooms and locker rooms. To learn more about how to change your preferred name and affirm your gender identity at CUNY (including requesting a new ID card and/or email address), go here: https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/student-affairs/lgbtq/

Anyone who has experienced harassment related to gender or sexual identification, who needs assistance, or who wishes to file a complaint, can contact the Office of Compliance and Diversity: https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/about-bmcc/compliance-diversity/.

“At this time, CUNY will not require face masks during the fall semester. Anyone who would like to continue wearing masks in any setting is welcome to do so at any time. Masks will continue to be available on campus and offices. Faculty, staff and students who are still not vaccinated are urged to continue to wear a mask. Mask requirements associated with isolation and quarantine [as referenced later in these guidelines] remain in effect. Those who choose to wear a mask should continue to follow CDC guidance on acceptable face coverings.”

View source: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/reopening-guidelines/covid-guidelines-fall-2022/

FREE BMCC STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

BMCC is committed to the health and well‐being of all students. It is common for everyone to seek assistance at some point in their life, and there are free and confidential services on campus that can help.

Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/student-affairs/arc/ room S230, 212‐220‐8195, arc@bmcc.cuny.edu. If you are having problems with food or housing insecurity, finances, health insurance or anything else that might get in the way of your studies at BMCC, contact the Advocacy and Resource Center (formerly Single Stop) for assistance. Please contact us at arc@bmcc.cuny.edu, call 212-220-8195, or come by the office at room S230. You may also contact the Office of Student Affairs, S350, 212‐220‐8130, studentaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu, for assistance.

Counseling Center www.bmcc.cuny.edu/counseling, room S343, 212‐220‐8140, counselingcenter@bmcc.cuny.edu. Counselors assist students in addressing psychological and adjustment issues (i.e., depression, anxiety, and relationships) and can help with stress, time management and more. Counselors are available for walk‐in visits.

Office of Compliance and Diversity https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/about-bmcc/compliance-diversity,  room S701, 212-220-1236. BMCC is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive learning environment free of unlawful discrimination/harassment, including sexual harassment, where all students are treated fairly. For information about BMCC’s policies and resources, or to request additional assistance in this area, please visit or call the office, or email olevy@bmcc.cuny.edu, or twade@bmcc.cuny.edu. If you need immediate assistance, please contact BMCC Public safety at 212-220-8080.

Office of Accessibility www.bmcc.cuny.edu/accessibility, Students who need academic accommodations in connection with a disability must initiate the request with BMCC’s Office of Accessibility (OA). Students need to register with the Office of Accessibility in order to officially disclose their disability status to the College and to determine eligibility for appropriate reasonable accommodations (including any prior IEPs or 504s). Please contact the OA at the start of the semester (or as soon as possible) to coordinate any accommodation request/s: www.bmcc.cuny.edu/accessibility, Room N360 (accessible entrance: 77 Harrison Street), 212-220-8180, accessibility@bmcc.cuny.edu.