MEDIA DESIGN

COMU2120

Media design portfolio

ASSIGNMENT BRIEF

Type Designs

Weight 60 per cent

Format Document uploaded to Blackboard.

Each student should develop a media design portfolio that addresses a social issue. The portfolio has four parts:

1.    Design rationale: 1,000 words;

2.    Website content: 500 words plus two original images with captions;

3.    Website wireframe. A4;

4.    Poster: A4.

All components should be collated into a single PDF file for submission.

Design Rationale

The rationale should explain how you aimed to design meaningful communication about a social issue for a specific public. It should detail how and why decisions were made about content and form and should refer to course readings and other relevant sources to support your decisions. Do not cite lecture notes.

The rationale should be structured this way and use APA referencing style.

Overview: Outline the issue, audience and communications goal. Explain how you aimed to construct meaningful communication for the intended public.

Content: Detail the content. Explain what you produced and how the stories, webpage and poster  were designed to achieve your communication goals. Detail and justify your choices about narrative, interaction, words and images. Explain how the evidence you collected influenced design decisions. Explain where the poster would go and include a photograph (with caption) of the location.

Form.: Explain how you incorporated design principles such as composition, colour, typography, line etc. Describe the design elements and explain why they were chosen and how they aim to achieve your communication goals. Explain sources of inspiration or communication norms.

Tip: write the rationale last.

Website content

Produce the main content for a single web page about the social issue. The content may be journalistic or strategic in nature and may consist of a single story or multiple, smaller components. Include two original still images [photographs or graphics, no video] with captions. Include headlines [About six words, one of which is a verb].

Aim to write a story or some other type of content appropriate for your issue and your audience. Be creative: we don’t want to read background information that we could find ourselves. Address the issue from a novel perspective. You will have identified new opportunities in the Project Brief

Please note

•     Stories and images must be original. No third-party material should be used for this component. Write your own words, take photographs or design your own graphics.

•     Label each image with a word that relates to its position on the wireframe.

•     Primary and secondary sources should be cited in a journalistic style ie: as part of the   narrative eg: ‘a Department of Education report says …’ or ‘Joe Blogs, chief executive of Mega Bank, said …’ Refer to the School of Communication and Arts Style and Production Guide 2015.

•     If your content includes links to other sites, include these as an annotated list at the bottom of the stories: we cannot follow hyperlinks. However, please make sure the story makes sense and is complete without the reading following the link.

Wireframe

Design a single web page about the issue. The page should accommodate your original content (text and images) and indicate opportunities for interaction and engagement. It can be for desktop or mobile.

Do not include the main text and images on the wireframe. Use the wireframe to communicate how the content will be organised and how a user can engage with the issue. Use lines, shapes, labels, icons, and short annotations to explain the layout and functionality of the page.

Please note

•     Include headline text so we can see what story goes where. Label the image boxes with the word used in the content section.

•     The wireframe can extend over two A4 pages if needed.

•     You may use third-party images to indicate functionality. Any material must be available under a Creative Commons licence and properly cited (see below).

Software

We recommend using InDesign for the wireframe, although PowerPoint, Keynote, or online tools can be used.

Poster

Design a poster that addresses the social issue. The poster should have a single, clear message and should be designed for a public space. Do not create an infographic.

The poster should be visually arresting and informative. It may include text and images, or just text or images. Choices about colour, typography and images should be informed by the issue, audience and design principles.

You may like to link the poster to the web page in some way, although this is not a requirement. The poster may have a different goal or target audience to the web page. Explain the relationship between the two in your rationale.

The poster should be designed so it can be read from five metres away. You may use third-party images to support your design. Third-party material must not form a substantive part of the design. Any third-party material must be available under a Creative Commons licence and properly cited (see below).

Software

We recommend using InDesign and/or Photoshop for the poster, although PowerPoint and Keynote can also be used

Use of third-party material

Students are expected to use original material. Where third-party media is justified [and approved  by the course tutor], students must not breach copyright laws and must not use images or any other media produced by someone else without their permission.

Consult the booklet on Copyright and Creative Commons on Blackboard for guidance. If you use third-party images they must be available under a CC licence.

In any case, website content must be original. There is scope for third-party images or graphics in the poster and icons in the wireframe.

Using the work of others may be considered a form of plagiarism.

Document Structure

Organise your portfolio in this order:

•     Cover page: your own design; include a project title and your name;

•     Rationale: see suggested structure above;

•     Website content: start a new page for each component (stories and images);

• Poster;

•   References: List of primary and secondary sources organised alphabetically by component    ie: group separately those related to the rationale, web content and poster. Use APA style or other appropriate standard eg: CC licence. The reference list must include sources of documents cites, interview subjects, original images and any third-party material

Tips

•     You need to collate all your components into a single PDF document. Please experiment and seek advice early if you have trouble.

•     Software training is available via MaPS workshops or LinkedIn Learning online courses.

•   Classes are designed to support assessment. Print out your work in progress and bring it to class for feedback from teaching staff and each other

Referencing

•     APA and ABC style guide (for content).

•   Please do not use embedded hyperlinks: Blackboard strips these out.

Grading

Note: Late submissions are penalised at 10% per day. Extension requests must be made via my.UQ. See the ECP for further details.