DESMA 28: Introduction to Interactivity
UCLA Department of Design | Media Arts

Assistant Professor Casey Reas
TA Tatsuya Saito

Time: Monday & Wednesday 14:00–16:50
Location: Kinross South S122

Content

This course is an introduction to the concepts and principles of interactivity. In addition to discussing ideas related to interactivity, the class focuses on the required skills for creating interactive work, therefore participants will work toward developing their computer programming skills. The concepts and skills taught in the class will enhance each participant's ability to excel in future UCLA classes about the Internet, animation, interactive media, and game design. A networked presentation at the end of the course will allow participants to share their work with the UCLA and international communities.

Assignments

There is one exercise each week, each containing three parts:

Exercise 1: Response is the Medium
Exercise 2: Coordinates, Shapes, Variables, Iteration
Exercise 3: Images, Letters, Trigonometry, Random, Functions
Exercise 4: Motion, Arrays
Exercise 5: Time, Simulation, Objects
Exercise 6: Synthesis 1
Exercise 7: Mouse, Keyboard
Exercise 8: Pixels, Interface, Sound
Exercise 9: Synthesis 2

In addition to these Exercises, there will be weekly reading assignments supported by discussions in class. All readings will come from the required text, Programming Media, a work-in-progress text by Casey Reas. The readings for each week will be distributed.

Evaluation

The grading is based on the weekly Exercise (90%), and on the participant’s comments, feedback, and active participation during the class meetings (10%). Exercises will be evaluated based on their originality, aesthetic qualities, and conceptual sophistication. Feedback will be primarily qualitative but numeric scores will also be given for each exercise. If an exercise is turned in late, points will be taken off each day so that a zero will be received if one week late. More than two absences without the Professor or TA’s prior permission will lower the participants final grade by one unit (i.e. an A will become an B). With each additional unexcused absence, the grade will drop an additional unit. All Exercise must be completed to pass the course. In addition, participants must attend at least three D|MA sponsored lectures during Fall Quarter 2005.

The grade breakdown follows:
10% Participation
90% Exercises