It is true that the internet has been transformative in all of our lives, but as we are researching costs or potential harms of internet technologies it is worth considering the degree to which computers and the internet have acted to maintain power and how that impacts whose interests are prioritized in the form of technology that exists.

As a way of exploring your thoughts on your research you will create a zine as a form of advocacy, either to create awareness or advancing concrete steps.

Overview

Beginning with our research topics in this project we will create a digital zine with the goal of sharing what we've learned. Rather than compiling a dry list of research findings, think about what needs to change given what you've discovered in your research. Who might help you enact those changes if they knew more about this topic? We want to design our zine for them.

Your zine should somehow take advantage of it's being online. How is a digital publication different than one in print? What are the dynamic properties of the web that printed matter lacks? And vice-versa: are there opportunities that printed matter provides that the web doesn't?

Further, in the spirit of being aware of the energy costs of the internet, and to practice efficiency in our approach to the web: your zine's size MUST be smaller than 400kb total, including all pages and resources (scripts, images, etc). You will need to be sparing in your use of graphics in particular.

You should be the author of the content of your zine, don't just copy and paste your sources! How can you take advantage of the nature of HTML/CSS to communicate about this topic within the size constraint.

Your final outcome should be a formally and materially complete zine about your topic, targeted toward your chosen audience. It should be designed to communicate your subject matter in a way that is engaging and intentional.

Learning Outcomes

• Practice being efficient with HTML and CSS.
• Strengthen skills using HTML and CSS as a formal medium.

Requirements

• A completed zine on your topic that is smaller than 400kb.

Readings

• Why Zines Matter, Alison Piepmeier 2008
• Light Industry, Ingrid Burrington 2016

Calendar

Week 2
TH - kick off

Week 3
MO - review target audiences and research
TH - review proposed structure's

Week 4
MO - work day for designs for chosen structure
TH - crit on designs for zine

Week 5
MO - work day for building the zine
TH - 50% Build Check In

Week 6
MO - work day for building the zine
TH - project due

Project

Step 0

Due Monday September 12

As you continue your research, think about who might you want to communicate with about this topic? Select two different audiences and focus your research with them in mind. Why is it important to you to communicate to these audiences, how might the world be different if you successfully could communicate with them about this topic.

After completing our research with these audiences in mind, you'll select one audience to focus on moving forward.

Step 1

Due Thursday September 15

Outline two potential structures for your zine based on your audience and research. Focus on why it is important to communicate about this topic with this group. How best could you present this topic with that goal in mind.

Your proposed structures could take the form of outlines, sketches, or wireframes, they should be very different approaches to communicating about your topic. Will you attempt to dispassionately explain your research, or be more explicit in your advocacy? Will you lead with solutions, or simply try to raise awareness? Do you break the content up across multiple pages or present it as a singular one? Will you let the user control their movement through the content, or present it as you think it is best consumed?

After considering the pro's and con's of these different approaches, you'll select one with which to proceed with.

Step 2

Due Thursday September 22

For your chosen structure, refine your proposed outlines into high fidelity designs. Remember the file size restriction and how it impacts your ability to include graphics. Design your website in the digital design tool of your choice (Figma, XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, etc). Think about your reasons for communicating with this audience and evaluate your design decisions against this goal.

Your designs should be high fidelity in the sense that they should look like screenshots of the final built site. They should be comprehensive, in that they should visualize enough of your final site that there is no question about how your final zine will look or work through any of it's states. As part of that process, begin to author final copy for your zine as you work out these designs.

We will have a crit on these designs after which you will begin building your design incorporating that feedback.

Step 3

50% Review, Due Thursday Sept 29

The 50% Review, your content should be complete and present in your HTML and CSS, and the structure of your site should be in place, even if behaviorally or visually your site is not final. Remember to keep an eye on your final downloaded size.

Step 4

Due for Final Crit Thursday October 6

Present your final zine to the class. Remember to check your final downloaded size, and be sure to have your zine uploaded to your site before the start of class.

Grading

Your project grade will reflect the quality of your research, as well as the design execution of your final zine with respect to your chosen audience. Points will be deducted for having outcomes that go over the allowed size limit.

Past Examples

• Silicon Valley Housing Crisis by Carolyn Kim
• Open Source by Chuck Ziang
• Blind Point by Amanda Lee
• Electronics Waste by Diya Chen
• Gender Discrimination in Gaming by Yuki Li

Online References

• CNN Announces lite.cnn.io
• Low Tech Magazine
• Wikipedia : Zines
• TCP Zine
• ingrid burrington's whole deal
• A Rare and Toxic Age
• emergy
• the one device
• A Vernacular Web, Olia Lialina 2005
• In Defense of the Poor Image Hito Steyerl 2009

Other References

• ‘Zines! Vol. 1’, RE/Search. Ed. V.Vale 1996
• ‘Recollected Work’, Mevis & Van Deursen 2005
• ‘Six Memos for the Next Millennium: Memo I, Lightness’, Italo Calvino 1988
• ‘The Marvellous Clouds’, John Durham Peters 2015
• ‘Overcomplicated: Technology at The Limits of Comprehension’, Samuel Arbesman 2016
• ‘Designing Programs’ Karl Gerstner
• Jet Age Compendium

Related Works

• Joachim Coucke, ‘Fishing in the Pool’, 2014
• Timo Arnall, ‘Internet Machine’, 2014
• Angie Keefer, ‘Fountain’, 2014
• Nam June Paik, ‘Electronic Superhighway’, 1995
• Matt Mullican, ‘Glen’, 1970
• Dragan Espenshied, ‘One Terabyte of The Kilobyte Age’, 2010
• Tega Brain, ‘Being Radiotropic’, 2016
• Harun Farocki, ‘Parallel I–IV’, 2012–2014