Course MD 601 Spring 2015 - Moving Image / Interaction Design:

CAIRO STREET GAMES

Lecturer | Alex Essen
Instructor | Mona Diab

CAIRO STREET GAMES: Public Interaction with Benefit for the Everyday Life

FINAL PRESENTATION: Wednesday / Thursday, 20th / 21st of May, 2015
FINALS: SCHEDULE

Group 1 and 2:
Lecture Group 1 & 2 | Mon., 4th slot | D2.102
First Lecture: 02.02.15

Group 1:
Conceptual / Practical Group 1 | Mon., 2nd and 3rd slot | D2.102
First appointment: t.b.a.

Group 2:
Conceptual / Practical Group 2 | Tue., 3rd and 4th slot | D2.102
First appointment: t.b.a.

Project description

In the following course (MD601: "Cairo Street Games") the students will use their conceptual and technical knowledge in order to create concepts in the field of Public Design (thus the term "Street") and Interactive Design embedded in the public everyday life of Cairo.

The overall research question of the course is: “How can Interaction Design improve the Everyday Life in the Public of Cairo?”

The term "Games" describes the creation of beneficial and entertaining situations for the user. “Gamification” is defined as “the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems and increase users' self contributions.” [1]

Based on the previous semester (MD501: "The Internet Of Things", Advanced Digital Media), students are capable of researching, writing and presenting a concept, and programming a working, interactive prototype based on arduino. This time the technical focus of the tutorials is set on the interactive environment of Max/MSP [2], but also other media technologies will be covered.

In order to enhance the real world conditions of Designers work, while also triggering relevant content, this semesters topic relates to a briefing of enhancing the public life of the Megacity Cairo using the benefits of gamification. The conceptual work is clearly set in the foreground, which also effects the relation of conceptual- and tutorial class work hours.

Objectives, Structure, graded assignments

The conceptual part, as a base for the technical part, covers the terms Public Design, Interaction Design and gamification and consists of following aspects, capable of being graded: Idea- and problem- or potential-finding; generating moodboards; brainstorming techniques (as e.g. mindmapping); research; evaluation; interviews; visual, analytical observations (e.g. time lapse studies of locations).

The technical part covers individual teaching of several interactive media based on the principle of IPO (Input, Processing, Output) and is described within following examples of media technologies: Augmented reality [3], arduino, Max/MSP, browser applications, smartphone applications, wearables, big data, smart city applications [4] and other media capable of generating public interfaces.

Project aims

In this course students will learn and enhance their capabilities of writing a solid concept, focused on public needs of the Megacity Cairo, and research the functionalities and usage of adequate media technologies in order to realize the concept. As final semester output students are expected to present their concept and a functional prototype based on the chosen media technology.

Each week one of the following contents will be hold as lectures, combined with class- or homework. The order of lectures will be slightly changed contextually, depending on the focuses set by the students after the idea finding process.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamification

[2] https://cycling74.com/products/max

[3] http://mashable.com/category/augmented-reality

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_city

Cover Picture: http://www.anastasia-photo.com

Syllabus

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Open Call for entries "PLAYABLE CITY" Competition
DEADLINE: 7th April 2015