Homework and Assignment Descriptions -- see schedule for due dates

Assignments should be submitted as a zip file. All Processing files will need to be saved and zipped up. We will review this in class.
See specific dates on schedule page for weekly prompts & assignments.

for february
Assignment 1: Analysis of Personal Information Exchanges.
- A1a :: Step One:
Collect ALL your digital communications from a 72 hour timeblock (you can do longer if you need more data, but not shorter) and list them in a spreadsheet or some other organized manner. Find metadata categories for making sense of this data. In other words, you will not share the content of this data, but data about the data: time, date, location, medium etc. Are they: email, chat, twitter, social network sites, listserves, blogs, text messages and phone/voicemail? Make a list of the type of relationships (immediate family member, close friend, acquaintance, etc.) Make your own categories. Make a list of kinds of conversations and data exchanges you had; were they executables, coordinating a physical meeting, gossip, intimate or ...? Are the messages short or long? Classify the contexts (from bed, campus, class, cafe) and mood. A truly excellent work will conceive of new categories for classification and analysis in addition to the ones above. Label file A1a_lastname_firstname.filetype and email.

- A1b :: Step Two:
Begin visualizing your digital communications:
Visualize the digital communications you observed and recorded during your 72 hour time block. Use your written observations of patterns as a starting point; what is interesting to you about your observations? How can you represent and visualize what interests you? You might start with one platform or type of media, or one context like location or mood, and build from there. Consider creating icons for the messages that travel between sender and receiver, or state changes for sender and receiver based on the exchanges. If there is reciprocality, the message may mutate and change states as receiver becomes sender. You may use any design environment you are comfortable in, but keep in mind we may like to implement our designs in Processing at some point. You can approach these visualizations as mockups -- to be further elaborated upon in the next couple of weeks. Zip up files and label A1b_lastname_firstname.zip -- upload to course google drive folder.

- A1c :: Step Three:
Begin visualizing your analog communications:
Document your analog communications for a 24 hour time period. How do you communicate to drivers and bikers when crossing the street on foot, when ordering coffee in a busy shop, or late at night in a rough neighborhood. Consider vocal and non vocal communications. You may use the categories/ metadata that you used for your digital observations, but please also add new ones. Observe and make notes regarding how the categories change between A1a and A1c. Post your observations to the course blog. Once the observations have been noted and your 24 hours of observations are complete, begin to visualize your analog communications. Use your observational notes as a starting point and visualize three of your metadata categories. Use any design or programming environment familiar to you. Zip up files and label A1c_lastname_firstname.zip -- upload to course google drive folder.

All work, A1a through A1c, as well as all blog posts due by Monday March 09

- A1d :: Step Four:
tentative possibility of collaborating on a shared template in Processing.... To be discussed....

March/ April
Assignment 2: Visualize a network, visualize an ecosystem,
Assignment 2::
Step One::
2a) Visit one tree on the Oakland campus that is also on this map. Consider the categories for observation, and perhaps add some of your own. - leaf color/ health, number of branches, size, animals, humans and insects observed, etc. Make a list, label as A2a_lastname_firstname.filetype

Step Two::
2b) Consider how this list of data could be visualized. How would the data need to be massaged to created an informative visual? Do a sketch in a vector program or in Processing demonstrating your ideas. Another option besides the above is to download some of the raw data (from this link) and manipulate it as a csv file in processing....
** please note (3/29)** in order to see data from CCA Nature's Notebook, you will need to "become an observer" via the link on this page and set up an account -- when registering, under partner groups> colleges and universities, select "CCA Phenology Project."

Step Three::
2c)Do some research on representations of natural ecosystems. Find 5 visual examples of representations that you feel do an excellent representing how resources change and flow through a variety of species. Write a blog post about your findings. Include the links or images in your post so we can see what you have found. In your analysis, share what you feel is working and not working about these visualizations. What would you do differently?

Step Four::
2d) - How can the data structure we've developed in class inform your data visualizations? Working with your A2a drafts, or with one of the Processing files from last class, tighten up your visualizations and your data sets so that every aspect of the visual is informed by data.
- do one sketch that reflects quantitative data about a tree or trees, and one sketch that reflects an ecosystem of relationships between the trees, animals, humans, and other elements over time and seasons.
- how might these sketches be altered to show how climate change is affecting the data?
- zip up all work and label A2d_lastname_firstname.zip