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Download the Presentation for the UCDA Conference, spring 2011
Abstract:
Motion design education is often an under-developed dominion of design curriculum, usually an elective course, sometimes housed in computer labs, taught by graduate students or junior level faculty members. While these courses have often been associated with long planning hours, tedious software exercises and inadequate formal results, they do carry significant value for the design students education. The trials and tribulations of teaching motion design can be unparalleled, but it can also be exciting and dramatic.
Integration of motion into a curriculum has exponential value as it can teach students systems thinking, research skills, and information design. We are entering an exciting time in graphic design, when motion, interaction and information are merging to form innovative new products and applications.
In my paper I will cover strategies for teaching motion design that go beyond the traditionally abstract principles and delve into contextual issues that mimic problems students will face as a new designer.
1. Incorporating stop motion as a means to teach editing, sequencing and information structure as students prepare "how-to" lessons
2. Developing a TV spot to advertise a film in order to teach narrative structure, interpretation, voice, expressive typographic and basic audio integration.
3. Creating informational and persuasive messages that focus on basic composition and communication.
Learning motion design doesn't just allow a student to create trendy You Tube videos. An understanding and familiarity with motion can help a designer anticipate movement and navigation through an interactive space, and a 3D environment. Designers with a clear understanding of motion can think in time, and are prepared to clearly communicate information in a way that is applicable to current technology. Finally I will discuss how motion understanding can broaden a designers ability and range, as they can draft scenarios, prototypes, and visually represent information layered sequences.