Digital Commons Network^™

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, …

Mapping Ms-Ptc Programmatic Core Competencies To Emerging Professionalization Standards: Are Our Students Fully Prepared?, Faye Newsham

Theses

This paper explores evaluation of graduate student preparedness for work in technical communication and emerging professionalization standards by way of an alumni survey. This paper argues that these core competencies can be evaluated and aligned and provides an example confirming both the New Jersey Institute of Technology Masters of Science in Professional and Technical Communication (NJIT MS-PTC) and the Society of Technical Communication (STC) Body of Knowledge (BOK) and core competencies used in STC certification. The study was conducted through the month of October 2013 and queried alumni of the NJIT MS-PTC program. This paper seeks to suggest a method …

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.

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 …

Wearther: An Ios Mobile Application For Women, Ting Kang

Theses

Have you ever wondered what to wear for the current weather and

later when you go outside you confirm that you were too optimistic

about your ability to endure the cold?

Wearther: an iOS Mobile Application for Women is an iOS Mobile

Application designed to help women choose the proper outfit that

matches the weather outside. It is an interaction design and visual

design project.

Unlike other dressing related application, "Wearther" is not a clothing

organizer or a fashion adviser. It is not a weather app either, although

it emphasizes weather. The concept of this project is to analyze real …

The Power Of Lyrical Protest: Examining The Rhetorical Function Of Protest Songs In The 2000s, Mary Elizabeth Quirk Cort

Theses

Until the late 1960s, serious scholarship involving the impact of popular music as political expression was lacking. Studies in rhetorical criticism tended to focus upon speeches, essays, and historical documents. Yet in the 1970s, protest songs were given more attention by scholars. However, this trend was not continued into the 2000s. By analyzing the ideological themes within the lyrics, this thesis examined the rhetorical function of protest songs performed during the 2000s. Functions identified include: historicizing a truth, using music and lyrics as a buffer to challenge a power structure, empowering the listener to overcome adversity, communicating a message to …

Axiom, Jon Fila, Peter Klinkon

Theses

Axiom is a short narrative video, using live-action and 3D computer graphics to re-interpret the Greek myth of Persephone through the framework of contemporary science-fiction. The aim of the video is to use narrative, approached from a design strategy that thematizes the representational role of 3D computer generated graphics, to raise questions in the minds of thoughtful viewers about the use of genetics and computer simulated worlds in the context of the vulnerable natural environment. The conceptualization of the video is explained, followed by a summary of the production pipeline, and finally an evaluation of the finished piece.

Veteran Identity And Gender Representation: A Critical Visual Analysis, Ruth Harvie

Theses

This study reveals struggles over gender and identity in the military and shows how representations embody cultural, political, and ideological tensions over the role of women in the military and society. A chronological series of Veterans Affairs (VA) posters communicate this over a thirty year period. Visual communication and the area of representation and identity have long been studied across multiple disciplines, but no studies exist that examine the VA images. A critical visual analysis with the application of semiotics and gender theory revealed that veteran identity is significantly different between representation of men and representation of women.

Why Run: A Website For New Runners, Irene C. Meyer

Theses

Running is one of the simplest forms of physical activity that a person can take part in, but can still seem daunting to someone who has never done it before. whyRun is a website that guides interested beginners, through a simple and easy user interface design, in the basics of the sport: Why they should get started, how to take those first steps, the different types of running, equipment needed, and how to stay safe and motivated.

I believe that running can genuinely change not only how a person

appears physically by getting a sedentary body into motion, but also …

I Am Pakistan, Shehzil Malik

Theses

I Am Pakistan is a project that aims to address the question of whether interaction design can be used to create human connections and foster the intrinsic motivation needed for becoming an agent of social change.

Pakistan is a country riddled with crippling problems such as poverty, illiteracy, terrorism and injustice. There is a need to make young people aware of proactive measures they can take to help change this dire situation.

Figures show that around 55% of Pakistani nationals are under the age of 25 with over 30 million Internet users in the population. This indicates that there is …

Design Genealogy, Casey Kelly

Theses

The importance of understanding and sharing graphic design history is under-appreciated. A few observations were taken into consideration regarding the sharing of design history information. Formats include content that is often text-dense and overwhelming. While great design history resources do exist, there is opportunity to develop a method for sharing design history that addresses these observations.

The Design Genealogy thesis project provides opportunity for the discovery of connections among designers and their work through a memorable, fun, and engaging learning experience. Its flexible format attempts to provoke inspiration, foster investigation, strengthen the retention of information, and encourage an eagerness to …

Understanding Effects Of Presentation On Concept Learning In Technology Supported Learning, Nivedita Singh

Theses

The world of technology has had a significant impact on learning and instructional domain. Today, a large number of devices and software are specifically designed to afford faster and effective learning and instruction. They have not only erased the physical boundaries to resources in education but have also helped create new interactions and engagements for learners and instructors. With this changed scenario, the content or instructional material also needs our attention to become usable and compatible with the changed learning styles and preferences of the learners today. Not only does the content need to seamlessly integrate with the delivery methodology …