The Best Design and Code Resources

by Katie Williamsen, Elon iMedia Class of 2012

Recently iMedia Professor William Moner shared a list of design and code resources and newsletters the with current students. It inspired me to put together my own list of resources that students past, present and future can refer to. When I was in the program, Google was my best friend when looking for inspiration and code help, but I also had a list of go-to websites and other resources.Below are some of my favorite design and code resources.

Design and Code Resources

A Book Apart: 11 different books highlighting current topics in web design and development ranging from web typography to sass for web designers. Each book is around 100 pages and written by masters in their fields – a must have for your library.

Codepen: This website is all about front end
development. Create, test and perfect your code with the in browser code editor or be inspired by other code pen members.

Fast Company: Looking for inspiration? Fast Co. Design shares innovative stories from all over the tech world. If you are a fan of print, they also have a great magazine.

HTML5 Weekly: Looking to learn more about HTML5? This weekly newsletter shares tips, updates and more. Even if you aren’t a developer, it is always nice to know the capabilities of HTML5.

JavaScript Weekly: This weekly newsletter is a round-up of JavaScript news, articles and resources. It’s a great way to stay current in the world of JavaScript.

Web Designer Depot: This blog is a must bookmark for web designers and developers. WDD posts news, tutorials, tools and more. They also have a great newsletter I would recommend subscribing too.

I am just scratching the surface with design and code resources. What are your go to web resources?

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Two iMedia Students Behind First Interactive Book Published by Smithsonian

by Katie Williamsen, Elon iMedia Class of 2012

One of my favorite parts about working with iMedia students is seeing all of the amazing work they do post-graduation. Recently I received an email from 2013 alumna, Ashley Deese sharing some exciting news. Since graduation she has been busy working as a media producer at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Recently, her and 2014 iMedia alumna, Nikki Schell, worked on a team to publish the Smithsonian’s first interactive book for Apple. Ashley was the creative director and Nikki was the interactive producer working to produce Expedition: Insects for the Smithsonian. Ashley was kind enough to answer a few questions about this project.

1. What do you do for the Smithsonian day-to-day?
My day-to-day at the Smithsonian always changes. I’m involved in everything digital media at the Smithsonian Science Education Center. During my time here I have produced videos, taken photos for textbooks, prepared print books to be published, developed an online game, managed projects from outside studios, maintained our blog, taught classes on digital media, given presentations, utilized my graphic design skills and the list goes on. I am currently working on a lot of new digital projects and strategizing on how to increase our reach worldwide with all of the exciting things we are doing.

The entire eBook team, Ashley is in the middle wearing pink and Nikki is directly to the right.

2. Wow! You have been busy. How did you convince the Smithsonian to let you and Nikki take on a brand new project?
The mission of the Smithsonian is “the increase and diffusion of knowledge” with a focus on broadening access worldwide. With that being said, an eBook was a very easy choice. Nikki’s role at the Smithsonian was to provide her expertise in producing a project for a global audience to broaden access. She was a natural fit for the project. I have been lucky to work with a supportive senior leadership and a talented team of interns that helped make this project possible.

3. What was your role in the project?
I was the creative director for the project. I made sure that everything we did stayed within the Smithsonian brand regarding art, scientific accuracy, tone of the story line, and the overall messaging. I also provided support to the team and made sure everything was done by our deadlines.

4. What was the biggest challenge you faced working on the project?
This project was very easy since it was a culmination of all of the skills that I obtained from the iMedia program. Since I had a deep understanding of all parts of the production process, it made it very easy to set realistic goals and communicate ideas to everyone involved.

5. What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how hard my team worked to bring this idea to life. The book has been very successful within the Smithsonian and worldwide.

6. Do you have more interactive books planned in the future?
Yes! This is only the beginning of interactive books at the Smithsonian!

Congratulations to Ashley and Nikki on producing the Smithsonian’s first eBook! If you are interested in finding out more about the prjoect, feel free to connect with Ashley via Twitter @AshleyDeese.

Wondering what else you can do with an M.A. in Interactive Media? Checkout other jobs here.

Welcome Class of 2015!

Just when I thought I was really getting to know the class of 2014, they went an graduated on me. While recruiting last year, I had a chance to get to know a fanatic new crop of iMedia students, class of 2015! I know this post is a little late, but I wanted the chance to officially welcome them.

Before I start talking about iMedia ’15, I want to congratulate the class of 2014 on many successful job hunts. The class has been busy searching for their dream job since graduating in late May. I wanted to share a few examples of job titles, employers and cities students are working in post graduation:

• Media Producer, Newseum, Washington, DC
• Associate User Experience Designer, Blue State Digital, New York, NY
• Graphic Designer, Forbes Travel Guides, Atlanta, GA
• Web designer, Property Boss, Greenville, SC
• UX Designer, Fooda, Chicago, IL
• Director of Social Media + Marketing Strategy, American Association of Independent Baseball, Durham, NC
• Online Marketing Specialist, UVA Health Systems, Charlottesville, VA

I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the laid back  class of 2015 this school year. Last week the program held an ice cream social in their honor. I enjoyed chatting with the students and learning what they were reading and working on.

The members of the class of 2015 come from a variety of backgrounds and majors including psychology, information science and technology, theatre, English, business, environmental studies and of course commutations students. A wide variety of backgrounds makes everyone’s classroom experience richer.

When they are discussing the readings in Prof. Derek Lackaff’s class, Theory and Audience Analysis in an Interactive Age, each student will bring a very different opinion with them, depending on their undergraduate studies. For the record they have been busy reading since they started classes. They have already read Reality Is Broke by Jane McGonigal, Networked by Lee Rainie and Barry Wellman and have started Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. This class is surely busy and I can’t wait to share more work that stems from it.

It’s so exciting to see the work that comes from each graduating class – I can’t wait to see what the class of 2015 has in-store for us!