Query

A website that transcribes an interview.

As we’ve said before, the web is nothing if not immense. Finding or making meaningful connections within it is not always obvious, or easy. Its systems often encourage talking but not understanding, brevity and not depth, and treat all communication at the same volume and in the same form. So while the web is inherently a community, it is not always one of personal connection.

It is also a medium of questions and answers, one of inquiry and information. **Think now of how you can use these tools past their basic form of call and response. There is a tyranny of anonymity in the web’s incomprehensible scale. Think of how you can seek individuality and interconnection within this, and how questions themselves can give you more than answers.

Interview

You will first conduct a conversation.

• This should be done with someone outside our class.
• Prepare at least five meaningful questions beforehand, as a guide.
• You do not have to adhere to them, though.
• The conversation should be substantial, but also not too long—think a half-hour dialogue (or content equivalent, in other media).
• You could—but do not have to—use our class, our readings, your projects, or our field as a subject or starting point. Remember, everyone swims in this water.
• The conversation does not have to be done in person, or synchronously.
• Your interview can take place and be transcribed in a format of your choice: text, audio, video, images, or some combination of these.

Website

You will then make a website that interprets this interview.

• Introduce us to the parties involved.
• Tell us when and how the interview was performed.
• Incorporate your conversation transcription, in whatever its form.
• The website should use media queries for a distinguishing structure—like print stylesheets, orientation, mobile/desktop layouts, etc.
• The experience should span at least two of these states/forms. Be intentional with your distinction—don’t just adapt the content.
• You can embellish and enliven the recording with other media.
• Have a favicon, as we do.

Students should make every effort to use the technical skills they’ve learned in the class up to that point, and of course, are encouraged to go beyond. However if code is presenting an insurmountable barrier—whether practically or conceptually—students may discuss alternatives with the instructor.

Considerations

• Could the interview itself introduce us to you/your subject?
• How can the nuances of your conversation be expressed and translated into interaction, layout, and through media?
• Is there a difference in content, between your two states?
• Do you indicate or tell the user about the divided form?
• How can you use these states to structure and inform our encounter of your dialogue?
• Consider what you might leave in or out of your transcription.

Schedule

• Week 9 (April 1): Introduce the project

• Week 10 (April 8): Interview presentations

• Week 12 (April 22) Week 11 (April 15): Work-in-progress review

  I swapped this with the Portfolio WIP date.

• Week 13 (April 29): Final project review

Thanks again to Tuan, as is custom.