DIGITALWRITING

WRT 302 | SPRING 2015

Schedule of Events (subject to change)

Jan. 13

What is Digital Writing? Introductions, syllabus, de8initions, tech inventories.

Why do we care?
For next class:
Read Manovich, The Interface, and post
comments to course blog.

Jan. 15

Unit 1: Interrogating
the Interface

Initial discussion of interfaces

For next class:
Read Rettburg, Ch1 and 2 and post comments to
course blog.
Send me your app preferences via email by
midnight on Sunday, 1/18.

Jan. 20

Jan. 22

Using interfaces to
represent ourselves.
Interface and genre.
Interface and ethos

Rhetorical aspects of interfaces.

For next class: Read Marwick, Self-Branding and post
comments to course blog.
For next Class: Read Davis, Triangulating the Self and
post comments to course blog.

Jan. 27

Screencasting

Basic platforms and principles for screencasting

Jan. 29

Screencast Production Come to class with a 1-2 page outline, storyboard, and/or
proposal that details what youll be doing for the project.
Well be conducting peer review and starting production.

Feb. 3

Accessibility

Basic principles of accessibility and interface affordance

Feb. 5

Peer Review

Feb. 10

Unit 2: Planning and

Launching a Website
Platforms and Purpose

Come with a completed draft of your screencast that is

ready for viewing and review.
Submission Deadline for Interrogating the Interface
screencast: 2/8, midnight
Come prepared to discuss your thoughts on platform
choices and ideas for publication.
Homework:
Finalize platform decisions.
Finalize topic selection.
Read Redish, Chapter 2. Post on course blog: your
topic, your purpose statement, and one persona.

Feb. 12

Feb. 17

Feb. 19

Feb. 24

Feb. 26

March 3

March 5

March
10-12

Platform Setup and

Further Persona
Development

Platform setup. Come prepared to peer-review your 8irst

persona. We will also discuss authorial ethos and
scenario development.
Homework, all posted to course blog:
A well-considered paragraph describing your
authorial ethos and reasoning for it
Two additional personas
Read Redish, 37-44 for next session and post
comments.
Scenarios and Content Come prepared to develop scenarios and discuss
Strategy
potential aspects of integrated content strategy. We wont
be studying social media per se in this class, but it may be
part of your overall strategy.
Homework:
Post three scenarios to the course blog
Read Redish, 45-60 for next session and post
comments.
Design: Getting Started Templates, add-ons, basic posting.
Draft your 8irst post; post between now and 2/23.
Read Redish, 73-88 for next session and post
comments.
Design: Branding
Site ethos: identi8ication/brand/tone.
Draft a basic description of your brand.
Draft your About page
Read Bound By Law for next session and post
comments.
Working with Images
Locating images, image quality, licensing, hosting.
Reading TBA
Working with Images,
Part Deux

Taking quality images, basic processing

Create two original images that youre proud of.
Process them appropriately and integrate them in
your blog in a way that you 8ind appropriate. One
of these images can be for your bio page, but the
other should be content or branding of some sort.
Read Redish, 271-289 for next session and post
comments.
Integrating Illustrations Other potential image types; integrating images as
content.
Make sure that each of your posts includes a well-
integrated image.
Draft a list of what information types your site
should include
Read Redish, 101-124 for next session and post
comments.
Spring Break
Spring Break

March 17

Organizing Content

March 19

Developing ancillary
pages

March 24

SEO, Style and Voice

March 31

Unit 3: Multimedia
Overview of Culminating Project
Production
Proposal Aspects
Final Project: Discovery Timelines and Milestones
Read for next session: Stockman, How to Shoot
Video that Doesnt Suck, 8-29 and post
comments.
Video
Basic Considerations, Intent
Read for next session: Stockman, How to Shoot
Video that Doesnt Suck, 30-54 and post
comments.
Project Proposal due by midnight 4/6
Video
Basic Video Planning
Read for next session: Stockman, How to Shoot
Video that Doesnt Suck, 195-227 and post
comments.
Video
Basic Video Editing
Read for next session: Krug, Dont Make Me
Think! (excerpt, PDF).
Usability Testing:
Developing quality testing procedures, elements of basic
usability reports
Fully prepare your usability testing materials.
Live Usability Testing
Come prepared to conduct live usability testing of blog.
This means protocols are complete, testing materials are
ready, and your site is as complete as possible.
Individual Conferences Open Lab
Individual Conferences Open Lab
Wrap-up
Final submissions due by midnight on May 4.

April 2

April 7

April 9
April 14
April 16
April 21
April 23
April 28

Basic information architecture and strategy. Categories,

tagging.
Using WriteMaps, develop a basic architecture of
your site. Refer to the requirements we discussed
in class. Post a link to the map and a justi8ication
for your choices on the course blog.
Read Redish, 157-187 for next session and post
comments.
Building out additional pages, user paths.
Fully draft two static pages for your site.
Read Redish, 197-226 for next sessionand post
comments.
Considering writing style in light of brand, ethos,
audience, and search engine optimization.
Post a consideration of ways that youll need to
revise or alter your style in the future. What are
your individual goals for your writing over the
rest of this semester?