SPRING 2017 SYLLABUS
subject to change with notice
Course: DIGM 4376: Integrated Media
Credit 3 hrs. Computer media capstone class that integrates vector- and pixel-based graphics,
web design, photography, videography, and animation into media-rich websites.
Instructor:Prof. Monika Alters
Phone: 713-743-4077 office
Email:[email protected]
Website: www.digitalmedia.tech.uh.edu
Office: Room 347, Brazos Hall, UH-Sugar Land
Office Hours:
W 1:00-4:00PM, TH 1:00-3:00PM, FRI 11:00-3:00PM
Lecture:
Labs:
Section 24056
Section 24057
Prerequisite:
DIGM 2351 and 3353
Course Goals:
This course is a capstone course for Computer Media and eMedia
students. Students will create an extensive communication piece
to deliver through several media channels, including video, web,
epublishing, animation, and social media by:
• preparing project design proposals and storyboards and presenting
them to the client and the instructor
• developing the chosen designs
• creating a corporate and personal social media strategy
• presenting the final design products to the client, instructor, and
fellow students
ONLINE
M 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM (RM 218, UHSL)
Recommended Websites:
FREE Hi-Res Images:
Required Textbooks: http://pixabay.com/
http://www.morguefile.com
http://www.stockvault.net
http://graphicburger.com/
http:/freeimages.com
http://www.rgbstock.com/
http://freerangestock.com/
http://lorempixel.com/
https://www.iconfinder.com/
http://join.deathtothestockphoto.com/
- Alina Wheeler. Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the
Whole Branding Team 4th Edition. ISBN-13: 978-1118099209
1
- Guy Kawasaki and Peg Fitzpatrick. The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power
Users. ISBN-13: 978-0241199473
Required Digital Storage:
You will need a Portable Drive or a Flash Drive, for example, for backing up
and archiving your files. Don’t work directly from your flash drive, as they get
corrupted and you might loose all your work.
Important Information:
As a student of the University of Houston, information available at
http://www.uh.edu/provost/stu/stu_syllabsuppl/index.php will be critical to
you in insuring that your academic pursuits meet with success and that you
encounter the fewest financial and academic difficulties possible. Please take
a few moments to review each of the areas, and become familiar with the
resources detailed on the website with regard to: The UH Academic Honesty
Policy: the UH Academic Calendar; Students with Disabilities; Religious Holy Day
FAQs; Other Information.
Facebook:
Please “like” the UH Digital Media Program page to receive notifications about
events, jobs, and internships. https://www.facebook.com/UHDIGM
Student Showcase:
All Digital Media students are encouraged to post their best work on our site’s
Student Showcase. Entries can be in any Digital Media field and from any Digital
Media course. Please go to http://www.uh.edu/tech/digitalmedia/showcase/
click the “submit your work” link on the left side of the page, complete the
Student Showcase Submit Form, and upload your project. Please note that for
us to approve your posting, and make it visible on the web, we must have on file
for you a UH Content Release Form, which can be downloaded from the Student
Showcase Submit Form.
Course Credit
This course is divided into lecture/lab and is governed by the University of
Houston policy as well as policies of the accrediting bodies. Students should
understand that each hour of class credit requires three hours per week: one
hour in lecture and two hours personal study/homework. Thus, a three-hour
course requires nine hours per week: three in class and six on your own. Since
the DIGM 3356 course is divided into online lecture and face-to-face-lab, you will
spend three hours in the lab and the other six hours on your own reading of the
Blackboard content, studying, and working on your assignments.
Extra credit: Overall course extra credit may be earned through participation in the University
of Houston chapter of the Graphic Communications Education Association
(GCEAUH). Students who join GCEAUH and attend a minimum of three
association meetings will earn three points extra credit on their final grades.
GCEAUH officers will receive five points of extra credit on their final grades.
Attendance/Discussions: Attendance in all class sessions is expected. You not only need to attend, but also
particpate in the lab dicussions.
There will be a grade penalty for all absences. In other words, there is no such
thing as an excused absence. Be on time for class sessions. Tardies of more
than 10 minutes count as 1/2 an absence. You may only accumulate three
total absences. You may be dropped after the fourth absence. Look at it this
2
way: there is no way to make up any class that you miss. Notes from friends or
textbook readings are no substitute for actually being present in class. Here’s
another thought: you and the taxpayers of the State of Texas are paying Your
professor to be present in the DIGM 4376 class. Why pay money for something
you don’t take? Another notion: attending class is like attending a live concert. If
you show up late, the artist will not repeat the performance you missed.
Online Learning Modules: Online learning modules will be posted on Blackboard every THURSDAY.
Students should become well familiar with a given lecture prior to coming to the
lab. Any student who is not prepared will receive a grade penalty towards his or
her final course grade.
Assignments: The instructor will give students several assignments to complete in the course.
Due dates are listed in the schedule.
Projects:
1. Personal Branding Using Social Media
Create a personal social media strategy and develop your own personal brand
by utilizing various social media sites, such as Twitter and Instagram. You will
not only post to different social networks, you will also create your own color
scheme, avatar, and banner. Moreover, you will create a 3-minute How-To video,
which you will upload to your personal YouTube site.
Detailed information will be provided at a later date.
2. Integrated Media Communications Project
The purpose of the team projects is to provide students with experience in
proposing and producing an extensive integrated media communications design
strategy, including (but not limited to) the following :
•
website,
•epublishing,
•
social media,
•
video;
•
print,
Each component will require extensive design.
Professor Alters will provide teams with a specific client, for which to design the
branding strategy. This will be a competition and the “best” design strategy will
be chosen by the client at the end of the semester. The winning team will receive
extra 10 pts toward their project grade.
Teams:
Prof. Alters will choose a leader for each group. The leader will have a week to
decide if he or she would like to remain in her leadership position. If not, the
team must elect another leader. The remaining students will provide each leader
with his or her resume and a “draft,” based upon the documented skills of each
class member, will be used to assign students to groups. Each team will develop
a “Team Contract” that will serve as a basis for individual expectations and
responsibilities. A copy of the contract will be kept on file in Prof. Alters’s office.
There should be 4 members to a team, unless otherwise decided and approved
by the professor.
3
Grading:
The team projects grade make up a significant portion of your overall course
grade and should be taken very seriously. Team project grades will be based on
the following:
1) Design proposals and storyboards
2) Production of chosen designs
3) Verbal presentations
Components to be Completed:
A. Client Personas
Each team will be required to submit 3-5 client personas to Professor Alters.
Students should interview their company's clients in order to gather information
for the personas. This information will serve as basis for creating design
proposals and producing those designs.
B. Design Proposal
Each team will be required to submit design proposals and discuss those
proposals with the client. You should have, at least, TWO versions of each design.
In your proposal include the following items:
1. Title page—Title, date, course, and team members’ names.
2. Proposed Designs . Written rationale should be included for the decisions that
were made regarding the design process.
3. Client Personas
You will need to submit electronically and also print TWO copies of the design
proposals: one for the client and one for your professor. Make the "package" look
attractive.
*Logos and any identity pieces should be obtained from the given client.
C. Production of Chosen Designs:
Each team will have several weeks to develop and produce the chosen design
proposals. Teams are encouraged to meet with the instructor to obtain feedback
and needed assistance.
D. Verbal Presentation:
Each team will be required to give a formal presentation to the class, instructor,
and the client. All team members must take an active role in the presentation.
You are encouraged to take this presentation very seriously. As a professional,
you should dress and act the part. You should use some type of presentation
software. The presentation should take no more than one half hour to present.
Use clear and concise organization that only includes pertinent facts. Do not
bore your audience with trivial information. To conclude, clearly define what the
benefits will be to your client and try to sell benefits not a package. Remember,
you are trying to sell a proposal, which, as you know, will provide substantial
revenue to your company.
Professor Alters will randomly select each team’s presentation date.
4
Timeline:
WEEK
MILESTONES
1 (Jan 23)
Introduction and Orientation
Adobe Muse Pre-test
2 (Jan 30)
Brand Basics and Brand Ideals
Assignment 1: Brand Reflection
Wheeler, p 1-47
3 (Feb 6)
Brand Elements and Dynamics
DUE: Assign 1
DUE: Team Contracts
Wheeler, p 48-91
4 (Feb 13)
Brand Identity Process
Assignment 2: Brand Redesign
Wheeler, p 102-208
5 (Feb 20)
Social Media Strategy
Client Persona
PROJECT 2A: Buyer Personas
Kawasaki, p 1-69
6 (Feb 27)
Personal Branding Using Social Media
DUE: Assign 2
Assignment 3: Positioning Statement
Kawasaki, p 70-182
7 (Mar 6)
PROJECT 1: Personal Branding using Social Media
DUE: PROJECT 2A: Buyer Personas
DUE: Assign 3
8 (Mar 13-19)
SPRING BREAK
9 (Mar 20)
DUE: PROJECT 1 Personal Branding using Social Media
PROJECT 2B: Design Proposals
10 (Mar 27)
Work on Design Proposals
* March 31
Last Day to Drop the Course or Withdraw with a “W”
11 (Apr 3)
DUE: PROJECT 2B: Design Proposals
PROJECT 2C: Production
12-14 (Apr 10- 24)
Work on Project 2C: Production
15 (May 1)
DUE: PROJECT 2C: Production
Verbal Presentations 1
16 (May 8)
Verbal Presentations 2
Grading: BOOK
Attendance/Discussions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15%
Assignment 1: Brand Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5%
Assignment 2: Brand Redesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5%
Assignment 3: Positioning Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5%
Project 1: Personal Branding Using Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20%
Project 2: Integrated Media Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55%
Client Personas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10%
Design Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Verbal Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%
Letter Grades:
A
B+
C+
D+
94-100
87-89
77-79
67-69
AB
C
D
90-93
84-86
74-76
64-66
5
B- 80-83
C- 70-73
D- 60-63
F 59 and below
Due Date Policy: Late work is “yesterday’s news.” In keeping with this idea, assignments must be
turned in as scheduled.
Missed Classes:
If you are absent on the due date, the assignment will still be late and not
accepted. You must make arrangements to accommodate your absence
whether excused or unexcused. Don’t email your work! Emailed work will be
automatically deleted and not graded.
Classroom Cleanliness: Please keep the equipment clean. No food or drink is allowed in the room
for any reason at any time. Please clean up after yourself!
Grade Expectations:
Professor Alters expects students in the course are expected to be capable and
motivated professionals. No such student should be content with a grade less
than “B”. Please provide the attention, motivation and effort necessary to reach
this grade expectation.
Minimum effort = minimum grade
Maximum effort = maximum grade
Academic Honesty: Cheating, plagiarism, and any other dishonest conduct will not be tolerated and
appropriate action will be taken. Please refer to the student handbook for more
information.
Adds/Drops:
Please refer to the University’s Undergraduate Catalog and the Schedule of
Classes for the appropriate add/drop dates and procedures.
Incompletes:
An “incomplete” grade will only be issued if the student is maintaining an
acceptable level of achievement and cannot, due to some factor beyond his/
her control, complete one or more major assignment. If a student wishes an
“incomplete,” he/she must explain the situation to Professor Zarzycka in advance
and make specific arrangements to complete the missing work no later than one
year from the date the grade is given.
Americans with Disabilities Act: Any student who may be in need of additional help under the ADA
guidelines should contact the instructor directly after the first class meeting.
6