Assignment
Web Design, September 27

Collective Memory

Part I: Construct a narrative from a childhood memory that caused you embarrassment or chagrin. Recall a situation in which you feel that you failed, and then use the medium to transcend, add humor, inject irony into your failure by weaving your narrative with the failures, pitfalls, trials and tribulations of your fellow classmates.

We are limiting our palette: use only the elements of html and graphical objects. The narrative can be in the form of a linear story, or you can construct it using non-sequential, branching story form. It can be literal or abstract, but the essence or feeling of the memory needs to be revealed. Before you work on-line, I want everyone to make a rough sketch on paper in storyboard form. First, write down your memory in prose form. Then, draw a chart that shows the layout of pages (you can always change this), the text used on each page, and how the viewer will navigate the site. Use arrows to demonstrate directionality and sequence. Once you are satisfied with the overall construction, we will discuss them in class and begin work constructing the site in Dreamweaver.

Part II: Interweave the memories as one collective memory. This will involve paying close attention as everyone presents their narrative in the second week of the project. When you find that someone else's narrative has a similar experience, moment, idea, or feeling, or nuance, determine how you will link to this specific location from your own site. You will need to tell the other person where you are linking in case you want to insert an anchor.

The result will be a web of memories, a single collective memory that weaves together narratives and melds our stories into one shared experience. Like sitting around the campfire.

Part III: We will have one collective hypermedia reading and critique of the final projects linked to one another.

The following is a list of elements you can include:

• html text
• tables
• horizontal rule
• links
• layers
• frames
• anchors
• pop-up windows
• graphics and animated gifs

This is a list of what you can't use:

• no Flash animation
• no sound
• no video
• no slicing (or dicing)

The assignment is due next Wednesday and everyone will present their work for class discussion and critique.

The purpose of the assignment is for everyone to focus on the essential elements of the web and hypermedia, to discipline our thinking to working within these constraints, (to exploit them!), and to focus on narrative and content, before incorporating the more advanced, dynamic elements of multimedia such as animation, video and sound.

Good luck!

Randall