Breaking the rules in interactive media design education


Oezcan O., Yantac A. E., O'Neil M. L.

DIGITAL CREATIVITY, vol.20, pp.115-124, 2009 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 20
  • Publication Date: 2009
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/14626260902868129
  • Journal Name: DIGITAL CREATIVITY
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.115-124
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In today's interactive media design it is difficult for a designer to create aesthetic innovations and to break free from ordinariness. The most important factor limiting interactive media design aesthetics is that education seems to be more focused on following traditional rules of interaction design rather than innovative approaches. These rules limit creativity and often relegate design students to producing ordinary interface solutions. This is especially burdensome for us as teachers. In order to address this problem, we developed an education model inspired by Lars von Trier's film Five Obstructions. We call this model 'breaking the rules'. In the 'breaking the rules' approach students produce, within a range of probabilities, design problem solutions in cases of total or partial visual/auditory/tactile obstructions. The most important outputs of the model are (1) to make design student think/look outside of the ordinary, (2) to produce unusual solutions, (3) to maximise design solutions with sound.