Tapping individual and collaborative creativity
The Art and Design Department’s BFA program at University of Wisconsin-Stout includes a Multimedia Design concentration area that gives its seniors a significant challenge in their last semester. The Senior Project Multimedia Design course requires them not only to design a thoroughly original multimedia production, but then to jointly plan and promote an exhibit of their work. This final course helps students apply all the design knowledge and technical skills they have acquired during their four years in the program, and it is intended to tap the depths of their personal creativity and motivation.
Planning for digital and print display
Philip Motley is one of the faculty members who teaches the course. He expects students to follow a rigorous design process from initial concept through implementation. The students present their work for critique at every stage, so while multimedia design often involves a computer, the students also draw, print, and mount their work on paper. They begin their projects by developing a written project proposal inspired by their personal interests and informed by research. Motley reviews their proposals in light of the strengths students reveal in their portfolios and approves or suggests changes. Once he approves the project proposal, Motley asks students to develop a work plan with scope and schedule that will guide their work throughout the semester. Students keep a process notebook with all their research, design development, conceptual sketches, and notes. This notebook will be part of the exhibit, so it must be well designed, attractive, and easy to digest. In addition, each student develops an exhibit panel of at least 2 x 3 feet that describes their project and arouses visitor interest.
Divided effort
While the students begin work on their individual projects, they also divide into working groups to plan the exhibit. Each group develops an action plan and works to meet the schedule for their specific contribution. One group of students designs the exhibit space with floor plan, furnishings, and decorations. Another group plans an advertising campaign and designs and produces posters, postcards, and direct mail pieces. One working group develops an exhibition website that provides a virtual gallery of all the students’ work. The students even need to plan menus and food service for the exhibit and maintain and administer the class budget.
Teamwork
The spring 2006 senior class contributed money from their own pockets to augment the general exhibition budget. From this fund, they purchased lighting at the nearest IKEA, 60 miles from campus. They designed a mailer to invite university faculty and staff to their exhibition and developed a letter-writing campaign to draw nearby professionals to see their work. They brought in couches from their own apartments and sheets to drape the classroom walls. One student who worked in a local pizzeria secured a donation of ready-to-cook pizzas. The students borrowed portable pizza ovens for the evening and tapped junior-year students to cook and serve pizza to the hundreds of guests. Their website highlighted members of the class and their projects, which included 3D animations, fictional commercial spots, narrative video, and a range of web projects.
Developing marketable skills
While the students used a range of tools, those who focused on interactive design worked with Macromedia® Flash® Professional 8. Scott Vonderberg chose a project that would require him to learn advanced ActionScript concepts and techniques. While previous classes covered ActionScript, he wanted to develop a depth of skill that would set him apart when looking for jobs. He focused on the concept of critique as central to design education; for his project, he developed a “white board” application with annotation capabilities.
Using Flash to achieve great design
Sam Smelter wanted to use his skills to promote the natural world in the digital realm. He was influenced by the writings of Edward Tufte and by a well-designed website he found in his research that promoted sustainable forests. Smelter focused on organizing a mass of information about his home state’s parks. His website used the visual metaphor of the rings of a tree with a forest-inspired color palette. Flash Professional 8 gave his site motion and interactivity.
Giving life to dry information
Jessica Burns wanted to give life to a typically "dry" document through interactivity and an unusual presentation of content. Her project, "The Scientific Method," presents an annual report for a company that attracted her interest because of its environmentally safe cleaning products, vibrant aesthetic, and sense of humor. She contacted the company for information and received resources to support her creation. Her project makes reading an annual report an exercise in absorbing information in well-organized, reader-selected, bite-size bits.
Passion and collaboration
Vonderberg, Smelter, and Burns presented their projects in the exhibition, which attracted both record attendance and exceptional praise. Smelter attributes the success of their individual projects to the friendly sense of competition among a group of highly talented individuals, each of whom strove to present their absolute best. Philip Motley regards the class exhibition as a testament to the fortuitous combination of individual talent set free to pursue separate passions and the unifying effects of collaboration.
