IMA

Online – Non-Majors Only This online 7 week course focuses on applying the fundamentals of computer programming in JavaScript to interactive media projects. In particular it leverages the p5.js creative computing environment which is oriented towards visual displays on desktops, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The course is designed for students with a foundation level understanding […]

Energy is in everything, from the most ephemeral thought, to the rise and fall of civilizations and the evolution of the universe. Energy is the “universal currency” (Vaclav Smil) but also “a very subtle concept… very, very difficult to get right” (physicist Richard Feynman). It is precisely this combination of significance and subtlety that motivates […]

Beginning with the invention of paper, the paper craft movement has roots on all continents. This course is divided into several subject areas: the history of paper and paper making, paper folding, paper cutting, paper engineering, paper automata, and the contemporary DIY electronics and paper craft moment. Each subject area has associated readings, a short […]

This course is designed to provide hands-on experience with creative coding, physical computing, and machine learning to design alternative forms of taking, making, processing, and interacting with images for visual communication and creative expression. The forms and applications of emerging computational tools are explored weekly in technical tutorials and active workshops. These are informed by […]

Modern farming is built for monocultures with its large scale machines dispersing synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides and the collateral destruction of biodiversity and seasonal harvesting. Permaculture is agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient like the The Three Sisters Agriculture practice of Native Americans where three cops planted near each other are mutually […]

Assistive technology is a term that includes a wide variety of technologies for people with disabilities. This two-point survey course is designed to provide students with an overview of the field of assistive technology. Field trips, readings, and guest speakers will provide students with an understanding of current research and development as well as processes […]

The goal of this course is to develop the skills to translate information from its clinical definition of ‘facts provided’ to being a source of knowledge that is engaging and understandable. We will look at a myriad of historic and modern examples of how design has helped distill raw information into clear, coherent forms. We […]

This course is designed to provide an introduction to designing wearable for the head and face. It will also present an overview of interaction design for the body. The class will begin with an introduction to non-verbal communication through upper body adornment as well as gesture. Next, the class will move into an E-textile 101 […]

This course explores the elements of music through the lenses of computation and interactive design.Each of the five course units focuses on one element of music (rhythm, melody, timbre, harmony, and structure), approaching it from the perspective of music theory, computation, and design. For each element, students listen to examples from different periods and styles, […]

In this class, students will learn the history of divination, engage in the practice of divination, and speculate on what forms divination might take in a world where the human body, the social body, and even the cosmos(!) are digitally mediated. Starting with an understanding of ritual and folk culture, we will track the history […]

This course expands the students’ palette for physical interaction design with computational media. We look away from the limitations of the mouse, keyboard and monitor interface of today’s computers, and start instead with the expressive capabilities of the human body. We consider uses of the computer for more than just information retrieval and processing, and […]

This course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience working with media art centered around a specific topic, theme, or technology, as well as provide a critical framework for understanding the subjects discussed. The history and theory of the specific topic of media art is explored in a studio context consisting of experimentation, discussion […]

This course challenges how you use technology to tell a story. We will start with storytelling linear basics and progress towards non-linear storytelling and new media arts considerations. This course is helpful for participants who want more grounding in storytelling, want to strengthen their voice, and are interested in building worlds beyond the one we […]

This course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience working with media art centered around a specific topic, theme, or technology, as well as provide a critical framework for understanding the subjects discussed. The history and theory of the specific topic of media art is explored in a studio context consisting of experimentation, discussion […]