Media Module Overview

Week 7 | IDFA 470 | Kevin Cadena

Weekly Description

This week will be a introduction to our module. We'll get closer to our peers, you'll get to know more about your instructor. We'll start by talking about the computer. Before we can get into reintepreting culture through technology, we must first talk about the culture of technology.

We'll be using this Google Slides Document for the interactive activities during this class.

Agenda

Introduction
  • Name
  • Pronouns
  • Where are you joining this class from?
  • If you could navigate through information in a way besides the besides the internet or computers, what would it be?

10 Things in Common!

  1. Split Into Groups

    2. Students will be broken up into groups.

  2. Figuring Out Things In Common
    • You and your teammates will be asked to find 5 things you have in common with one another.
    • Do not be repetitive with the things in Common!
    • They should all not be a version of the same statement. (i.e All ten things are a variation of "We like (insert 10 different artist names here.)")
  3. Afterward, you’ll find 5 things that your each of your stories have in common with one another.
  4. You all will write out your things in common in this google slide presentation
  5. We will share out!

Overview
  1. Go Over Syllabus
    2. Syllabus Overview

BREAK

Computer History & Its Influences Presentation

 Presentation Link
  1. History of Computers
    • Textiles
    • Ada Lovelace
    • Punch Cards
    • Xerox PARC
    • Apple Computer Company
    • Google
  2. What Does This Mean?
    • Technology comes from inherently feminist practices
    • The production of them still extremely gendered while the profits swing the other way
    • A lot of how the computer looks was decided by a very small group of people and businesses
  3. What went into the computer we've ended up with?
    • CUT, COPY, PASTE
    • Abandonment of Technologies
    • Uni-directional Linking
  4. Who was the computer made for? Who was it made in mind with?

Community Computers
  1. As a warm up for this week's out-of-class activity, Students will be broken into groups and assigned one of the following community members:
    • Artists
    • Performers
    • Mothers
    • Children
    • Community Organizers
    • Activists
    • You and your group will be asked to think through what a computer would look like if it was designed for collaboration with this community member.
  2. Design Requirements
    • Your design for a computer should think through the following:
    • Think of the metaphors that govern our current computers (Navigating like a businessman)
    • What would be the shape of this new computer?
    • How does one navigate information through it?
    • How does one communicate with others with this computer?
    • How does this computer morph to the culture of your community member?
  3. Sketch Phase (10 Minutes)

    4. For the first 10 minutes, you'll only be asked to come up with different sketches and ideas in your group. You'll be handed sticky notes so that you can post things in your corner and space.

    We're in the ideation phase. You should be writing, sketching,etc. Do not feel bound by reality! If the computational technology could act and do anything, you should follow that!

  4. Development Phase (30 minutes)
    • Create a finalized version of your chosen computer.
    • How you choose to present your computer is up to you
    • It can be a visual or formal output, it could be a performance of how the computer works.
  5. Share Out (15 minutes)

Homework

Read Watch

Coding is Not The New Literacy

Imogen Heap's Mi.Mu gloves will "change the way we make music" HYPER-REALITY by Keichi Matsuda
Make

Place-based Computers

  1. Overview
    • Each Student will look at their story, the place they’re calling, think about the needs and culture of this space and think about, what does a "computational technology" built with this place look like?
      • How is the computer shaped?
      • How does one navigate through its space
      • What are the metaphors it uses to help others understand how to use it?
    • Review the weekly materials to get a sense of how other computational technology could exist!
    • Do not feel bound by reality! If the computational technology could act and do anything, you should follow that!
  2. Deliverable For Next Week
    • Create A Polished Final Representation of showcasing this computer
    • How you show the final speculative computer idea is up to you! (i.e It can be performance, written, visual)
    • As long as it communicates all the aspects of the computer! Anything is fine.
  3. Submission
    • Submit for final interpretation via Google Drive by 12PM on Monday October 18th, 2021