Intro - Understanding Media, Art and Design
3
20th Aug 2012
7th Sep 2012
NOTE: This course description is targeted to Media Lab students, but applies to all Dept of Media MA students except Aug 23rd, 24th and 27th.
Understanding Media, Art and Design, a.k.a the Intro, consists of introductory lectures plus group work aiming at an exhibition. The first days (Aug 20th - 22nd) are targeted to all new MA students of ARTS, and unit/ department specific program follows after that continuing till Sept 7th.
During Sept 1st -7th each new Media Lab student will have a personal study planning discussion with her/his tutor teacher in order to confirm her/his personal study plan (HOPS).
The Intro is designed for your orientation in the following aspects:
• in helping your personal study planning
• in introducing DoM and Media Lab staff, teaching and research
• in adapting you to our community, especially your fellow students
• in learning about our working environment: facilities, hardware and software
• in understanding the general learning objectives of your MA studies
• in getting an overview of the whole ARTS and Aalto - at least a bit
More info »
WS0: Study Project I: Human Voice in Interactive Music
3-6
3rd Sep 2012
7th Sep 2012
The workshop is targeted to 2nd year Sound MA students who are already familiar with physical computing and interactive sound design. The aim of the workshop is to discover the possibilities of human voice as sonic material in interactive sound art and music. The workshop starts with an introduction to the history and techniques of vocal music composition, the emphasis being on contemporary and experimental music. During the workshop sketches of voice-based compositions are created under the guidance of composer Paola Livorsi. The expected outcome of the workshop is an interactive composition, e.g. a game-like environment or a spatial installation realised using software and hardware technology chosen by the students themselves.
More info »
Digital Workshop Basics (for second year students)
1
3rd Sep 2012
7th Sep 2012
5 sessions. See this course in Oodi.
- - -
This course provides a hands-on introduction to Fablab and electronics studio facilities: basic workflow for working with each of the Fablab machines (software as well as operating digital fabrication machinery) and introduction to 2D and 3D drawing for Fablab projects. Machine and laboratory safety and space upkeep instruction will also be part of the course.
day 1: Introduction to 2D and 3D drawing for Fablab applications
day 2: Lasercutting and 3D printing
day 3: Vinyl cutting and CNC milling
day 4: Proceeding with projects independently
day 5: Finishing up projects, experiments with the machines if enough time is left, course wrap-up discussion
This course is a prerequisite for Massimo's course starting on 10.9.
More info »
WS0: Digital Fabrication Studio (2nd year students)
2-5
10th Sep 2012
26th Oct 2012
13 sessions. See this course in Oodi.
- - - -
Prerequisites: Digital fabrication basics
10th Sep 2012 9:00 – 16:00: Morning: Digital Fabrication and FabLabs: the current ecosystem and its possibilities.
Afternoon: Media, business, platforms: their role in the digital fabrication ecosystem
and how to adopt them for our projects.
11th Sep 2012 9:00 - 16:00: Morning: Information management for a digitally fabricated project.
Afternoon: Version control systems practice: versioning a personal profile.
12th Sep 2012 9:00 – 16:00: Morning: Intellectual property, Open Design, Metadesign for a digitally fabricated
project.
Afternoon: Version control systems practice: project management.
9th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Laser cutting: technology, processes and design techniques.
Homework: Design and fabricate a laser cut box or interlocking object.
10th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: 3D Scanning: technology, processes and design techniques.
Homework: Develop and refine a 3D scan of yourself.
11th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: CNC Milling: technology, processes and design techniques.
Homework: Mill your previous 3D scan.
12th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Molding and casting: possibilities, processes and design techniques.
Homework: Create a mold and a final object out of it.
16th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: 3D Printing: technology, processes and design techniques.
Homework: Design or modify a small object and print it in 3D.
17th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Project development: ideas & business models.
Homework: Final project development.
18th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Project development: prototyping
Homework: Final project development.
19th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Project development: Final version
Homework: Final project development.
23rd Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Project development: Final version
Homework: Final project development.
24th Oct 2012 9:00 - 12:00: Morning: Final presentation
Credits
2-5
Description
The course provides a general understanding on how to design and manufacture products
and prototypes in a Fab Lab and in the Fab Lab network, using digital fabrication
technologies and understanding their features and limits. The course provides a framework
for understanding the possible Open and collaborative design dynamics, business models
and the role of media in developing a digitally fabricated project.
Students will learn how information shapes design, manufacturing and collaboration
processes and artifacts in a Fab Lab, at the intersection of bits and atoms. They will learn how
to digitally fabricate a project or how to digitally modify an existing project; students will
also learn how to manage, embed and retrieve information about a project. Projects and
prototypes developed and manufactured in this edition of the course will not be interactive.
The course is structured in three parts: the first part consists of 3 full days of lectures and
practice, followed by 3 weeks of online work and discussion, and lastly with 10 lectures of
half day each one. The workload of this course will consist on a series of small exercises to be
developed after the course hours and a final project to be digitally fabricated and
documented by the end of the course, be it a project already designed but not yet realized, or
be it a new project, or be it the modification of an existing object or project.
Updated information about the course, further links and materials are available on the course
page on Noppa: target=_blank>https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/25438/etusivu
Recommended bibliography / further readings:
Gershenfeld, N. (2000). When Things Start to Think. Holt Paperbacks.
Gershenfeld, N. (2005). FAB: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--From Personal Computers
to Personal Fabrication. Basic Books.
Hudson, J. (2011). Process 2nd Edition: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture (2nd ed.).
Laurence King Publishers.
Sterling, B. (2005). Shaping Things (1st ed.). The MIT Press.
Thompson, R. (2011). Prototyping and low-volume production. London: Thames & Hudson.
Thwaites, T. (2011). The Toaster Project: Or a Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance
from Scratch. Princeton Architectural Press.
Reas, C., & McWilliams, C. (2010). Form+Code in Design, Art, and Architecture (1st ed.). Princeton
Architectural Press
More info »
WS1: Composing with Data Flow Programming
3
10th Sep 2012
14th Sep 2012
The course is taking place two times during the academic year. The first one (10th - 14th Sept) is targeted to 1st year Sound MA students, and the second one (7th - 11th Jan) for 1st year MA in New Media students.
This course is project-based, and at the end of the course students will submit and present their group or individual projects.
Learning Outcomes Composing with Pure Data workshop aims to familiarize students with the language of Pure Data and the uses of computers in music in general. Pure Data is an open source environment, written and maintained by Miller Puckette and includes the work of many developers, making the whole package very much a community effort.
Content Workshop introduces a data-flow programming (visual programing) language for audio and multimedia, which has been a recent pioneering application in the contemporary art field. Course gives opportunity to anyone to learn how to process and organize sounds, mapping physical interaction, video processing and networking possibilities by using Pure Data environment. This is a project-based course; at the end of the course students will submit and present their group or individual projects.
Assessment Methods and Criteria The course consists of lectures, exercises and group/individual project work.
More info »
WS1: Game Design WS
5
10th Sep 2012
14th Sep 2012
The workshop is th first part of the Game Design course, that continues with lectures after this week. Basin concepts of game design are looked at, and many board game design exercises are done during the week.
More info »
Sound Seminar (Mon10-12)
3-4
17th Sep 2012
20th May 2013
Sound Seminar is a weekly meeting forum for Sound MA students, taking place on Mondays a.m. In addition to supporting the Master's Thesis seminar, the aim is to share and discuss students' ongoing and future sound projects, smaller or bigger, both inside and outside the Media Lab. Other MA students from DoM and TAIK are also welcome to join: if you are working as a composer or sound designer in a study project or outside the school, if you are preparing, doing or completing your Master’s Thesis on sound or music - or if you are just interested in familiarising yourself with the "sound scene", e.g. in order to find a sound person for your own project, the Sound Seminar is for you.
As learning outcomes, the students will gain practical knowledge about sound-related production practices, tools, problem framing/ solving and Master’s Thesis projects. Students will become aware of the sound scene and sound community of the Lab, including the connections to other Art Universities and other collaborating institutions.
Typically a seminar session includes a round of short (ca. 5-10 min) informal presentations of students' sound-related projects and activities. Audio(visual) presentations are also welcome within the time limit, but usually referring to the actual content will also do.
Interesting guests are occassionally invited to visit the Seminar, and students are welcome to suggest potential visitors, too. Sound related books, journals and papers are also presented and discussed.
In addition to the Seminar meetings, a related forum in ARTS Intranet Onni (Sound SIG) provides an on-line dimension to the seminar discussions and presentations.
More info »
Audio Technology Exam
1
17th Sep 2012
17th Sep 2012
The exam is designed to ensure that the Sound MA and SOIN minor students have acquired decent amount of Bachelor's level audio technology knowledge from their previous studies or profession. As learning outcomes the student will be able to reflect her/his amount of knowledge in the field of audio technology.
Assessment criteria : 1-5 according to percentage of correct answers. In case of weak result some extra self-learning on the topic will be included in the personal study plan (HOPS).
The reading materials for the exam are delivered ca. one week in advance before the exam date.
More info »
Advanced Audio Production Work
3-10
17th Sep 2012
27th May 2013
This "course" is actually not a course in the conventional meaning of the word, but your option to get credits from any sound, audio or music project you are doing inside or even outside the Lab, as long as it relates to new media and/or digital design. The scale of the work - as well as the schedule - is up to you. In order to get credited, you need to present the project in at least some kind of audible form, and write a report of 2-4 A4 pages about the work. what was the plan, how did you realise it and what did you learn.
If you need tutoring or advise, please don't hesitate to contact Antti Ikonen or Marianne Decoster-Taivalkoski during the process.
More info »
IN1: Software Studies for Media Designers
3
18th Sep 2012
5th Oct 2012
Software Studies for Media Designers is the main course.
Under the same title there is another course 25397 Software Studies: Programming for Artists (Matti Niinimäki) http://artandtech.aalto.fi/?page_id=318 . See this in Oodi. You can sign-up to this course OR to the Markku's course. They are alternatives and run under the same code in Oodi.
More info »
Media Design Research Seminar 1 (Tue13-16)
3-6
18th Sep 2012
14th May 2013
(Go to see it in Oodi)
More info »
Game Seminar (Tue16-18)
3-5
18th Sep 2012
14th May 2013
The Game Seminar is a support course to all other games activities at Media Lab or outside it - a forum where students can talk with each other about their game projects, and test game prototypes and games, and also increase their knowledge about different games in general. Also game related lectures will happen at least in the spring term.
The Game Seminar is planned to continue seamlessly into the game club meeting, that goes on after 18:00 until people want to go home.
More info »
IN1: Introduction to Sound Design and Music
1-4
18th Sep 2012
5th Oct 2012
The course provides a general understanding of sound design in the context of new media. The topics handled within the course are Our sonic environment, Designing sounds, The dimensions of music, Introduction to MIDI, Narration with sound, Non-linearity in sound, Game audio, Sonic branding and Sound art. In addition to these, students may bring up other topics through their own short presentations prepared and held during the course.
The course consists of lectures with discussion and sound material. Small exercises will be done during the sessions and some assignments will need to be completed before the last session. Individual/ small group introduction to audio software can be arranged on request.
A summary of the contents of the lectures plus a wide selection of related online readings is given to the students after each lecture.
As learning outcomes the student learns to observe the sonic dimension of both actual and virtual environments and draw conclusions according to what s/he hears. The student learns the basics of MIDI standard both in theory and practice. The student has general understanding of sound design in the context of new media. On more general level the aim of the course is to enhance awarness of sounds and to provide tools for analyzing them, plus to encourage the students to be more demanding in their work when dealing with sound design in new media.
PLEASE NOTE:
In order to get full credit points, two individual assignments need to be completed by Friday 5th Oct.
The first assignment is one minute long unedited and unprocessed field recording from the Kauppatori market place, downtown Helsinki. The recording can be done with any equipment, either from one spot or while moving around, but the only allowed editing is to cut the recording from the beginning and/or end (i.e. not in the middle!) to match the given length (60 seconds).
The second assignment is an "abstract" composition, and the detailed instructions will be given when the course starts.
Any questions related to the assignments should be addressed to the teacher via email.
In order to pass the course one must complete the course assignments and shouldn’t miss more than 20% of the sessions.
Since all lectures are having a different topic, it is highly recommended to be present in all of them. The credit points are given as follows
1. Participating 80% of the sessions = 1 ECTS
2. Participating in 80% of the sessions + completing the course assignments gives 4 ECTS in total
The grading is based on submitting the course assignments in time and the artistic and academic quality of the assignments.
More info »
Game Design (lectures) (Wed13-15)
5
19th Sep 2012
12th Dec 2012
After the workshop, we will have lectures covering some basic aspects of game design.
More info »
Masters' Thesis Seminar (Rasmus Wed13-15, Teemu Tue 17-19)
4
19th Sep 2012
15th May 2013
Daytime group Wed 13-15 (Rasmus Vuori) starting 19.9.
Evening group Tue 17-19 (Teemu Leinonen) starting 18.9.
More info »
Audiovisual studio: AV Basics
3
19th Sep 2012
20th Feb 2013
Students will learn basics of video and audio work by doing small-scale video productions individually and in groups. There won’t be throughout instructions to any particular software but examples are shown mostly with Adobe CS software that we have in our computers.
Students will make hands-on exercises and home assignments both individually and in groups. The common contact hours include screenings of previous exercises and assignments as well as some technically and/or theoretically oriented lectures, some of them prepared by students themselves.
Assessment criteria: done assignments + reporting on them, presence on screenings/discussions. Presence on tech lectures not required.
!! NOTE: daily schedule might still change !! Most up-to-date info in Noppa.
More info »
Game Project
6-15
20th Sep 2012
16th May 2013
The Game Project is a course where students learn making games in a group, specializing in some aspect of game production and learning to communicate and work with the team. The different phases of game production from concept design and prototyping to polishing a game will be experienced firsthand. The course is very much hands on, and needs a lot of commitment time-wise, and also a passion to make a really cool game.
More info »
Systems of Representation (Tue13-16)
3-6
25th Sep 2012
7th May 2013
See this course in Oodi, starting time has changed to January
More info »
Production Clinic (every 2nd Tue13-15)
3
25th Sep 2012
7th May 2013
The clinic is a tutoring process to create new and early stage project ideas. It's a forum to introduce, support and evaluate students' own projects. Especially for those students who need support for project based master thesis work.
More info »
IN2: Introduction to Media Art & Culture
3
9th Oct 2012
26th Oct 2012
Spaces
Ti 09.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
Ke 10.10.12 PR/6036B TKO 6036B luentosali
To 11.10.12 PR/6036B TKO 6036B luentosali
Pe 12.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
Ti 16.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
Ke 17.10.12 PR/344 Tutkimuskeskus sali
To 18.10.12 PR/344 Tutkimuskeskus sali
Pe 19.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
Ti 23.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
Ke 24.10.12 PR/344 Tutkimuskeskus sali
To 25.10.12 PR/344 Tutkimuskeskus sali
Pe 26.10.12 PR/822 Iso luentosali
25343 Introduction to Media Art and Culture examination alternative
la 10.11.2012
la 20.4.2013
la 15.6.2013
Check the literature From Teemu leinonen
More info »
New Media Exam
1
13th Oct 2012
9th Feb 2013
New Media: Public examination days 13.10.12 and 9.2.13.
Games spezialisation area examination day
25411 New Media Exam
13.10.2012
More info »
WS2: Game Analysis WS
5
29th Oct 2012
2nd Nov 2012
Petri Lankoski will give an intensive 3-day workshop about analyzing games. After the workshop, the students write a game analysis essay of their own, putting into practice the things they've learned during the workshop.
The rest of the week is meant for students of the Game Project to work on their projects, if you are only taking the analysis course, you can start writing your essay on Thursday and Friday.
More info »
WS2: Technologies of Location: cultural media practices in the public place
3
29th Oct 2012
2nd Nov 2012
WS2: Game Audio Workshop
2-4
29th Oct 2012
2nd Nov 2012
Participants will come away with an understanding of the challenges and skills required for working in the games industry, an insight into how sound and music for games are created, and practical experience of creating sound design scenarios.
The course will provide an overview of the challenges and skills required to be a game sound designer. The primary focus will be on content creation and implementation requirements for games.
The workshop begins with an introduction to the methods, design challenges and aesthetics of game audio. In the practical part, participants will be expected to complete a sound design/ music composition assignment either given by the teacher or of their own choosing. The intention of the assignment is to create a convincing sonic narrative. This could take the form of e.g. creating sound for a character based on the character designs, creating sound for a series of game play spaces or creating dynamic music for different game play sequences.
NOTE: detailed day-by-day programme is listed below, but is still preliminary and subject to changes!
The WS is primarily targeted to Sound in New Media students, but other students can participate according to their personal study plan (HOPS).
More info »
IN4: Multitouch Interaction
3-5
27th Nov 2012
14th Dec 2012
The course focuses on using multi-touch interaction to create engaging experiences using different media elements. Multiple devices will be used, with an emphasis on mobile phones/tablets and the iOS platform. Other devices and platforms will also be discussed.
The main development environment for the course will consist of openFrameworks/C++ with Xcode. Students should have previously attended the Software Studies for Media Designers course, or demonstrate having acquired equivalent skills. Students are required to plan, develop, document and present a project at the end of the course.
More info »
Tangible Auditory Interfaces (9-12)
27th Nov 2012
14th Dec 2012
Knowledge in Interaction design and implementation of new cross-modal interfaces
This course is intended to serve as an open platform to discuss, design and develop projects and theories around tangible and auditory interfaces.
http://tangibleauditoryinterfaces.de/index.php/category/lecturing/
27th Nov 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
28th Nov 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
29th Nov 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
30th Nov 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
4th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
5th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
7th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
11th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
12th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
13th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
14th Dec 2012 9:00 - 12:00 :
Sign-up in oodi!
More info »
WS3: Composing with Data Flow Programming
3
7th Jan 2013
11th Jan 2013
The course is taking place two times during the academic year. The first one (10th - 14th Sept) is targeted to 1st year Sound MA students, and the second one (7th - 11th Jan) for 1st year MA in New Media students.
This course is project-based, and at the end of the course students will submit and present their group or individual projects.
Learning Outcomes Composing with Pure Data workshop aims to familiarize students with the language of Pure Data and the uses of computers in music in general. Pure Data is an open source environment, written and maintained by Miller Puckette and includes the work of many developers, making the whole package very much a community effort.
Content Workshop introduces a data-flow programming (visual programing) language for audio and multimedia, which has been a recent pioneering application in the contemporary art field. Course gives opportunity to anyone to learn how to process and organize sounds, mapping physical interaction, video processing and networking possibilities by using Pure Data environment. This is a project-based course; at the end of the course students will submit and present their group or individual projects.
Assessment Methods and Criteria The course consists of lectures, exercises and group/individual project work.
More info »
WS3: Study project III: Musical Experiments & Tea
3
7th Jan 2013
11th Jan 2013
We, everyday during the workshop, make & drink various high quality Japanese tea selected and brought from Tokyo especially for this workshop. Free of charge! And we will study creative & experimental processes toward composition and performance of sound/music. I will present some of my experimental works, and then give you some simple exercises you have to tackle.
Note that the workshop is not meant for studying any particular technologies for sound/music production.
More info »
WS3: Playability Evaluation
3
7th Jan 2013
11th Jan 2013
Juha Huhtakallio will have a full week of Playability testing teaching. It would be good to have some game project that you can bring to this workshop to work on.
More info »
Designing Interaction with Electronics Workshop (Mon15-18)
3-5
14th Jan 2013
13th May 2013
Many products and services requires interactions today and it has been a big challenge for designers in how to sketch ideas. Sketching on paper will not describe your idea any more as you need to illustrate experiences. This course teaches you various techniques of how you can sketch experiences by making functional prototypes. The prototype can be from wearable objects to installations. The course will provide easy-to-use and quick-to-make tools and materials. You will form groups and develop ideas based on a given theme. The groups iterate their designs through prototyping. The final prototype should be presented at Media Lab Demoday in May.
More details and student projects from previous years can be found in the course blog.
http://mlab.taik.fi/paja/?p=2999
- - -
Sign-up in Oodi at least one week before the course starts.
Giving course feedback by using Media Lab feedback form http://mlab.taik.fi/studies/feedback/ is a part of the successful completion of the course.
Priority in the student selection is always given to the students of the degree programme. If free places exist they will be filled in the following order: 1. students who have already been given a study right (eg., minor subject students, exchange students and non-degree students), 2. students of the Department of Media, 3. students of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, 4. other Aalto University students, 5. all the others.
The degree programme students are mainly selected in the order of registration. If there are more registered students than there are places available other criteria of approval may be used (such as study progress or study plan). The decisions on the use of exceptional procedure are always made by the Head of the Degree Programme.
More info »
New Media for the Third sector
2-8
25th Jan 2013
31st May 2013
The study project explores the role of social media tools and services in increasing the effectiveness and reach of the activities and communication of third sector organizations. The approach is based on design research and prototyping activities carried out collaboratively with a partner organization. This year we will challenge the idea of the “third sector” as a setting by collaborating with the citizens’ movement Siivouspäivä (Cleaning day), with the help of the core organizers group.
Detail schedule and program (http://thirdsector.mlog.taik.fi).
Background:
Social media tools and services are revolutionizing how we conduct our everyday lives, communicate and work together. Drawing upon the experience, insight and visions of Cleaning Day citizen’s movement in Helsinki (Finland) during the study project we will explore the intersection between digital media and tools, service design and activism through design research. Thus the project will seek to investigate current and future ways of leveraging new/social media services, tools and technologies to disseminate, develop and perform “Cleaning day”.
The course is structured around 4 main activities 1) contextualizing lectures and readings that bring the ideas and themes of the course close to the participants, on practical and theoretical level 2) benchmarking and case studies carried out by students 3) field work: organized around the organization and participation on a prototyping hackathon for mobile applications (warming up) 4) Design through social media bricolage: concept design and planning of small scale interventions in Cleaning Day via bricolage and remixing of current tools (main result)
*A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest or codefest) is an event in which participants collaborate intensively during a short period of time (1 day up to a week) to produce working and usable software prototypes around a joint topic or application area.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Open to all Aalto students. To receive the credits you need to register to the course, using Oodi (Joopas if you are outside ARTS)
NOTE: Students interested in participating ONLY in the Hackathon need to register for it (See Workshop II in the Course List - 2 credits)
More info »
WS4: Building Interfaces for Audiovisual Performance
3
4th Feb 2013
8th Feb 2013
Derek Holzer says: The idea of this workshop is to create an electro-acoustic sound instrument over 5 days. To do this, I will teach you a bit about programming the Arduino (but not a lot!) and we will focus on the electronics and mechanics necessary to create movement, and from this movement how to create sound. I will also show you a basic (and cheap!) contact microphone pickup system with a 1/2 Watt audio amplifier to amplify the sounds within your instrument.
You will need to bring objects to use in your construction. Think about things which can be moved, vibrated or struck to produce sound. Hollow shapes, strings, springs, boxes, tubes, metal objects, etc etc. Objects may work in strange combinations as well. If you want a larger speaker than the 8-10cm ones I will provide, please salvage one from an old boombox or clock radio. The objects you bring will shape the instrument you create, so check the second hand shops, junk stores and flea markets beforehand!
Prior knowledge of Processing, Pure Data or Max/MSP is recommended but not necessary. The more you know how to program, the more complex your instrument can become.
What this is NOT:
1) A circuit-bending workshop. We won’t be hacking found electronics, but building simple circuits of our own.
2) A detailed programming workshop. I teach very basic input/output with the Arduino in Processing, nothing more. If you want to incorporate your fancy Bluetooth gadgets and custom GPS shields, you will be responsible for getting them to work based on your own skills.
More info »
WS4: Information Architecture Workshop
3
4th Feb 2013
8th Feb 2013
The course is a workshop. The instructor will present three morning lecture and problem-solving exercises, to be completed each day in teams. The Day One exercise will be organizing and synthesizing research. Day Two will involve integrating multiple applications for a single user experience. Day Three will involve redesigning an application across multiple platforms. Day Four and Five will be devoted to a final project with presentation. Final projects for previous years have featured mapping the TaiK webspace, new designs for national video archives and digital library media reader, interactive exhibition design for the Finnish Pavilion of 1900, and design for mobile travel services.
By performing a series of organization and design exercises in small teams, students will demonstrate their understanding of information architecture concepts and visualization techniques in relation to Experience and Service Design
This course is an introduction to information architecture (IA) and its relationship to Experience and Service Design. The organization strategies and visual principles covered apply to website design, user interface design for web-base application and mobile applications, and digital asset/collection management systems.
Reading materials will be given in preparation to the workshop.
80% attendance and completed exercise tasks.
Scale 0-5.
See more about recommended readings in Oodi.
More info »
Game Study Project: Game Design Basics Workshop
3-15
4th Feb 2013
8th Feb 2013
The course aims to develop understanding in game design, gameplay design, and level design, as well as developing students' design skills for those areas. The main focus is on how game systems are built and how the rules of the game turn into an experience. Important topics like elements of games, chance and skill, and meaningful decisions are touched on. A big part of the workshop is doing board game design exercises, that make the themes very concrete and also give the student an opportunity to train their skills in game design, without needing programming or other specific skills.
The course covers the bases of theory and methods of game design and includes practical design exercises.
Workshop with lectures and exercises; learning diary; scale passed/failed.
Rouse, R. Game Design: Theory & Practice. Wordware, 2nd edition, 2004
More info »
IN6: Multimedia Authoring
3
14th Feb 2013
15th Mar 2013
The course is focused on the generative aspects of multimedia design and the authoring process, interaction design and the control of media elements in interactive projects. Students will experiment with a broad range of media elements with an emphasis on controlling media behavior through code.
Special emphasis will be given to crossings between sound and image: live visuals; sound visualisation; sonification; VJing; audiovisual composition; live cinema; visual music; etc.
The main development environment for the course will be openFrameworks (http://www.openframeworks.cc/), although other environments will be explored. Students should have previously attended the Software Studies for Media Designers course, or demonstrate having acquired equivalent skills. Students are required to plan, develop, document and present a project at the end of the course.
Recommended bibliography:
Noble, J., 2012. Programming Interactivity: A Designer’s Guide to Processing, Arduino, and openframeworks (2nd Edition), O’Reilly Media.
Chion, M., 1994. Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen. Columbia University Press, New York.
Course blog: http://mlab.taik.fi/mediacode/
Note: originally classes were planned for 12, 14/February and 1/March, but these dates were canceled and will be replaced with other dates in the future, dedicated to project development (dates proposed: 11, 14, 15/March; to be discussed and confirmed with students).
More info »
IN7: Introduction to Western Classical Music
3-4
25th Feb 2013
27th Mar 2013
Lectures with lots of recorded musical examples - a crash course about how western classical music has evolved to its present forms. Music is handled in the context of European culture and history in general, covering years from Pythagoras to present times, ending with a discussion about the future. The thematic lectures are given by Antti Ikonen and visiting experts from e.g. Sibelius Academy. For the full list of topics and visitors, please scroll down to the course schedule.
Complementary short presentations on various classical music phenomena are given by older Sound MA students and alumni, and the course participants will prepare similar kind of talks in small groups.
Introducing all the "classical music" that is not played on Classic FM, plus specialities like the history of electronic music, the course is giving a broader picture of occidental music culture to art & design students, who typically have a good all-round knowledge about visual culture, architechture, craft etc. but not necessarily about music.
In terms of learning outcomes, the student gets familiar with styles, periods and basic terminology of classical music and milestones in the evolution of music. The student can observe today’s trends of music from different angles, being able to place heard music to its appropriate context.
The course is possible to complete by attending the lectures only (1 cp). The group work assignment is worth 2 cp and an optional essay is worth 1 cp.
The course is open to all TAIK students in addition to Media Lab students and Minor subject students, and also students from other Aalto schools in terms of their personal study plans (non-TAIK students may need a JOO-contract, please consult your tutor for details). Others than Media Lab MA-students (e.g. doctoral students) might be credited differently according to their study program.
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Audiovisual studio: Advanced editing
3
27th Feb 2013
15th May 2013
The basic philosophy of the course Digital video editing is that you learn best by doing, getting feedback from your work and comparing your work to the works of others.
The students work independently (or in pairs/groups; depending on number of students) with different exercises dealing with: 1) rhythm, music and creative editing 2) action editing 3) dialogue editing 4) scene analysis and 5) atmosphere/editing a story. The exercises consist mainly of editing different film materials, for example scenes from a fiction film, advertisement spots etc.
Each lecture is divided into two sections: 1) presentation and feedback of the exercise given on the previous lecture and 2) theory, instructions and ideas concerning the next exercise.
For beginners or more advanced level.
Prerequisites : Audiovisual studio: AV Basics or similar knowledge on video editing.
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Audiovisual studio: AV Basics - Digital Storytelling
3
7th Mar 2013
2nd May 2013
Place 4320
teacher: Taku Kaskela
preliminary plan:
on Thu 14-17 lectures
on Tue 10-12 tutorials (optional)
INTENDED OUTCOMES OF THE COURSE
The aim of the course is to teach all participants the basics of digital narrative.
The participants learn skills to produce projects that are coherent in their technical, artistic and conceptual outcome. Emphasis is placed equally on following as well as breaking conventional narrative visual storytelling.
The course aims to help participants produce intended outcomes (as per their original concept) and to understand the artistic-technical nature of the digital narrative.
Besides teaching the basics of digital video and audio production and post-production, the course identifies specific requirements for various platforms (mobile, net, screen etc.).
NOTE:
The students are required to plan and conceptualize a short video project. The project should be targeted to a specific platform and must encompass experimental components that expand and or query the conventions of audio-visual storytelling.
A written analysis of the projects aims and outcomes (3-5 pages) must be submitted with the final project.
METHODOLOGY
This course consists of a combination of theoretical elements and discussions combined with practical hands on exercises and workshop mode. The participants will work in groups and independently.
TUTORING
Tuesday tutorials
The aim of the tutorials is to provide feedback and assistance on one-to-one base.
The participants can ask practical questions regarding the usage of the divisional av equipment or pitch / discuss their concepts with the lecturer.
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Digital workshop basics (rerun)
1
11th Mar 2013
15th Mar 2013
This course is a prerequisite for Massimo Menichinelli's course starting on 2.5.
This course provides a hands-on introduction to Fablab and electronics studio facilities: basic workflow for working with each of the Fablab machines (software as well as operating digital fabrication machinery) and introduction to 2D and 3D drawing for Fablab projects. Machine and laboratory safety and space upkeep instruction will also be part of the course. To pass the course, students are required to document their exercises.
Alternate way to pass the course is to come and do the required exercises independently on Aalto Fablab opening times. Documentation of each exercise will be required before course credits will be granted. For more information send an email to fablab@aalto.fi or check the Fablab website for up-to-date information.
day 1: Introduction to 2D and 3D drawing for Fablab applications
day 1: Introduction to 2D and 3D drawing for Fablab applications
day 3: Vinyl cutting and Precision milling
day 4: Proceeding with the exercises, optional exercises: large-scale CNC milling machine, milling circuit boards
day 5: Finishing up the exercises, further independent experimentation with the machines if times allows
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IN7: Bodily Interaction
12th Mar 2013
29th Mar 2013
Outcomes: Bodily Interaction course aims to make students familiar with and develop gesture-based Natural User Interfaces (NUI) in various interactive application platforms for sonic, musical, 2D or 3D interfaces.
Content: Bodily Interaction course aims to introduce embodied interaction possibilities with a specific focus on natural human gestures and actions. The course is a platform for the tools and environment of an emerging interface paradigm called NUI (Natural User Interface). Through a set of exercise tasks, students will be able to offer experimental solutions to NUI. The course will offer alternative possibilities to experiment with various interactive programming platforms, where body itself is involved as a control element for the system. Bodily Interaction is a project-based course where students will present their group or individual works at end of the course.
Workload: This course is a hands-on course where the instructor presents lecture sessions and the students complete exercise tasks and will present their group/individual projects in the end.
Assessment Methods and Criteria: 80% attendance and completed exercise tasks. The students can work either on their own projects or offer solutions to ongoing design projects at Media Lab. Students can also continue or combine their projects with other Media Lab courses.
Prerequisite: Basic knowledge on one of the interactive platforms (Processing, Pure Data, Quartz Composer or Unity) is necessary.
Course blog: http://nui.mlog.taik.fi
Max: 12 Students
Credits: 3-5 ECTS (depending on the final project work)
Classroom: Paja (3rd Floor Media Lab)
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CANCELLED: Study Project IV: Design of Everyday Life
3-15
12th Mar 2013
27th Mar 2013
See this course in Oodi.
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Workshop II: Hackathon (SIIVOUSPÄIVÄN digitalkoot)
2
16th Mar 2013
16th Mar 2013
This workshop is actually a hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest or codefest). This means an event in which participants collaborate intensively during a short period of time (1 day up to a week) to produce working and usable software prototypes around a joint topic or application area. The event will be open to all but Aalto Sutdents can apply to get 2 credits for their participation and contribution (Students from other schools than ARTS should apply through JOO agreement)
SIIVOUSPÄIVÄN digitalkoot - come to hack and create
Organizers Aalto University (NMTS course) in collaboration with Siivouspäivä
Saturday, March 16, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM At Aalto Media Factory (Hämeenti 135 a)
Helsinki, Finland
A day for hacking and creating stuff to help Siivouspäiva (cleaning day). Come and join us to think and produce a mobile app for siivouspäiva and few other not so technical stuff!! We need all kinds of talents and input. We will have some food and refreshments
Tracks for the day:
1) Mobile apps
One of the themes during the day is to create mobile apps for Siivouspäivä. We have some ideas and bit of code but need help!
We could work on 1) An App to support the experience of the day by helping users to navigate through the city and find all the neat selling stalls and recycling spots. 2) An app to help document and collect the experiences of siivouspäivä 3) An app for siivouspäivä sellers to document with images what they are selling and for siivouspäivä customers to find exactly what they want 4) maybe some other ideas?
2) Collecting Siivouspäivä stories
Stuff sold during siivouspäivä have their stories. We are looking for story-tellers to make siivouspäivä stories to share! If you have sold stuff in Sivouspäivä, come and share your stories to make the next day more fun. We are interested in knowing why you participated in Siivouspäivä and your experience with it. Feel free to visit, you do not need to have any particular skills, just a wish to share your story!
3) How to Siivouspäivä?
Siivouspäivä needs neat and simple How to's on ways to make good flea market stands and other useful tips for the Siivouspäivä event. We have one day to create the how to's based on the instructions already provided on the webpage or ideas people have collected in FB. By the end of the day we should have actual how to's created, and know how to distribute them to the sellers and participants of the next Siivouspäivä. We will:
1. Make the how to's 2. Get them online and distributed in a neat way (so that others might create new ones later)
4) Siivouspäivä video
To make cleaning day happen take a lot of effort, and more people should know about this so they can participate. We think a video would be nice to make. Would you like to come and make one with us?
Register for the event here:
http://siivouspaivandigitalkoot.eventbrite.com/#
In oodi
Course name: Workshop II Course code 25448
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IN8: Sound Design and Interactive Music
3-5
4th Apr 2013
19th Apr 2013
NOTE NEW DATES Mon 13th - Fri 17th May 2013, correct in Oodi.
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WS6: IXI Workshop
1-4
22nd Apr 2013
26th Apr 2013
This seminar and workshop focusses on code as artistic material, particularly in the field of sound software and installations. The idea is to get familiar with building experimental virtual instruments and installations using various software and programming environments like SuperCollider, Pure Data, Processing, Python, together with sensors and hardware hacking, including Arduino. Tools and techniques in computational creativity using artificial intelligence and ALife will be introduced and contextualised for use within creative works and generative music. Furthermore, the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol will be introduced and explored in the context of networked performance systems between different software, machines or geographical locations. In terms of practical hands-on work, the workshop is open for all types of participant projects, suiting well people who are working on, or planning to work on, interactive projects that deal with sound.
A strong element in the seminar is theoretical and aesthetic reflections on the work produced and analysed. Participants will read key texts in the field and contextualise their own work within the theoretic and art-historic area in which they work.
Assessment criteria : Pass/Fail. In order to get credited the student must complete the course assignment which is a practical hands-on work. Readings, examples and open code on the course website (to be launched ca. one week before the workshop starts - meanwhile please visit the ixi audio website).
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WS6: Workshop I: Game workshop
3-5
22nd Apr 2013
26th Apr 2013
WS6: Game Workshop (25477), From 2013-04-22 to 2013-04-26
Workshop topic: Action games
Many games are simplifications and abstractions of reality. The designer's job is to abstract away irrelevant and/or cumbersome details, and choosing what to focus on is not trivial. Background research helps, but in addition to gathering mediated experiences in the form of text, images, and video, it's useful to submerge oneself and experience things firsthand.
On this workshop, we will experience various sports and their digital representations to identify yet uncharted possibilities for action games. The workshop consists of physical activities, lectures, gaming sessions and interaction sketching exercises. The current plan is to try out parkour & acrobatics, swordfighting, archery, empty-handed martial arts, and a fusion of various dance styles, but the final schedule depends on the availability of spaces and instructors. An additional goal of the workshop is to share the latest insights from our games and motion related research.
Preliminary exercise: for the first gathering, prepare a few minutes presentation about a physical activity, such as your favorite sport. Illustrate your presentation with images or video. Answer these questions: What's so cool, fun and motivating about it? How do you feel when practicing/competing? Has it affected the way you experience the world? How? Is there a digital version of it or a digital dimension to it?
Perttu Hämäläinen (D.Sc.(Tech), M.A.)
Assistant Professor in Computer Games
Aalto University
perttu.hamalainen@aalto.fi
mobile: +358 50 596 7735
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Digital Fabrication Studio (rerun)
2-5
2nd May 2013
24th May 2013
Prerequisites for this course: 25437 Digital workshop basics
The course provides a general understanding on how to design and manufacture products
and prototypes in a Fab Lab and in the Fab Lab network, using digital fabrication
technologies and understanding their features and limits. The course provides a framework
for understanding the possible Open and collaborative design dynamics, business models
and the role of media in developing a digitally fabricated project.
Students will learn how information shapes design, manufacturing and collaboration
processes and artifacts in a Fab Lab, at the intersection of bits and atoms. They will learn how
to digitally fabricate a project or how to digitally modify an existing project; students will
also learn how to manage, embed and retrieve information about a project. Projects and
prototypes developed and manufactured in this edition of the course will not be interactive.
The workload of this course will consist on a series of small exercises to be developed after
the course hours and an Open Design final project to be digitally fabricated and documented
by the end of the course, be it a project already designed but not yet realized, or be it a new
project, or be it the modification of an existing object or project.
Updated information about the course, further links and materials are available on the course
page on Noppa: https://noppa.aalto.fi/noppa/kurssi/25438/etusivu
Recommended bibliography / further readings:
Gershenfeld, N. (2000). When Things Start to Think. Holt Paperbacks.
Gershenfeld, N. (2005). FAB: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--From Personal Computers
to Personal Fabrication. Basic Books.
Hudson, J. (2011). Process 2nd Edition: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture (2nd ed.).
Laurence King Publishers.
Sterling, B. (2005). Shaping Things (1st ed.). The MIT Press.
Thompson, R. (2011). Prototyping and low-volume production. London: Thames & Hudson.
Thwaites, T. (2011). The Toaster Project: Or a Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance
from Scratch. Princeton Architectural Press.
Reas, C., & McWilliams, C. (2010). Form+Code in Design, Art, and Architecture (1st ed.). Princeton
Architectural Press.
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The ideal New Media Learning Environment - 2013 & 2016
1
8th May 2013
8th May 2013
The Mobile Experience workshop is going to be postponed until the autumn semester. We decided to use this opportunity to be constructive and collect ideas, thoughts and plans for the "Otaniemi Option". After all the students are the experts on this issue.
On wednesday morning the 8th of May, at 9:15, let's meet and kick off a workshop with the title "The ideal New Media Learning Environment - 2013 & 2016" with two targets; one for the next study year, and another aiming for the new campus in 2016, and then we'll spend the following week working in groups on the subject.
The place to meet is the Media Lab 4th floor lecture room 4319
All Media Lab students are welcome. We'll consider this a media lab study project, and as such all participants will be able to collect ECTS points for the workshop.
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WS7: Sound Design for Interactive Commodities
3
13th May 2013
17th May 2013
Increasingly, physical artifacts of everyday use are endowed with information and communication technologies. These "interactive commodities" provide exciting new possibilities for sonic interaction design: The visual modality is often restricted by size or the peripheral use of such artifacts, and most importantly, they are physical objects with a complex, narrative and procedural identity which suggests the use of sound beyond simple beeps.
In this workshop we will explore the interaction with artifacts, their sounds and the possible relationships between them. We will investigate narrative sound design strategies inspired from highly evolved fields like film and game sound, learning to use sound to provide interpretative clues and to leverage the expressive potential of sound. These strategies then will be applied for developing contextualized scenarios and prototypes of sounding interactive commodities.
The week includes introduction to theory and concepts, group work in teams and presentation of results in the end of the week. Handouts and links are given during the course, as well as suggestions for reading and listening.
In order to get credited, the student must be present and complete the assignment(s) given during the workshop.
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Open workshop
20th May 2013
24th May 2013
Students bring their own work to the ws and share their work during the workshop. "Self whipping week" :-) For MA in new media / games/ sound main subject students only.
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