A quick sketch to visualize the concept of ‘Our Design’, and the focus of a working theory on creating value based design.
Dirk+Weiss practices ‘Our Design’, and believe that value does lie in knowing that what we are designing and developing, actually is working. This working theory focuses less on (but does not disregard) the upfront, aesthetic design process, and approaches every project with the assumption that design has a formula, yet is not formulaic, and is calculable.
The project to be presented is a digital lab, used in professor Scott Benjamin’s science classes at BHCC. The lab’s subject matter is understanding Evolution by Natural Selection. Matthew worked directly with Scott to translate a previously analog lab, comprised of seeds, paperclips and bits of paper, to a Flash driven, interactive experience.
The process of creating this lab involved collaborating with Scott on every step, from graphic design to Flash Actionscripting.
The results of translating the lab to digital media, has proven to be quite successful. Scott has collected statistical data from his students, including pre and post lab usage. Based on his testing, Scott sees a definite increase in concept retainment after students have used the software. Matt and Scott will split the presentation between the design and development process (Matt), and the statistical data and impact of this digital lab in the classroom (Scott).
The 13th Annual Massachusetts Community College Conference on Teaching, Learning and Student Development happens on April 9th, 2010 at Bunker Hill Community College.
The site contains a collection of ideas and projects, and is loaded with lots of information and connections.
This new site is built in Flash, and contains information graphics, video, marketing, web development and graphic design.
The new graphic design Street Cred
Forget about posters in museums, and covers of Rolling Stone(age)… Dreaming is ok, but fantases can be dangerous.
In January, Wordpress, the famous Open Source blogging and web publishing software maker, announced a new inititatve to get designers involved in improving the overall user interface and user expereice with Wordpress.
Dirk+Weiss loves Wordpress. It enables our clients to have full control over their content, thus keeping their site relevant and fresh. This is great for customers and search engines. We have seen many iterations of Wordpress over the years, and love the improvments made each time.
This initiative also points out that for designers, web publishing is not the same horse has old, static, HTML type sites. In our experience, traditional Graphic Designers always have a bit of hesitation towards the web. Part of this is due to the cumbersome thought of learning programming. In reality, its programming is quite logical. And straight HTML code is so 15 years ago. Standalone HTML has been replaced by newer, server side technologies such as PHP and MySQL. And honestly, these solutions make life easier for clients, designers and programmers, and take less time to develop.
Speaking of development time, lets chat quickly about the value of design in 2010. Remember when designers had hourly rates of $100/hr or more? Good luck getting jobs when telling a client that your rate is that pricey. We believe that value of design has shifted dramatically. Clients favor speed and efficiency over pretty graphics. Now, that does not mean ugly graphics are ok (even though they sell), it simply means that if the design of graphics is necessary, they must be smart and efficient, rather than decorative and fluffy.
So how can graphic designers, that for so long dreaded programming, step up their service offering in 2010? Simple. Offer solutions that require zero code for clients, and damn near minimal code for you, the designer. Wordpress is a great example. And when we say minimal code for the designer, we mean CSS only. Don’t know CSS, check out and learn at W3Schools. Its Free.
Designers: Please do not go out and buy a $60 book on making websites, and designing for web. Just ask Google, and watch You Tube. It’s all out there, for free.
Take some time, and learn whats new out there with web technologies. Maybe even take part in the Wordpress UI / UX inititative. Make bold steps towards learning about the current world of design.
As designers, we need fast, efficient access to our client’s websites. Content management is without a doubt, a must have.
As web developers, and as graphic designers, we understand the need for great looking and working web. Any solutions we provide, need to work firstly for the client, and secondly for the client’s consumers.
From the graphic designer’s stand point, thinking of programming or web tech in any form can be daunting. The thought of having to understand the under-the-hood nuances of servers, databases, and code can even seem overwhelming. With the options and accessibility of open source web technologies, the task no longer has to be a headache.
We are developing brand new content management system for designers to use for their clients web projects. This system separates itself from other options in open source world, because the project is also aimed at teaching designers how to utilize and talk to their clients about the usefulness of content management systems, and how to maximize a client’s return on investment.
Basically, we are providing the class, textbook, and software…all for free! And if you are a designer, you can take advantage of our project to help increase your overall output value. The days of static HTML websites are over. Clients demand control of their content.
Our PHP / MySQL based content management system and community will be available soon. Stay tuned to Dirk+Weiss for more updates.
Mobile tech, not a distraction, but a vital connector for students
It seems in the last few weeks, the topic of mobile devices and college students has come to my attention frequently. There has been quite a bit of discussion online and on college campuses about the distraction factor of student cell phone usage (i.e. texting, instead of listening to the instructor).
The first wave came from an email I received from the department chair at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. His email was proposing a design wide faculty meeting based on the feedback he received from instructors about “technology distractions”. Observations were made that students are missing key points, due to laptop and cell phone usage during class.
The second wave came from an article on Wired about the very same issue. In this case, the private college took part in a research study that introduces iPhones and iPod touches into the curriculum. The study was a two-fold experiment. The students could choose a device to utilize in their studies, and the instructors must integrate the devices into their curriculum’s. The goal here being to reach the students with the tools that they already are accustomed to. The college had fantastic results. The experiment was a success.
The third wave, and connector for me, is my experience teaching design to 16-17 year old pre-college students. Also known as the future undergraduate design students of the world.
I noticed at the beginning of my class in September, the abundant texting going on with my students. The first thought in my mind was, ‘wait, this could be a distraction problem’. As I began to think about this situation, I decided not to bring up the topic of their phone usage during class, and took the opportunity to observe their behavior. There are some interesting results from my observations.
I found out of all the students (ten total) that one or two may have had a distraction issue when texting. The other students could very easily multi-task and take part in discussion. I also polled the class about their experiences in their high school about their texting. The consensus was in each high school, there was some sort of reprimand for (getting caught) texting during class. These reprimands ranged from withholding of the device, or contacting parents, or detention. They also gave me some great insight on how to text message friends while keeping the phone concealed.
Also, most students could text without even looking at the phone.
So, what does this say? Are students distracted by texting? Or is it time for a fundamental shift in pedagogies. The students in my class answered questions with fast response times, and we’re able to take direction with ease. The model featured in the Wired article above, is just one of many examples of colleges and professors asking critical questions about their teaching model.
What is the answer to mobile tech in the classroom? Maybe a good start, is to ask the students about what they know.
Apps, marketing, teaching…all ‘huge’
photo: MacDailyNews.com
Indeed! This guy is not alone when it comes to the lure of the iPhone and its apps. We have been busy at Dirk+Weiss. Looks like the economy is starting to bounce back, as businesses seem to be coming out of the shadows once again.
This week, we had two new inquiries for iPhone Apps, finished a small business website and marketing plan, and started a new Dirk+Weiss initiative.What’s the inititiave? Well, lets just say its not about the small, but about the Huge. More to come…
Also, we have been cranking away at creating two new artist websites for one particular client. These sites are turning out quite nice, and utilize some great combinations of flash driven galleries, based on simple to use Content Management. They really showcase the works of the artists, by keeping the interface clean. These sites are in beta stage now.
If you haven’t seen our earlier post, Matt White (Dirk+Weiss) is teaching for the pre-college program over at the Art Institute of Boston (AIB) at Lesley University. So far, students have really stretched their brain muscle and come up with some great concepts. Not to mention the fact, that when asked to create and brainstorm ‘the perfect design scenario’, printed design was not the focus. The focus was on technology, smart devices, and interface. Keep in mind, these students are 16 and 17 years old. The future designers of the world! Nice! Check out the Facebook page for his class ‘Graphic Design Techniques‘.
We will keep you updated with our design adventure of course, and the development of the next great Dirk+Weiss initiative, which again, will be ‘huge’.
Thats all for now, and don’t forget to get on our email list. Scroll up to “Keep Updated” on your right side.
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Should colleges use Facebook instead of Blackboard?
Widely used at colleges and universities, Blackboard is the most common, privately licensed, Learning Management System. Students can use Blackboard to see grades, participate in discussions, share files and notes etc…
Recently I was invited to teach a class over at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. I was promptly emailed credentials on how to log-in to my Blackboard account, and begin building my course. A few problems with that though, and one big one being that I am not familiar with the interface! The other issue being the cumbersome, and somewhat antiquated, posting abilities.
I need to post videos, links to blogs, links to syllabus and course materials, upload photos and media, and message the entire class. Facebook can do all these things. And, the bonus being my students and I already know how to use Facebook. It’s like second nature. Also, Facebook puts a nice presentation on posted items such as videos and links, making them more enticing to the end user.
Yes, there is a Facebook / Blackboard connector app, but my two attempts to use it, resulted in errors and warning messages that the URL I typed has Blocked this app to access it. This is probably due to lack of support by the college network admins, security, and just plain lack of knowing. Pretty far from a solution. I am also aware that some instructors enjoy the use of copyrighted media behind school login credentials. Great. Leave the copyrighted content in Blackboard or authenticate some other way. There is tons of terabytes of servers out there. Or there is also only displaying public domain content via YouTube or other services…
Using Facebook to empower you and your students is pretty much a genius idea. Not only can your students benefit directly, others can watch the progress of your class and through downloads, photos and other media. MIT paved the way with it’s Open Courseware concept. Having your class content open to the public is like “taking the cover off the magical box, and revealing the secrets that lie within”.
Revitalizing a pre-college class for future design students
Graphic Design is about 90% thinking, organization, and reasoning, and about 10% making of objects. Design colleges are great at teaching how to make great design, but sometimes fall behind in the everyday components that Graphic Designers must use, in fear of hindering the creative process.
Starting October 24th, 2009, Matthew White of Dirk+Weiss will be teaching a pre-college class at the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University.
The class, titled Graphic Design Techniques, is a college credit course for high school students seeking to learn more about a career in graphic design. Typically, students would look at magazines, posters, and books; and topics such as type, image, and form would be addressed. When making my syllabus and course materials, I really thought about what Graphic Design Techniques are in the 21st century. Instead of the typical topics that you find in every college level graphic design curriculum, I decided to take a more eventual, and collaborative approach.
Here is a pull-quote from my class syllabus:
“Now more than ever, designers must realize the value of versatility. A designer’s skill set can influence all aspects of society. This course transcends traditional design techniques to explore contemporary design thinking.”
For example: Instead of showing stylized examples of graphic design, and lecturing about typography and the tools of designers, the class will collaborate and on projects and make pitch presentations to the class. While at the same time, learning Design Techniques such as:
art vs. design
designer collaboration
connections between ideas
design(ing) research
reading the client
presenting your work
and more…
But what about type? Image? Form? Composition? How can a student design a class project without knowing about the rules of type?! Well, it’s not that those items will not come up in class. It is a graphic design class after all.
If it is a question of making pretty, and perfect examples of graphic design, then seven weeks is not a substitute for a design BFA. So emphasis will be placed on using whatever methods apply to the individual student, to design a solution for each project at hand. If a student is comfortable with illustration or photography, then use illustration or photography!
Since the course is only seven weeks, I would not expect a student to learn all about type, image, and composition, as well as learning a lot of the tools that make ’Graphic Design’ happen. Also, if the students do decide to pursue a career in Graphic Design, they will take four years worth of classes that will teach them those fundamentals.
Also, I was thinking about how to connect my course content to the students, and possibly others. Why not share my course materials with the world? So, in leu of using the college online learning environment “Blackboard”, I have chosen to post all class materials, projects, and external media to a Facebook fan page, specifically designed for this class. Im sure Blackboard is a great tool, but it’s cumbersome nature as far as posting links with images, YouTube videos, and photo galleries, seemed to be a hurdle that I wanted to avoid. The students are already on Facebook, so why not bring the class materials to an environment that they already understand.
Dirk+Weiss creates two new apps for education.
iPhone apps just seem perfect for high schools and colleges. Students have the devices, and teachers are looking for new ways to connect their classes with their students. This update video showcases a few screenshots from two new apps, and discusses their origin and purpose.
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