INFO 3675 Memetics: Contemporary Rhetorics of Dissent and Disinformation
(3 credits) What can we learn about government policies, about civil societies, about political movements and about social change, and what can we learn especially about ourselves, from Internet trolls, from so-called “Russian bots”, from Wikileaks and other whistle-blower and whistle-blower organizations, and from the many coordinated or more loosely cohering agents or agencies who would influence us online? To address this question students; (a) will learn about media, especially new and social medias, and about the most current developments in computer-mediated communications; (b) will further learn about how people in groups and organizations behave especially in conditions of uncertainty whether online or off; and (c) will study specific instances of media objects, media campaigns, or online discourse designed to inform, misinform, or to persuade to action. Though interdisciplinary in approach, this is an applied rhetoric course. This means that the principles of rhetoric will be applied to the problem of contemporary
Threaded Data Conversations
Fourth-year ID student Dani Massee, under the supervision of Associate Professor Milena Radzikowska, created a design installation that explores our emotions around controversial topics in an interactive way. The project was part of a senior Directed Reading course on creating physical data displays. The installation helps make data more tangible by putting a topic directly in the hands of the viewer. Rather than staring at a computer screen filled with words, observers instead experience other people’s emotions running through their fingers. Check out this Calgary Journal piece on the wheel by Rayane Sabbagh. Or watch Dani’s video on the project:
Belief / Position / Public Stance
A Semester-Long Project for COMM 3611 Visual Communication for Information Designers II This project is meant to provide our 3rd-year students with the experience of tackling an advanced-level interface design task. Their job was to propose an interactive data visualization, through which users can explore an emotionally compelling, engaging, and immersive story that makes use of a collection. They were asked to present their final interfaces through short pitch videos. Check out the interface (video below) by Cooper Holmes: The Calgary Public Art Data Centre. Project Theme: Belief (n) A state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing: her belief in God; a belief in democracy; I bought the table in the belief that it was an antique. Something that is accepted, considered to be true, or held as an opinion. Something believed. An individual’s religious or political beliefs. A tenet or
The Compression Sock Project
Information design transforms data into high-quality and understandable information. Using Community Service Learning (CSL) to connect students with community clients through applied projects, senior Information Design students produced a series of prototypes based on instructional design theory to assist older adults in creating understanding for the use of compression stockings. Broadcasting students were assigned to assist students with their final video presentations. Photo Gallery Credits Course: COMM 4465 Instructional Design, Fall 2017 Taught by: Glenn Ruhl SaveSave
Bag of Words
In this project, 1st-year students explored the idea that the whole (the totality of a design) is greater than the sum of the individual parts. They blind-selected one noun and one adjective, then used those two words to communicate the combined message of them put together. Constraints Each design rendered on 6 inch by 6 inch card stock. Hand-drawn. Black and white ink. Considers all the principles of design but DOES NOT use any additional elements. Meticulously constructed. Type only. Credits Course: COMM 1620 Foundation of Graphics, Winter 2018 Taught by: Milena Radzikowska SaveSave SaveSave
Knolling the Principles & Elements of Design
Learning how to perceive, name, describe, and manipulate visually-accessed information is an important component of an information designer’s education. Whether its creating a poster, an info graphic, an instructional manual, a web site, or an app, the principles and elements of design help us construct visually-based material in ways that are effective, meaningful, useful, usable, and impactful. In this 1st-year visual communication course, students create a new knoll every week for 10 weeks, then post it to their blog. Each knoll has a theme and emphasizes a different principle or element of design. Knoll: a curated group of items that forms a composition and conveys an idea (concept). Shape: 20 items that mean something to you. Size: 20 new items that mean something together. Value: The same 20 items organized in a different way. Space: 20 items that mean something to you about Valentine’s Day. Contrast: Different 20 items that somehow
Types of projects in our curriculum
Information designers are perfectly suited to tackle projects that must consider large amounts of complex data, multiple use scenarios, or sensitive cultural or social issues. We design medicine packaging inserts, operational instructions for industrial machinery, interactive objects, information for emergencies, complex data visualizations, and educational materials. We combine graphic design skills with content management, research, usability, information architecture, rhetoric, and technical writing.
For example, in one senior course students tackled such issues as:
- design for disaster preparedness (in collaboration with MRU’s Geology students and faculty)
- body positivity
- loneliness
- sustainable cities and communities
- peace, justice, and strong institutions
- communication between physicians and patients
- industry, innovation and infrastructure
In another course, they aimed to answer some pretty critical questions:
- How might we implement a better system that eliminates the need for any adoptable animals to be euthanized?
- How might me enhance accessibility to the world for individuals with physical/sensory disabilities?
- How might we help women in abusive relationships get the support and resources they need?
- How may we educate youth to be empathetic in order to reduce intolerance in society?
- How might we help Calgarians be responsible consumers in the food industry?