Interactive Media Design Resources
It is essential that you arrange your own information stream in order to stay current with technology changes and design trends.
Find those resources that match your preferred learning style—listen to podcasts, read conversation in forums, watch video tutorials, follow leaders in the field, or expand your personal library of interactive media design books. Be sure to choose several to get started and then continue to add and remove information sources to suit your tastes and interests.
The important thing is to get started and put both feet in the information stream!
Diigo bookmarks
You'll receive an e-mail invitation to join the Art 307 group at Diigo—here are some of the tags available to get us started.
A few additional resources are highlighted here.
Tutorials
Self-paced, self-service tutorials available to UD students.
- W3 Schools, "the best things in life are free" is their slogan
- lynda.com, available free from computers in the Student Multimedia Design Center
- video101course, available free from computers in the Student Multimedia Design Center
Reference sheets and sites
- Dave Child's printable HTML Cheat Sheet and CSS Cheat Sheet
- SitePoint's HTML Reference and CSS Reference
- Elements of User Experience, (click on "original diagram"), by Jesse James Garrett
- Web design resources from the University of Minnesota, selections include:
E-mail newsletters
- About.com's Web Design newsletter delivers a worthwhile collection of timely articles.
- Before and After magazine covers specific design topics (PDF subscriptions are fee-based, but there are many free downloads at their site)
- Graphics Design Blender: Master the business of design – freelancing, client advice, business tips & more.
- Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox is sometimes controversial but always compelling and widely influential—subscribe and find out what everyone else is talking about.
- Pond5 is worth subscribing to just for the free videos and sounds of the month—start collecting now—but chances are you'll be back for the low cost, high quality media and AfterEffects contents.
- RevoStock is similar to iStockPhoto, but with an focus on video stock footage. Subscribe for the free videos of the month so you'll have material to practice with and to place in future projects.
- UI Design Newsletter from Human Factors International.
- Video Production Tips offers a few e-mail newsletter along with extensive info on current products
Forums
- 2-Pop, the digital film makers' resource site, has an excellent Apple Final Cut Studio forum.
Podcasts
- 10 moviemaking podcasts worth a listen: Take your moviemaking to the next level
- 28 Sites Producing Podcasts And Screencasts To Help You Grow As A Designer And Developer
Books
Build your own collection after sampling the chapters highlighted in the course readings for web design and multimedia design. Additional sources are included in the list below.
- Five Books Every Designer Needs stand up well beyond other trendy titles
- Five Simple Steps has started a series on information architecture and web design.
- SitePoint series of books is highly recommended.
Contests
Interactive media design contests with categories for student work.
- Adobe Design Achievement Awards
- Communication Arts
- EDUCAUSE Computer Security Awareness Poster & Video Contest (which had a winning entry from UD in 2007)
- Empowered Education Awards
- FlashForward
- Global Awards (World’s Best Work in Healthcare Communication)
- Sparky Awards from the Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition
- U.Frame International Academic Video Festival
- Total Recut
- Webby Awards
Job Postings
- Reel Exchange Job Board, from millimeter and Digital Content Producer
Other goodies
- Sign-up for an account at iStockPhoto. Their weekly Contact Sheet newsletter will provide you with access to a couple of high quality stock images. Start your collection now for future projects.
