Harmonic Collection

TLDR;

You’re going to pick a theme to explore visually for the duration of the semester. Each week, you’ll design and code an entry to a collection that explores this theme. At the end of the semester, you’ll deliver a website that houses 11 programmed entries. The website container is part of the design, as well.

Project Description

In mathematics, a sequence is defined as a series of numbers arranged in a predictable pattern. It’s a type of number set which follows specific, definite rules. When translated to design, sequencing is a natural part of systems — each individual item has unifying elements that when looked at as a whole, tells a larger story.

In this class you’ll create a Harmonic Collection that explores a theme of your choice. Each week, you’ll design and code an entry into your collection that makes use of the design focus and HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills we’re developing. First, you will pick a theme of your choice (think of it as the overarching concept you’ll explore through a series of sketches). Your theme should be open-ended enough to encourage a range of content, but specific enough to inspire an idea each week for twelve weeks. (Example themes: Your daily commute, songs you heard while walking around New York, interesting words you came across in articles this week). In the final weeks of the semester, you’ll refine your 10 entries so that they communicate a clear exploration and deliver a website that houses all of them together. You might need to re-organize or add additional content to your container or entries to fully realize your idea.

Minimum Requirements

• The website and all the entries must be responsive (work on a variety of screen sizes).
• While each entry will be unique, there should be unifying visual components between them
• All hyperlinks must be functional
• Each week’s entry will make use of that week’s design focus
• You will make use of a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to communicate a story

Midterms

For Midterms, we will have a one on one meeting. At that time, you will present a refined iteration of your current collection. Prior to this meeting, you’ll chat with your fellow classmates about the following questions:

1. What is your theme? Has it evolved from the initial description?
2. How is the content communicating the theme? What about the design?
3. How would you describe the pacing of the collection so far? Does it feel considered? Can there be a moment for a dramatic break, or an acceleration?
4. Are there opportunities to establish a template or system to the design — if so, when, where, and how? Can we break the system mindfully to add interest?

You will also prepare a short written doc (one paragraph) that explains your collection’s theme so far and explains three other avenues you can explore for the remaining weeks of the semester.

Timeline

We’ll be adding to this collection over the course of the semester:

1. Entry due September 12
2. Entry due September 19
3. Entry due September 26
4. Entry due October 03
5. Entry due October 10

Revise and edit entries for Midterms, due October 17

6. Entry due October 24
7. Entry due October 31
8. Entry due November 07
9. Entry due November 14
10. Entry due November 21
11. Entry due November 28

Revise and edit entries for finals, due December 05

And we will review your final, completed collections during our last class! I’m looking forward to it.

Submit your entries in Canvas. These should always be done before the start of class on their due date. Any links added after we begin that session will be considered late, and we don’t accept late work.