One of the modules that I’m taking this semester is Introduction to Interactive Media Design (NM2216), and this module is actually a prerequisite of another that I initially wanted to take. As it turns out, this module hasn’t been all that fun or exciting that I had hoped it to be, and in fact the little amount of readings that has to be done can really amount to quite a chore.
I guess that’s just how it is with FASS (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) modules, and by taking this workload as a baseline standard, I really dread my coming semesters as I’ll only be taking more New Media modules in order to pursue my major. I just hope that the learning process will be more fun, although I doubt that it will be. Anyhow, this module is indeed useful to a certain extent, as it exposes me to the different aspects of design that one should consider, some of which may easily be overlooked.
I have a project presentation for this module coming up next week, one which I am admittedly worried about, mainly because the presenter will be chosen at random. This project has been a useful exercise for applying the different design dimensions that I’ve learnt, but the process of coming up with an interactive product has not been easy, with my group changing our product multiple times over the past month. The various dimensions has also forced us to repeatedly consider the focus of our product, but fortunately with each iteration, we were able to arrive closer to our solution.
Update: My group didn’t too well for this project, scoring marks that were slightly below the average. I’m disappointed, of course, but the learning experience has been worthwhile. Our idea was an interactive exercise bicycle with a visual simulator and an air purifier/aromatherapy function, designed to assist users in adopting a healthy lifestyle. However, as pointed out by our lecturers, the choice of motivation wasn’t very convincing, so that probably cost us some marks.
Tags: Design, Interactive Media Design, NM2216
