Digital Commons Network^™

Stuff: The Abandoned Land An Interactive Sustainable Role-Playing Game, Chien-Ju Peng

Theses

Stuff: The Abandoned Land is an interactive role-playing game web application

designed to help teenagers and young adults understand environmental

destruction and the importance of recycling and reducing waste. We are part

of the production and consumption cycle but we can instead change our

consumptive behavior in order to create a better future. This web application

is designed for teenagers and young adults, ages 15 to 24. By developing

an engaging interactive game application, we intended to focus the target

audience's attention on serious environmental topics.

The story begins with the main character, Kevin, who questions the worth of

life …

Visual Guidance: A Universal Wayfinding Symbol System Prototype For Art Museums, Rui Ma

Theses

Wayfinding is very important for travelers. One example is, communicative symbol systems used at international airports. Art museums also need to employ visual guidance to help people effectively navigate the space.This prototype project involved designing a universal wayfinding symbol system for art museums based on art movements and geographic regions. The objective of the project is to make wayfinding easier for international museum visitors using visual guidance.

The subject was selected through research and discussion with the thesis advisors. The refinements were made based on feedback from diverse audience of users and students at Imagine RIT.

The project has two …

2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin, Rochester Institute Of Technology

RIT Digital Archives

No abstract provided.

2015-2016 Graduate Bulletin, Rochester Institute Of Technology

RIT Digital Archives

No abstract provided.

Tidy Guide – A Beginner’S Guide To An Organized Home, Katie Hollenbeck

Theses

Search for "how to organize" on the web, and you will be inundated with endless resources. Organizing information is everywhere, making the task seem intimidating. For my thesis project, I sought out to create an interactive, instructional, web-based application that would coach users on how to organize objects within a specific space. My goal was to create a unique, visual, creative solution - one that did not already exist on the web, and one that would become an important tool for users who were seeking organizing assistance and advice. Not only did I intend the application to be unique, visual, …

Sustainable Packaging Design Visually Explained Guidebook Prototype, Sara Almudhaf

Theses

As the fields of graphic and packaging design continue to evolve, it is important to keep their applications sustainable and green. Unaware graphic and packaging designers need to have an easy-to-comprehend source of information about sustainability. Developing an educational information graphics guidebook prototype has potential to serve as a unique tool for understanding the need for sustainable packaging design. The purpose of it is to eases the understanding of a complex system and enables users to discover relationships and connections among design, economy, environment, and society.

This prototype project involved designing a comprehensive sustainability symbol set where no satisfactory symbol …

Restoring Fort Frontenac In 3d: Effective Usage Of 3d Technology For Heritage Visualization, Mitsuyoshi Yabe

Theses

My thesis is composed of three elements: 3D modeling, web design, and heritage visualization. My goal is to use computer graphics design to inform and create an interest in historical visualization by rebuilding Fort Frontenac using 3D modeling and interactive design. The final model will be integrated into an interactive website to learn more about the fort's historic importance. It is apparent that using computer graphics can save time and money when it comes to historical visualization. Visitors do not have to travel to the actual archaeological buildings. They can simply use the Web in their own home to learn …

Exploring Feng Shui: A Real-Time Learning Experience, Yue Fan

Theses

Exploring feng shui: The 3D Real-time Experience is an interactive 3D design project that introduces daily feng shui tips to college students, office workers, and anyone who wants to learn how feng shui can enhance their lives. This project uses Web GL technology that runs on any computer with an up-to-date, modern browser. The user flow is a simple four-step process: "listen," "observe," "find," and "solve." This is how feng shui masters help people figure out their problems. It is an engaging practice because users become actively involved in the whole problem-solving experience. My goal for this project is to …

I'M Listening With Dabdoop: A Phonological Stimulation App For Arabic Preschoolers, Manal Alyaba

Theses

Recognizing the sounds around us is the first step humans take to develop reading skills. Children who are at risk of dyslexia have a weakness in differentiating between sounds that make up our language. Testing for phonological awareness, a crucial part of reading development, can aid in detecting dyslexia. English speaking children have the luxury of being able to access varied programs designed to promote phonological awareness, knowledge of which, in turn, can assist as an early intervention instrument for dyslexia. In Saudi Arabia there are no programs that exist to detect dyslexia in children at an early age. The …

Typography For Non-Designers, Caitlyn Redden

Theses

Understanding typography is an essential part of visual communication. Typography communicates the message of the design. I plan to create a piece that will inform the non-designer about the basic rules of typography in a quick and engaging motion graphics animation.

With the expansion of the digital world, design has become accessible to anyone with an internet connection through software applications and tutorials. Even with these tools, there is a significant lack of design knowledge available. I will guide the audience through concepts that are most often used inappropriately. The concepts include: alignment, grid structure, hierarchy and typeface choice.

Unfolding Thailand: Tourism Promoted By 3d Motion Graphics, Nonthawan Pisessith

Theses

Unfolding Thailand is a project that aims to bring a new approach in introducing the country as well as promoting the tourism. My specific scope of this project is to create a visual representation of popular destinations from the northern, central, and southern areas through the use of 3D motion graphics. These three of the six regions in Thailand are chosen because they vary in geography, have a very distinctive characteristic and most importantly, they are the most popular vacation destinations for locals and tourists alike.

Gesture Recognition Using Hidden Markov Models Augmented With Active Difference Signatures, Himanshu Kumar

Theses

With the recent invention of depth sensors, human gesture recognition has gained significant interest in the fields of computer vision and human computer interaction. Robust gesture recognition is a difficult problem because of the spatiotemporal variations in gesture formation, subject size, subject location, image fidelity, and subject occlusion. Gesture boundary detection, or the automatic detection of the onset and offset of a gesture in a sequence of gestures, is critical toward achieving robust gesture recognition. Existing gesture recognition methods perform the task of gesture segmentation either using resting frames in a gesture sequence or by using additional information such as …

The Homeless Bird: A Motion Graphics Narrative About Deforestation And Animals., Kyle Griffin

Theses

The Homeless Bird is a short animated story expressing the loss of homes for wildlife due to the destruction of habitats such as deforestation. With the loss of natural habitats each year, many animals have to migrate to areas that are unfit to provide for them. The main goal is to draw attention to this problem and to help encourage the audience to act.

The project concerns the combination of practicing motion graphics design theories and experimenting with available computer graphics integration technologies. The final piece is a 2:55 minute visual story that combines both a fantasy and realistic setting.

Nowhere: A Kinetic Typography Motion Graphic About The Pursuit Of Happiness, I-Cheng Lee

Theses

nowhere is a motion graphic project that expresses my personal journey of pursuing happiness. To be happy or not happy, people have the choices of their own lives and thoughts. This project shows that positive thinking could lead to better lives through my example.

A short poetic script on how I realized happiness in my life will be expressed in this project through visuals and composition. Every stylized sentence has a particular connection with the inspiring visuals and transitions. The intent of the piece is to install the viewer with the power of positive thinking by reading the poem with …

Forword: A Study On An Interactive Learning Environment In Foreign Language, Christina A. Curtis

Theses

With constant advances in technology, the world becomes a smaller community each day. In line with its reputation as a cultural melting pot, children of immigrants are the fastest growing student population in the United States today. It's clear that the U.S. needs a strong approach in language education; one that can keep pace with our potential and our lives. Technology can be used to foster student collaboration and shared learning experiences, thereby increasing learner interest, motivation and learning outcomes. ForWord aims to use interaction design in foreign language education to meet this need. ForWord has four main goals: provide …

Using Motion For Educational Information Design Max’S Story: Teenagers With Type1 Diabetes, Wenyu Ouyang

Theses

Today, some younger people are suffering from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, leukemia, and depressive disorder, which are some of the most significant concerns in the world. In spite of advancements made by modern science and technology, some chronic illnesses still last a lifetime, such as Type 1 Diabetes, known as T1D. In this situation, positive attitudes and correct understanding of the disease is extremely important in educating children how to manage their condition.

There are some excellent educational materials with a large quantity of text, which are good for parents to read. At the same time, there are picture …

Preserving Han-Ok: Reimaging The Korean Traditional House For Today Using 3d Design, Haiden Park

Theses

The purpose of this thesis project was to preserve the traditional elements of Han-Ok in the modern architecture in Korea. I have integrated traditional Korean design elements into modern architecture. I also solved the problems that the Han-Ok currently faces. This topic is important because a lot of the traditional culture has been disappearing within the current Korean society. Of all the aspects of Korean traditional culture, the Han-Ok, the Korean traditional house itself, is very important. A lot of Korea's culture is represented in the Han-Ok, but people think this type of architecture is unnecessary and uncomfortable, and because …

The Use Of Visual Metaphors In Print Advertisements, Lisa M. Janos

Theses

This study examined advertisements in which metaphorical comparisons were made between cosmetic/beauty products and food. The purpose was to identify what rhetorical themes emerged among the advertisements and to determine if the visuals could provide sufficient content for a marketing message. Twelve images from four companies were chosen. An analysis was performed on each through the application of visual semiotics. Findings indicated that a visual metaphor approach can deliver involved rhetorical marketing messages to the viewer. The theme of indulgence was clear among the ads and the comparison of cosmetics to food suggested that the product should become part of …

Mood Watcher: Interactive Visual Guide To Increasing Awareness Of Mood Disorders, Ziyan Han

Theses

Mood disorders are the extremely negative situations of mood that cause dysfunction in people's lives. There are a number of guides currently on the market (E.g., mood disorder self-help books, websites...) to help people with this problem, but their content is usually not customized enough to deal with each user's particular situation. In addition, the formats include content that is often text-dense and overwhelming. While there are great resources of personal mood disorder tests, suggested actions, and information about professional help, there is an opportunity to create a guide that connects these resources with a better designed format so that …

Toy Library: Nurturing Talent-Learning Through Play, Prachi Kapadia

Theses

The concept of the Toy Library originated during the Great Depression, when it was noticed that children were stealing toys, as they could not afford to buy them. Due to the concern of rising theft, a library was started where children could borrow a wide variety of toys. It also helped to encourage the values of honesty, responsibility and good citizenship. Since then, many toy libraries have sprouted across the United States. The concept, however, is not prevalent in other countries around the world. Hence, many people are, as yet unaware of its benefits, which include, providing an environment of …

East To West: An Interactive Journey Through Posters From 1940 To 2010, India And Usa, Sukhada Apte

Theses

Culture affects design decisions and design in turn affects how culture evolves.

For centuries, societies have migrated around the globe, taking elements of their design and culture with them in the forms of art, musics, tools, and textiles and picking up new design forms as they moved. Most societies today are a mix of many cultures, and an analysis of their design history reflects the evolution of those cultures. We see influences of far away places in design that comes out of our own backyards. The United States of America is a rich cultural and design experience for a foreign …

Online Social Communities Through The Lens Of Polyvore, Maansi Aurora

Theses

Traditionally, people used the Internet for simple interaction within the communication sphere.With the introduction of social media platforms the online world has become more interesting as consumers are using them to create, share, and discuss over the Internet. The growing popularity of the social online communities is bridging the gap between consumers and brands by providing them with a platform to communicate with each other. This study visually analyzes Polyvore, a social shopping online community. It sheds light upon how members use Polyvore in different ways, the hedonic motivations associated with shopping online, and the way in which an online …

Adinkra, Claudia Owusu-Sampah

Theses

Watson (n.d) describes Symbols as a representation of something other than what they actually are. Generally, they are based on conventionally agreed upon meanings, but unlike signs, which usually stand for something concrete, symbols usually stand for something less visible or tangible than the symbol itself.

The civilization of Egypt was symbolically oriented to a degree rarely equaled by other cultures. It was through symbols (hieroglyphics) that the Egyptians represented and affirmed many of their ideas, beliefs and attitudes regarding the nature of life, death, the supernatural and reality. (Watson n.d)

Symbols often depict aspects of reality or ideas that …

This Is Bouyon: An Exploration Of Dominica’S Own Genre Of Music, Garford Alexander

Theses

Bouyon music is a mixture of rhythms, melodies, and musical styles from

genres, such as Soca, Zouk, and traditional genres native to Dominica, a

small island nation located in the Caribbean Sea. The music is one of the

most popular musical genres in Dominica, and one of the Caribbean's

best-kept secrets. As Dominica is one of the lesser-known islands, this

genre of music is unknown to much of the world outside of the West Indies.

My project aims to document the history, and create awareness for Bouyon

music. Using firsthand interviews with the creators of the genre, footage of

performances, …

Travelmacedonia: A Solution For The Discovery Of Macedonia As A Place Of Travel, Violeta Mangovski

Theses

TravelMacedonia is a thesis, which explores the relationship between interactive design and marketing. Both are studied in respect to create an improved marketing system for Macedonia's tourism, as it is under discovered. A website and app prototype are created in order to meet the goal of increasing awareness of Macedonia and desire to travel there. This topic is relevant to the field of design because of its importance in making the retrieval of information not only accessible, but also to provide this information in an easily accessible and readable way.

The website is designed to surprise users of how interesting …

World Warrior, Dan Farruggia

Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to research the design elements of three of the most recognizable armors in world history (the Samurai, the Knight, and the Viking) and adapt them for futuristic character designs for my own fictious real-time computer game called World Warrior. Much like the command and conquer game Age of Empires, players will pick from a vast range of civilizations, construct their own civilization, build an army, and destroy their opponents. It will take place far into the future, and in a time period where great civilizations such as the Byzantines, the Saracens, the Persians, …

Integrated Marketing Campaign For The Land Freeride Bike Park, David R. Royka

Theses

This thesis is an exploration in how a multimedia marketing campaign can effectively brand an actual bike park business in development. It is divided into three main promotional components, a brochure, a website, and a video. Through compelling imagery, carefully crafted text, and thoughtful design, they successfully communicate key messages, creating a memorable and lasting impression of the brand.

2014-2015 Graduate Bulletin, Rochester Institute Of Technology

RIT Digital Archives

No abstract provided.

Leave Prejudice Behind, Pei-Chen Chien

Theses

In this thesis, I strive to expose societal rules and regulations that constrict and restrict our social interactions in a way that promotes prejudice and xenophobia. Through interacting with the series of sculptures, viewers are given the opportunity to question these societal norms and start a process of self- reflection to truly understand the freedom that comes without prejudice. Interaction is the main element that ties the series of works together, to form a seamless journey of self-discovery. The following artists are discussed in relation to this series of work: Niki de Saint Phalle and Björk Guðmundsdóttir. Their art works …

Interactive Interpretive Ballet, Amara Chekwa

Theses

My thesis exposes users to interpretive ballet, using many aspects of computer graphics design, including 3D animation, interaction and graphical user interface design. The interactive work consists of dragging and dropping pre-rendered animated ballet moves to create a sequenced dance performance. The target audience is young girls, ages 7-13, who are interested in interpretive dance and/or ballet. As ballet consists of precise movement, my animation focuses more on interpretive dance movements that imply ballet, rather than mimic the actual precision of ballet moves. The model used for this project was constructed on a grant from the National Center for Women …