Reading and Writing Electronic Text (ITPG-GT 2778)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Fri

This course introduces the Python programming language as a tool for reading and writing digital text. This course is specifically geared to serve as a general-purpose introduction to programming in Python, but will be of special interest to students interested in language and computer-generated text. Among the topics we’ll discuss are: the history and aesthetics of computer-generated writing in literature and the arts; computational linguistics; ethics and authorship in the context of computer-mediated language; poetic structure and sound symbolism; performance and publishing. Programming topics covered include: data structures (lists, sets, dictionaries); strategies for making code reusable (functions and modules); natural language processing; grammar-based text generation; predictive models of text (Markov chains and neural networks); and working with structured data and text corpora. Weekly programming exercises and readings culminate in a final project. Prerequisites: Introduction to Computational Media or equivalent programming experience. Prerequisite: ICM

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Live Web (ITPG-GT 2734)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Mon

The World Wide Web has grown up to be a great platform for asynchronous communication such as email and message boards. More recently this has extended into media posting and sharing. With the rise of broadband, more powerful computers and the prevalence networked media devices, synchronous communications have become more viable. Streaming media, audio and video conference rooms and text based chat give us the ability to create content and services tailored to a live audience. During this course, we focus on the types of content and interaction that can be supported through these technologies as well as explore new concepts around participation with a live distributed audience. In this course, we look at new and existing platforms for live communication on the web. We leverage existing services and use Flash, PHP, AJAX and possibly Processing/Java to develop our own solutions. Experience with ActionScript/Flash, PHP/MySQL and HTML/ JavaScript are helpful but not required.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

The New Arcade (ITPG-GT 2063)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Thu

With platforms like Steam and Itch.io making independent games more accessible to the public, we’re starting to see a movement toward physical installations of indie games as well. The New Arcade pays tribute to arcade cabinet designs of the 80’s and 90’s, but infuses them with new interfaces and digitally fabricated components. In this class, students will learn how to use the Unity game engine to design a simple arcade game. They’ll learn about aspects that separate an arcade game from other types of games, and interface their game with different kinds of hardware using microcontrollers. In the second half of the class, students will use Fusion360 to construct a new arcade experience using digital fabrication tools like laser cutters, and CNC machines. The class will culminate in a physical installation that showcases their game in a public gallery. Prerequisites: Physical Computing About Mark Kleback: https://wonderville.nyc

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Pro Capture (ITPG-GT 2065)

This advanced experiential production course will introduce students to the latest techniques for stereoscopic 360 video, manual 360 video stitching and depth map creation, camera-paired Depthkit volumetric video, and mixed-format photogrammetry. Techniques introduced in the class will presume some working knowledge of more basic forms of these capture methods as well as how to integrate them into Unity. Alongside an intense technical focus, the course will also deconstruct recent groundbreaking experiential works that utilize similar experimental production designs. The format of each class will combine lectures and workshops with the ultimate goal of introducing students to the expectations demanded by professional productions. All of the techniques introduced are being employed by top experiential creators and creative studios. The course will try to show viable paths for students to engage with immersive media pipelines, at an expert level, with an expanded sense of possibility and inspiration. Topics heavily examined throughout the course include: surveillance, race, socioeconomics, carceral capitalism and technoscience, algorithmic bias and oppression, and post-work societal structures.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 5 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2065-000 (23513)03/25/2020 – 04/29/2020 Wed12:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Niederhauser, Matthew

Intro to Design for Diversity: The Future of Design is Equitable Design (ITPG-GT 2062)

As demographics in consumer markets and the global labor forces shift rapidly, diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) designers are necessary in all facets of business, from product and service design, to organizational and business design. In this multimedia and interactive Intro to Design for Diversity™(D4D), students will be provided with critical thinking skills to begin viewing diversity, equity and inclusion as design processes necessary for the future wellbeing of humans. D4D is a design framework that marries design thinking with diversity, equity and inclusion best practices and frameworks to illuminate cultural and racial biases. D4D is not only a means to harm reduction, but also a way-finding tool for better business. Students will be provided with historical context and case studies of racially biased practices that are now prevalent in biased algorithms in tech, as well as the lineage of culturally biased media narratives and how that plays a central part in today’s design practices, as well as their negative impacts. Students will be provided with a shared language and the outline of the D4D framework’s 5 Key Areas to enable them to design away from dominant culture, and instead, design for all people.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
1 credits – 2 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2062-000 (23284)02/20/2020 – 03/05/2020 Thu3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Gao, Boyuan · Mantin, Jahan

The Revolution Will Be Digitized (ITPG-GT 2064)

What is the relationship between American musician and poet, Gill Scott-Heron and cybernetics? Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not be Televised” was created in hopes to wake-up 1970’s America from complicity in societal oppression to then realize the revolution begins in your mind and something created through active participation, not passive media consumption. While, iterated forms of cybernetics also challenge the notion that “technology [or society] is self-correcting”, through fostering design thinking and systems theory through a meta-scale analysis of computational practices, essentially promoting being an observer of systems through conversation with process and feedback loops. Both ideologies center intention and holistic design within innovation — concepts vital to the equitable well-being of society in a technocratic era. In this course, students will explore the origins and history of the internet and HCI technologies as stemming from hippie communes, counterculture and warfare; survey historical and current social relations in the U.S.; study how these social relations have been replicated and embedded into everyday technologies; and consider potential futures in tandem with rapid technological advancements. We will study the works of pioneering designers and thought-leaders from Norbert Wiener, Stewart Brand, and Victor Papanek to Alondra Nelson and Ruha Benjamin. Phenomena discussed throughout the course range from the power of Black Twitter, the social media revolution of Egypt’s Tahrir Square, to cryptocurrency being used in bail reform. After in-depth historical analysis of societal structures, geo-political dissent, and algorithmic patterns, students will engage with futurism and speculative practices, techno-culture manifestos, and design and systems theory to develop a variety of research-driven projects. We will conclude with using both second-wave cybernetics as a design framework, and an anthropological lens to imagine, innovate and design more equitable technocratic futures. Topics heavily examined throughout the course include: surveillance, race, socioeconomics, carceral capitalism and technoscience, algorithmic bias and oppression, and post-work societal structures.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 8 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2064-000 (23447)01/27/2020 – 03/23/2020 Mon12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Melenciano, Ari

Intangible Interaction (ITPG-GT 2055)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue

This course will focus on researching, designing, and defining Intangible Interactions together, and unveiling artistic potential in it. Intangible interactions are those that we engage in without involving direct physical contact. Some examples would be automatic toilets, shopping carts that stop rolling outside the shop, contactless thermometers, gesture-based interactions, theremin, artwork activated by your presence, and mid-air haptic experiences. Intangible interfaces don’t have a tangible form that explicitly instructs us how to interact with them, and these interactions utilize other forms of feedback than those we feel through touch. Hence, Intangible Interactions tend to be more nuanced rather than direct, and the system is intricately designed to read your intentions using sensors. While technologies used for intangible interaction–such as computer vision and sensors are now more available and accessible, knowledge around the design and implementation of effective intangible interactions is a much less explored subject. We will explore practical, artistic, and whimsical applications of intangible interaction and look at the ways it can enhance human-computer interactions in our everyday lives. For example, it can allow new ways to interact with educational exhibits, artifacts, and artworks. We will explore intangibility as a poetic medium that can open up possibilities for creating work that challenges human senses and perception. We will discuss what are cultural and social implications that we need to consider in designing intangible interactions—what does it mean for an interaction to be “intuitive” and what are some of the assumptions that are embedded into designs that we need to challenge? You will also be introduced to working with sound frequencies that are outside the hearable spectrum to create mid-air haptic feedback. Technical topics that will be discussed in the class include: non touch-based sensors including optical sensors; proximity sensing; presence detection; optimizing sensor readings on Arduino; extending capability of sensors with light pipes and lenses; body tracking with cameras; signals outside visible spectrums; environmental sensing; mid-air haptic. Assignments will include relatively small-scale production assignments, labs, thinking, ideating, and reading. For the final project, you will be prompted to conceptualize a project that is larger than a classroom scope. You will respond to a call-for-projects with a proposal along with a solid prototype for the project so you have fully fleshed materials to apply to resources such as grants and other opportunities in the near future. I want you to think big and equip yourself with practical and essential skills to build a sustainable art or design practice! A proposal writing workshop and structured peer reviews will be provided to support this process. Tags: intangible, interaction, artistic, poetic, physical, sensors, physicalcomputing, haptic, hci, research, art, design, environment, playful, fun, proposalwriting

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Tangible Interaction & Device Design (ITPG-GT 2061)

Tangible interfaces are interfaces that you touch. You control them with your hands, feet, and other body parts. Their shape, feel, and arrangement provide feedback. This is where interaction design meets industrial design. In this class, you’ll design, program, and build devices with tangible controls in order to better understand how humans understand and control technical systems through our sense of touch. We’ll discuss physical interaction concepts such as expressive interfaces and utilitarian ones, real-time control vs. delayed control, and implicit vs. explicit interactions. You’ll learn programming and electronic techniques to sense state change, thresholds, peaks, and other signs of user action. You’ll also learn how to design, shop for, and construct housings for the devices you build. On the electronics side, the primary tools will be the microcontroller and common tangible controls: pushbuttons, switches, rotary encoders, rotary and slide potentiometers, force sensors and touch sensors. The class will also cover on-device feedback through LEDs, speakers, and force-feedback actuators. On the fabrication side, you’ll work with the tools of the shop and XXX CAD program. You’ll design and build four projects in the course of the semester. Projects will be designed (and parts specified). Projects will build on the skills learned in Intro to Physical Computing and Intro to Fabrication. Prerequisites: Intro to Physical Computing and Intro to Computational Media, or a working knowledge of microcontroller programming in Arduino; Intro to Fabrication or basic knowledge of laser cutter.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2061-000 (23076)01/27/2020 – 05/11/2020 Wed9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Igoe, Thomas · Light, Benjamin

Math for Artists (ITPG-GT 2058)

In this class students will learn math tools to boost their digital practice, fix common problems, and understand the math behind our human perception of the physical world. This course spans different branches of math including geometry, linear algebra, logarithmic thinking, and statistics as they relate to a programmer making digital art with our contemporary media ecosystem. The aim of this course isn’t to become calculators, rather strengthen our intuition through historical and ethnomathematics perspectives and foster a new relationship to math. The prerequisites to this class are basic arithmetic skills and an introduction to programming. We will create applications using free and open-source software, including Python and p5.js.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2058-000 (23070)01/27/2020 – 05/11/2020 Thu6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Kraft, Robert

Data and Publics (ITPG-GT 2053)

In this course, we’ll investigate two closely related ideas: public data and data publics. We’ll learn how to access and represent data from an assortment of existing public data sources, how to liberate currently obfuscated data sets, and how to create our own useful/whimsical/critical APIs from scratch. We’ll also investigate the act of putting data into public space – through sculpture, projections, performance, and participatory interventions. Particular attention will be paid to methods which bring data back to communities from which it was collected, and to tactics which build grassroots literacies, respect local ways of knowing and reinforce capabilities for stewardship and sovereignty.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 12 Weeks

Artist’s Life (ITPG-GT 2057)

This class will introduce the basic skills and resources required to pursue a career as an artist. Students will learn the day to day tasks of working artists, such as writing critically about their own work, drafting grant proposals, and planning the business administration of their studios. They will also learn how to balance commercial and experimental projects, collaboration and community work, and teaching and studio practice. They will engage in the critical text about ethical dilemmas of working with art institutions, corporations and academia. By the end of class, students will write a personal statement, update an art portfolio, and apply for an artist residency. While the class will focus on contemporary art and artists, students who are interested in other disciplines may benefit from learning about entrepreneurship, authorship and cultural industry.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 12 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2057-000 (23266)01/30/2020 – 04/23/2020 Thu12:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Choi, Taeyoon

Designing the Absurd (ITPG-GT 2052)

Inspired by the Japanese art of Chindōgu, this class will introduce a playful and whimsical approach to learn industrial design. In this 14-week studio format class, students will develop gadgets, inventions, and electronic devices that present absurd solutions to problems, while learning concepts and techniques of design ideation, prototyping, model making, CMF (color, material, and finishes), and manufacturing. This is a production heavy four-credit course, where students will learn about industrial design and tangible interactions. Prerequisite: Intro to Phys. Comp. (ITPG-GT 2301)

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)


ITPG-GT 2052-000 (15716)09/05/2024 – 12/12/2024 Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Galvao Cesar de Oliveira, Pedro

In and Out of Reality: Integrative Mixed-Reality (XR) Studio (ITPG-GT 2060)

There is a substantial gap between what AR/VR is capable of today and the future that enthusiasts envision. The hardware is progressing, yet there are lack of design tools and methodologies. Effective augmented and virtual reality games and experience require good storytelling, animation, production and solid graphics. Students will learn a myriad of processes including spatial interface design, volumetric capture, working with spatial audio, porting animations and game programming. This course presumes no prior knowledge and is intended to jump start a career in AR/VR development and interaction design. The goal is to have relevant portfolio projects for entering industry. Students will create content in Unity 3D to agnostically deploy on headsets, mobile phones or tablets. Students will have access to a wide range of available hardware. In the beginning of the course, students will learn to implement the most important AR/VR interaction concepts – concepts such as selection, manipulation, travel, wayfinding, menus and inputting text in Unity3D. In the latter part of the course, students will implement prototypes that will be periodically critiqued by experts at Oculus, Magic Leap, Google, and other top companies. *You do not need to be a programmer. This is intended for students interested in 3D art, interaction design, sound design and game development. All are important for immersive development*

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Machine Learning for Physical Computing (ITPG-GT 2050)

With Machine Learning models are getting smaller, and microcontrollers are getting more computing power, Machine Learning is moving towards edge devices. This class explores the idea of how machine learning algorithms can be used on microcontrollers along with sensor data to build Physical Computing projects. In this class, we will learn about TensorFlow Lite, a library that allows you to run machine learning algorithms on microcontrollers. We will talk about common machine learning algorithms and techniques and apply them to build hands-on interactive projects that enrich our daily lives. Students will learn to use pre-trained models, and re-train the models with sensor data. We are going to talk about Image Classification, Transfer Learning, Gesture and Speech Detection. For each topic, we will first discuss its history, theory, datasets, and applications, and then build simple experiments based on the topic. Prospective students are expected to have taken Introduction to Physical Computing and Introduction to Computational Media course, or have equivalent programming experience with Arduino and JavaScript.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2050-000 (22889)03/24/2020 – 05/05/2020 Tue6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Shi, Yining

Critical Communications (ITPG-GT 2056)

The ways in which we communicate has changed radically in the last 100 years. As the communication systems we use have increased in complexity, so has the effort it takes to understand how they work. Most of us use protocols like LTE, HTTP, TCP/IP, and BLE every day. We take them for granted, almost like we do the laws of nature. But there are more than the laws of physics, more than techniques of engineering, embedded in the design and implementation of our protocols of communication. To understand their role in our lives, we need to look into the societal and economic contexts in which they came to be. In this class, we will examine communication protocols using Raspberry Pi’s, Arduinos, Software Defined Radios, and other connected devices. We will look closer at organizations like iSOC, ICANN and IEEE to better understand how protocol designs are implemented and standardized. Through readings, research and hands-on work we will build an understanding of how these protocols work, how their designs incorporate the physical, technical, cultural, corporate and political assumptions of the actors behind them. In the first half of the class readings and assignments will help familiarize students with some of the different protocols we rely on every day. In the second half, students will work in groups to investigate a communications protocol and consider its impact from a technical, societal and environmental perspective. Final projects will communicate their findings in whatever form students deem appropriate – explanatory blog posts, physical or digital installations, or even videos and podcasts.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2056-000 (22886)03/30/2020 – 05/11/2020 Mon6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Mattu, Surya

Introduction to Synthetic Media (ITPG-GT 2054)

Generative machine learning models open new possibilities for creating images, videos, and text. This class explores the idea of how artists, designers and creators can use machine learning in their own design process. The goal of this class is to learn and understand some common machine learning techniques and use them to generate creative outputs. Students will learn to use pre-trained models, and train their own models in the cloud using Runway. For each week, we will discuss the history, theory, datasets, application of the machine learning models, and build experiments based on the model. In addition to Runway, we will be using JavaScript libraries like the p5.js, ml5.js, and TensorFlow.js, and software like Photoshop, Unity and Figma. Students are expected to have taken ICM (Introduction to Computational Media), or have equivalent programming experience with Python or JavaScript. A list of ML models we will be covering: Image generation: StylanGAN: https://github.com/NVlabs/stylegan BigGAN: https://github.com/ajbrock/BigGAN-PyTorch Style Transfer Fast-style-transfer: https://github.com/lengstrom/fast-style-transfer Arbitrary-Image-Stylization: https://github.com/tensorflow/magenta/tree/master/magenta/models/arbitrary_image_stylization Semantic Image Segmentation/Synthesis Deeplab: https://github.com/tensorflow/models/tree/master/research/deeplab Sapde-coco: https://github.com/NVlabs/SPADE Image-to-Image Translation: pix2pix: https://phillipi.github.io/pix2pix/ pix2pixHD: https://github.com/NVIDIA/pix2pixHD Text Generation LSTM gpt-2: https://github.com/openai/gpt-2

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2054-000 (23367)01/31/2020 – 03/13/2020 Fri9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Shi, Yining

All Maps Lie (ITPG-GT 2049)

Introduction to Critical Mapping and Open Source Geospatial Web Analysis and Visualization is an introduction to critical perspectives in cartography and geospatial information systems and web technologies. This course will introduce students to the foundations of geographic data analysis and visualization, grounding practical studio based exercises and projects with critical readings and theory. Students taking this course will gain an appreciation for geographic thinking, learn to ask geographic questions, and apply basic methodologies to “make sense” of geographic data. The course will be conducted with open source geographic information systems and web technologies. Students are not expected to enter the class with knowledge of these tools, but will be expected to learn and apply them through studio exercises and project briefings.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
2 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2020)


ITPG-GT 2049-000 (22872)03/30/2020 – 05/11/2020 Mon6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at Brooklyn CampusInstructed by Lee, Joseph K

Motion Design for User Feedback (ITPG-GT 2059)

Credits: 1
Duration: 1 Day
Dates:

Microinteractions are everywhere, you interact with them on a regular basis. Animated emojis, heart buttons that burst with love when you tap them or password fields that shake when you type in the wrong password – these are the tiny animations that produce delightful moments while providing users with valuable feedback. They can intuitively guide your users without having to explicitly write a set of descriptive rules. They are the soul and character of your interface, and if crafted well they can turn every interaction to a joyful moment while improving the user experience. Using Adobe After Effects and Lottie as our primary tool, we’ll learn how to design, animate and export playful SVG animations as interactive components. We’ll examine the basic principles of UI motion, cover how to create loopable animated states with fluid transitions between them.

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
1 credits – 1 Day

Experiments in Augmented Reality (ITPG-GT 2037)

Is augmented reality technology about to enter the mainstream? AR platforms have finally become widely accessible to artists, designers, and technologists thanks to recent advances in mobile performance and a new collection of powerful computer vision techniques. As such, the medium offers rich possibilities for experimentation and a chance to rethink how we experience the intersection of the physical and digital. In this course, students will acquire an understanding of basic concepts and techniques necessary to prototype and build simple AR experiences – with a consideration of not just visual but also aural AR. We’ll supplement practical exercises with an overview of the history of AR, and discuss the ethical, legal, and societal considerations cropping up around this topic. Our tool of choice will be Unity, but we will go over prototyping techniques outside of the platform to speed up the design process. If there is interest, we will cover how to get started building projects in openFrameworks, mobile, or web AR – and discuss why or when you might want to work within other platforms. Even though code samples will be provided, students are highly encouraged to have a basic understanding of Unity or at least have taken an introductory programming course. A working knowledge of Unity can be gained through Unity tutorials (https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials) or Lynda (https://www.nyu.edu/lynda).

Interactive Telecommunications (Graduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2021)


ITPG-GT 2037-000 (22657)09/02/2021 – 12/14/2021 Mon6:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at OnlineInstructed by