Computer Science 21/121: Foundations of Digital Design
This projects-based course will familiarize students with the fundamentals of digital design, including layout, typography, composition, color theory, and process. Foundational concepts and the universal principles of design will be explored through extensive analyses and a series of design projects.
Computer Science 22/122: 3D Digital Modeling
This class is often the first time most students are using Maya. Students get to experiment with Maya like a sandbox and often are surprised at the level of work they can accomplish even at as beginners. The first assignment is to create a room, essentially using basic geometry to sculpt objects as environments.
Next, students make a biped model from start to finish--creating the geometry, texturing, blend shapes for facial animation and full-body rigging. Students are encouraged to create back stories for their characters. Students do a short animation to show off their character.
Computer Science 23/123: AR and VR Design
This hands-on projects-based course exposes students to the aesthetic, technical, and societal issues surrounding the emerging frontiers of digitally mediated realities. Students learn the fundamentals of augmented and virtual reality design and are introduced to interactive development for VR/AR. The class is made up of both developers and designers. Designers in this course create assets and design the UI/UX while developers build interactive digital tools, games, and visualizations.
Computer Science 24/124: Computer Animation: The State of the Art
Computer Animation offers a deep dive into 3D animation. Students are given models and are taught both the principles of animation and the tools that allow them to manipulate the timing and spacing to create a sense of force, physics and emotion. Weekly assignments include: bouncing balls, spinning tops, posing and blocking, lip synch and a final project of the students' choice.
Computer Science 25.01/125.01: UI UX Design
This is a hands-on project-based course that teaches the concepts, principles, and practice of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design. It is designed for students with an interest in any form of design, although we focus on the UI/UX of digital tools (e.g. mobile, web, tablets).
Learn more at www.uiux.live
Computer Science 25.02/125.02: UI UX Design II
This Independent Study course offers students who have taken COSC 25.01 a chance to put what they learned in the classroom into practice. Students might work as a designer in the DALI Lab or on another project. In addition to completing a project as a designer, students design and build an online portfolio.
Computer Science 27/127: Projects in Digital Arts
Students complete projects using digital arts techniques. Projects include computer animations, interactive graphics projects and installations, digital photography. Students can use commercial software, create new applications for commercial software, or develop new software or tools. While we allow for any digital art project, most students will focus on the production of a short animated movie. Students are usually separated into teams of three so that they can better take on the workload of a professional style production pipeline. The teams are expected to develop and process the story of their projects together, and are often subject to class and instructor input. Once a working story is achieved the teams move on to:
story and storyboarding
character/scene modeling
character/scene shading
character rigging and set dressing
layout and posing
animation
lighting
rendering
editing and postproduction
At the end of the term the teams get the opportunity to screen their accomplishments on the projector screens in Filene Auditorium for their classmates, friends and even family.
Computer Science 29/129: Special Topics
The topic of this course varies per term between Digital Fabrication (29.05) and Digital Tangible Interfaces (29.06).
In Digital Fabrication students have hands-on training in the process of creating and converting computer generated drawings and models into physical objects through the use of 2D and 3D scanners, laser-cutters, wire benders, cnc routers and 3D printers.
In Digital Tangible Interfaces focuses on the theory, process, and practice of building intelligent objects and spaces. Students will be required to design and implement tangible user interface projects by using physical computing tools (Arduino) and computer languages such as Processing.