THE BRIEF:
An organisation related to your discipline(digital and social media) has commissioned you
to produce three digital images for a communications campaign about digital literacy.
Alongside these three images, the organisation also requires you to write and submit a
1000-word document explaining the technical, creative and theoretical process that you
engaged in while creating the images, including draft in- progress versions of each of the
three final images.
In order to help focus the visual communication the organisation requires you to pick one
of the following digital literacy concept pairs as a theme for your three images.
Digital Literacy concept pairs:
Mobile/mobility
Access/divide
Data/surveillance
Old/new
Participation/interaction
Real/manipulated
Selfie/portrait
The method
Use Pixlr (freely accessible and preferred), Photoshop or GIMP to create originally
composited digital images as a set of viable options for the organisation. Compose the
image by arranging and compositing your own source images (photos, drawings, etc.), text
elements, and appropriately sourced visual material that you have permission to use (e.g.
creative commons licensed images – this means not just a quick google image search)
The aim of this assignment is to develop your digital literacy skills. So we strongly
recommend you extend yourself by using specialist image manipulation software rather
than basic apps. Please refer to the assignment marking criteria for more advice on this.
FURTHER GUIDANCE & FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What organisations can I pick?
Any organisation that is relevant to, or involved with your discipline
in some way. That might include:
– AnNGO
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– A community newspaper
– A local library
– A government department
– An arts festival
– A policy Think Tank
These are just a few examples, and you are free to be creative in
your choice. If you are concerned about whether you have
chosen a relevant organisation, consult with your tutor.
Does it have to be a real organisation?
Yes, but you can choose from anything from your discipline. If
in doubt, please ask during class and we can help.
Do they have to be involved with or around Digital Literacy
issues already?
No – this might be their first time considering digital literacy
issues, which is why they have asked you, the expert, to produce
these three images for their campaign.
. How many images do I submit to be marked?
You need to submit 3 final images – with each communicating
about the digital literacy concept pair as relevant to your
discipline. You will also include one or more ‘draft’ or ‘inprogress’
versions of these final 3 images to demonstrate the
iterative creative process you have undertaken to develop the
three images. There is no maximum number of ‘draft’ versions
you may include to show the iterative process of developing
your visual communication, however it is not necessary to show
every tiny change. Stick to showing the major conceptual and/or
technical advances along the way.
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Can the 3 images be on different digital literacy concept
pairs?
No, we want three images on the one digital literacy concept
pair (so all three would respond in some way to ‘mobile/
mobility’, for example). They do not have to be about identical
aspects of the prompt, but they have to be responding to the
same prompt and discipline/major combination.
What if I am doing a double major?
That’s ok – just pick one and focus on how the prompt is
relevant to it for your visual communication in the 3 images and
explanation.
How do I decide what to communicate with the images?
A good way to start would be to return to what Liz’s lecture in week 2
said the key aims of this course are and work through them.
Specifically:
● What
We expect at least 5 academic references to support your
document and you can take these from the DL course reading
list. You are also encouraged to draw on references from your
core discipline, especially if you’re using some of that theory to
inform what you want to ‘say’ in your images, and how you
have chosen to communicate it.
There is a template provided (and posted on UTS online under
“assignment”) to help you put together the 1000 words if you
would like to use it – this format is not compulsory but may be
useful to help you focus.
Can I use pieces of existing images when creating my new digital
image?
The majority of the work you present needs to be original.
Because we accept that you may not always be the best
photographer, or have access to the objects, locations and
situations you wish to photograph you are allowed to use images
licensed under creative commons BUT you cannot just simply
present these works as your ‘finished product’ – they need to
undergo a significant degree of adaption, editing or alteration. In
other words, they must be a transformative work that adds
something of your own that is original. If in doubt about what
this means, please speak to your tutor who can help calibrate
your expectations about originality and transformation.
What are the copyright and ethics implications of using existing
images or creating new images?
Existing images are typically covered by copyright. This means you
should not be using them without obtaining permission, unless there
is an explicit license that grants you permission (such as a creative
commons license).
Generally, you’re much safer from a copyright point of view if you
create a brand new image (that is, take a picture yourself). However,
there are still some things to be mindful of. In particular, if you’re
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identifying a person, or photographing a particular sensitive place,
wherever possible you should ask for permission to do so. It would be
a good idea to write an explanation indicating if you have asked
permission (and if not, why not and who you would need to ask if this
were a professional project). Your tutor can help you with this.
Hot tip – if you’re interested in sourcing Copyright free, open access
or creative commons images, do a Google Image Source using the
“advanced” setting – right down the bottom is a ‘usage rights’ field
that you can use as a filter. Not completely fool proof, but a good
start. For creative commons material try http://
search.creativecommons.org and pick from one of the many sites that
let you search for content creators have specifically given permission
to use.
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Assignment: “An organisation related to your disciplineҁdigital and social media) has
commissioned you to produce three digital images for a communications campaign
about digital liter
State where the components of your image have come from, and why you have permission
to use them (e.g. “they are all my own source images” or “one part of the image is
licensed under creative commons”). Reflect on what ‘worked’ about earlier drafts of your
image, including any versions of them that you developed and drafted along the way. You
should discuss what needed improving about these earlier attempts, and how you
incorporated feedback from tutor and peers.
Here is also where you should clearly align your choices to the required academic readings
– you need to show how AT LEAST 5 academic sources have informed your creative and
technical choices to achieve your visual communication here.
IMAGE 2 [300 words]
Provide a short description of your final Image 2 and its purpose in terms of meeting the
brief – what were you trying to communicate visually with this image, and for what
audience is it intended? Describe how the image was created referencing specific
techniques and tools that you used, what compositional choices you made, and what
digital & visual literacies are assumed. Include details of the choices you made while
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developing your final image, including examples of drafts or works in progress as
description and/or examples. You can give links to them from your WordPress site if you
prefer, or you can include early versions and draft images here.
State where the components of your image have come from, and why you have permission
to use them (e.g. “they are all my own source images” or “one part of the image is
licensed under creative commons”). Reflect on what ‘worked’ about earlier drafts of your
image, including any versions of them that you developed and drafted along the way. You
should discuss what needed improving about these earlier attempts, and how you
incorporated feedback from tutor and peers.
Here is also where you should clearly align your choices to the required academic readings
– you need to show how AT LEAST 5 academic sources have informed your creative and
technical choices to achieve your visual communication here.
IMAGE 3 [300 words]
Provide a short description of your final Image 1 and its purpose in terms of meeting the
brief – what were you trying to communicate visually with this image, and for what
audience is it intended? Describe how the image was created referencing specific
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techniques and tools that you used, what compositional choices you made, and what
digital & visual literacies are assumed. Include details of the choices you made while
developing your final image, including examples of drafts or works in progress as
description and/or examples. You can give links to them from your WordPress site if you
prefer, or you can include early versions and draft images here.
State where the components of your image have come from, and why you have permission
to use them (e.g. “they are all my own source images” or “one part of the image is
licensed under creative commons”). Reflect on what ‘worked’ about earlier drafts of your
image, including any versions of them that you developed and drafted along the way. You
should discuss what needed improving about these earlier attempts, and how you
incorporated feedback from tutor and peers.
Here is also where you should clearly align your choices to the required academic readings
– you need to show how AT LEAST 5 academic sources have informed your creative and
technical choices to achieve your visual communication here.
ETHICAL REFLECTION ON USE OF IMAGES (50-100 words)
Include a final statement about the ethical use and manipulation of images, where any
non-original material was sourced, what clearance or permissions were needed, any other
appropriate acknowledgments, any other final remarks.
COMMENTS ON PEER BLOGS: (3x 150 words – NOTE: these don’t count towards the 1000
words)
ADD 3x 150 WORD COMMENTS ON PEER WORK AS IMAGE FILES/SCREEN CAP OR PLAIN TEXT.