Seniors,

Below are your tasks for the winter break in preparation for our meeting on Tuesday, January 21. Please take note that the Spring semester will be fast-paced, with a significant workload, so it’s essential to approach this break with intention and focus.

Over the break, please ensure that you stay self-directed and motivated, as this will set you up for success as we dive into the semester. We expect you to come prepared, having made significant progress on your work.

*Remember to refer to the Capstone 2025 prospectus to ensure that your project concept is aligned.

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GROUNDWORK:

+ On January 21st, be prepared to present documentation of your research (This should include visuals — images, photos, videos, recordings, music — that inform and inspire your topic and narratives).
+ Expand on the description, content & medium rationale of your 3 narratives
+ Preliminary sketches (concept sketches) for how you will design the “whole” or larger narrative, and its “parts” or individual narratives and the relationship between them.

1: Research

Further refine your project concept, content, and media.

The Cross-Media Final Deliverable included a refined Capstone didactic focused on one direction, based on feedback from Jennifer, Sophie, and me. Although you haven’t received formal feedback, you should refine based on the feedback from last semester & self-critique.

Continue gathering research materials. Aim for at least 20 sources, which may include:
+ Academic/Scholarly & Field Articles
+ Interviews
+ Books, Periodicals, and Essays
+ Image Research  – Images must be sourced from archives or library collections. You must be able to cite where you found the image, and why it is important.
+ Inspiration – Could include existing work or visual campaigns around the subject. Consider how this could inform your work.

If needed, reference again the Venn Diagram Post, to clarify your topic.

(No Wikipedia, no blogs, google searched images, or unverified content sources.)

Some Acceptable (Design) Sources: Eye on Design, Design Observer, Communication Arts, Eye Magazine, Wallpaper, It’s Nice That. Other Art, Architecture, Design & Academic Publications & Medium are acceptable. If you have questions about a particular source, please email us.

2:  Write
+ Revisit your preliminary Abstract. Adjust. Underline your thesis statement within the Abstract.
+ Define your three approaches and mediums for your Capstone project (2-3 sentences about each narrative and media to be used, and why – affordances).

3: Map
+ Conduct the mapping exercise to create a narrative arc from each of your narratives/mediums.
+ Format: Create an 18″x24″ artboard/file OR use a large sheet of paper – within which to conduct your mapping process. (Feel free to work by hand/off the computer and scan etc. in order to present this digitally.)
+ Mapping Instructions: http://acmgd.info/gd6/mapping-narrative-guide/