The Work of Art

Electronic Magazine Project

Due: Tuesday May 31st     

 

1. The culminating project this term will be a group generated electronic magazine.  This project will allow you to demonstrate your development in such areas as web design skills, writing and research abilities, and numerical understanding. The topic for each magazine will revolve around an particular art movement that is involved in advocating for social change.  You have already chosen both your groups (4-6 individuals) and the area you will look at in depth.

           

Here are some concrete steps and guidelines for the project.

 

• In order to accomplish this project it is absolutely essential to be organized, so you should make a concerted effect to be conscientious and deliberate about working together, defining your project, generating ideas, dividing up responsibilities, and holding one another accountable.  Teams should develop standards for attendance and participation, i.e., a group contract.  In addition, each member must take on specific roles and functions as they relate to the creation of the electronic magazine.  If any member of a team does not follow the agreements that are developed by the team or live up to his/her responsibilities, the team has the right to ask this person to step down from the team (after consultation with your mentor and myself) and that person will be responsible for creating their own e-magazine.

• The team as a whole should discuss and decide overall format and organization for the e-zine.  Note that while it is instructive to employ the metaphor of a traditional print magazine, an e-zine is quite different: it is much more a graphical medium, both in content and in the way it needs to be laid out; words an visuals need to be in a nearly equal balance; it is automatically slightly interactive and can be made more so; sound and dynamic visuals can be included; navigation cues need to be more clear and/or self evident; links to non-authored sources can be very important.  You need to think about this platform as a new kind of “performance” and how you want the viewer to move through that space.  Things that need to be included in the design are:

  • An initial cover/front page that sets the stage for the rest of the website

  • A consistent aesthetic design style and organized format

  • A clear directional movement through the webpage

  • A rich array of appropriate visuals and graphics

  • A relevant numerical representation of the conflict or issue

• At least one feature “article” from each member of the team of at least 1000 words of original text (approx. 4 double-spaced computer pages) drawing in identified resources. (You will need to cite consistently, i.e. either MLA or APA format throughout.)  These articles should educate on two fronts.  First, you need to educate the viewer on the social issue highlighted.  Second, you need to highlight the various types or kind of art that is being done and the purpose behind that art.  Taken together—and appropriately related to one another—these articles should address and cover the full spectrum of the social issue and the art associated with it.  I would strong suggest that as part of gathering information for your e-magazine, the group interview at least one key contact in the Portland area that could speak to either the social problem or the art being done to increase awareness.  If you need help finding these sources, please consult either your mentor or myself.

• The team should also include numerical/statistical/graphical data critical to understanding the social issue.  This could include a variety of data sets and the appropriate representation of this data in a variety of graphs as well as an accompanying explanation of this data.  This could be presented as a separate link/component or could be integrated into the feature “articles.”

• The group needs to think about this website as a further addition to the art movement and the awareness it is trying to raise.  How are you trying to impact your audience?  What action/change to you want to bring about by the production of this website? 

• Possible additional components of the e-zine might include (but are not limited to): reportage, opinion polls, interviews, book reviews, opinion pieces, editorials, resource databases, annotated bibliographies, links to relevant and reputable web sites, charts, maps, illustrations, graphs, statistics, historical studies, short fiction, poetry, artwork, cartoons

 

The E-Zines will be assessed along four major criteria:

1. Design            

2. Content

3. Referenced Sources

4. Appropriate Credits

 

Design includes the following:

• Functional layout,

  • One which can be visually and easily grasped

  • One that can be readily navigated

  • One that moves the viewer/reader through an “experience.”

• Colors that work together to create the desired effect

• Effective use of space

• Attention to shapes and forms

Content includes the following:

• Informatively defines the issue from all relevant position and voices

• Articulates and explicates the art associated with the issue in an interesting and interactive manner.

• Includes direct research gathered through a community link/action.

• Includes critical information in appropriate numerical and/or graphical form

• Well structured and organized—cogent, coherent and logical

• Links to additional on-line sources

 

 

Referenced Sources includes the following:

• Provides appropriates credits for outside authors and sources—in writing, for numerical data, for images, for interviews….

Appropriate Credits includes the following:

• Identification of the authors of the e-zine

• Clear identification of individual contributions of members—writing, design, organization etc.

 

Graded Components and Weighting:

            Individual Write Contribution                        5%

            Layout, Content, Design                    15%

             (including numerical component)

            Presentation of E-Magazine               5%

            Group Assessment of

                        Individual Members                10%

 

For examples of past electronic magazines, please check out the following websites.  They are not same the topic but should give you some ideas of the possibilities.

 

http://monopause.yolasite.com/

http://coaltrains.weebly.com/

www.wix.com/teresauv/thenuclearoption

http://floriselah.wix.com/dairy-farming

atpargett.wix.com/savingsealions