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Critical Making Studio
CMCI STUDIO at CU Boulder

Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail, there's only make. ~ John Cage

Critical Making Studio is the foundational experience enabling students to realize their full potential as creative citizens in CMCI STUDIO. Central to the studio are four courses, Critical Making 1 and 2 (Fall), and Critical Making 3 and 4 (Spring), in which students enter into an experience as transformative and diverse as the participants themselves; all unique threads woven into whole cloth, informing the very fabric of studio culture. The courses aim to ground students in making as a deeply personal practice and ongoing journey in life thereafter, resulting in creative citizens capable of realizing that which they can envision utilizing a combination of their talents, intellect, abilities, creative faculties, and support networks.

The studio experience is made possible by 24 hr, 7 days a week, access to a state-of-the-art rapid prototyping shop, media editing suite, and studio workspaces that can be transformed into a variety of configurations supporting activities such as artistic performances and special events. Additionally, access to fellow students, faculty, and industry partners provides an unparalleled educational experience and support network for developing transformative solutions spanning a variety of creative industries.

Critical Making 3 & 4

Critical Making Studio 3 & 4 are second semester project-based studio courses that provide a foundation in the creative process of making with new and emerging digital and physical technologies responsible for shaping and reshaping the world around us. In these courses students work towards becoming fluent across digital and physical creative practices used in the development of new products and services. This includes building skills in physical computing and virtual reality technologies, tools, and workflows to design and prototype branded and experience driven products.

Date and Time:
Critical Making Studio 3 (BD Group) - Tuesdays, 9 am - 12 pm
Critical Making Studio 4 (UX Group) - Wednesdays, 9 am - 12 pm

Instructor:
RJ Duran
rj.duran@colorado.edu
Slack: @rjduran. #cmstudio on cmcistudio.slack.com
Office hours by appointment. Feel free to reach out to me via slack or email.

Syllabus:
CM 3 Syllabus
CM 4 Syllabus

See what we're up to! Follow us @criticalmakingstudio and @cmci.studio.

Course Resources

This website is the primary resource for all critical making studio courses. Most of the resources used in the courses are divided up into sections that can be found on the left sidebar. Think of these resources as maps containing many possible tools that could help you accomplish your work and from which you will need to choose some to learn and work with. There are pros and cons to any tool but all have a set of functionalities and a purpose. As with any tool and any kind of personal creative process you are free to choose anything that works for you.

Course Workload

  • The critical making courses are 3 credit hours each. You should expect to dedicate at least 2-3 hours per credit hour. This translates into a 6-9 hours per week. Consider 6 hours a minimum expectation for one studio course and plan accordingly with your other studio courses.
  • Assignments for the course consist of project-based and process oriented blog posts as well as weekly research, readings, and making. Many of which will be decided each week in class. In general, anything with deliverables is "due" the following week by the start of class time. Refer to the Course Deliverables section for more information.
  • The courses are organized in three 5 week phases. Each phase consists of a series of instructor led project-driven topics structured as workshops and studio work sessions covering digital and physical making. It is expected that all students are active participants in each session.

Course Deliverables

Critical making courses are project based and largely driven by student research areas spanning experience design and/or brand design. As such, each deliverable is expected to vary based on the project parameters and requirements. The following outlines the general criteria for course deliverables throughout the semester.

Blog Posts

  • A minimum of 5 posts published to your Critical Making blog. Medium is widely used by most students but any blogging platform / website may be used.
  • Posts can be distributed throughout the semester at any interval. Decide on an interval that works for you and try to follow it. For example, every 2 weeks.
  • Posts are to be submitted via slack #cmstudio.
  • It is recommended that a post includes a variety of media and content to support the subject matter. For example: text, images, video, graphics, photos, mockups, screen captures, tutorials, 3d model viewers (sketchfab), sketches, code, gifs, references, etc. Anything that is required to effectively communicate the details of a project, process, prototype, or idea.
  • The subject matter is of your choosing. Ideally, it falls in line with your interests, research area, project, creative process, etc. For example, you might consider doing a series of tutorials on a topic that interests you or a process/workflow you are currently exploring through the course. Refer back to the Fall semester deliverables for examples of weekly assignments and projects.
  • Posts should be written to the best of your abilities and for a public audience. The post and any accompanying visual content (images, video) will likely be shared on social media.
  • All blog posts are to be submitted by May 2, 2019 (last day of classes).

Final Project Proposal

Submit a final project proposal anytime before Friday March 22nd (The Friday before Spring Break). The earlier the better so you have time to ask questions, order any supplies you may need, etc. Your proposal should be formatted as a blog post on your critical making blog with all supporting media contained within the post.

Deliverable:

A new or updated proposal posted to your blog. It should include the following:

  1. Project Title
  2. Project Summary ~ 1 page max
    • What is it?
    • What problem(s) are you solving?
    • What will it do?
    • How will it work?
  3. Key components of your project
    • What resources, skills, and technologies are needed to realize it? ~ Materials, 3d models, CAD, 3d Printing, Electronics, Arduino, Sensors/Devices, Processing, Touch Designer, Unity, HTC VIVE, etc
  4. Milestones you have hit thus far and what you plan to do in order to realize it in the weeks following Spring Break.
    • If you need to order some parts, what do you need?
    • What questions do you have?
    • Where do you feel you are lacking in skill and need assistance?

Share the URL to your post on slack #cmstudio.

Final Project

  • The final project produced will be presented at the Spring Showcase on Wednesday May 1st, 2019 at 5pm.
  • Final project blog post due by 11:59pm Monday May 6th (Monday of Finals Week).
  • Documentation is to be submitted the form of a blog post with all supporting media necessary to explain the project development and outcomes. The general criteria outlined above applies to this final post. I highly suggest preparing a presentation of some kind (slides, video, experience). Be sure to include links to past blog posts and any resources used in the process.
    • What problem did you set out to solve?
    • What is your project all about?
    • How did you accomplish your goals?
    • What resources did you make use of?
    • What challenges did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
    • What worked? What didn't?
    • If this is a part of a larger long-term project, what milestones did you hit?
    • What's next for this project? (Future Work)
    • What are your major takeaways? What did you learn / discover?

Note: The final project proposal blog post and final blog post are in addition to the previously described posts. In total, you should have a minimum of 7 blog posts for the semester. Failure to submit all blog posts for this studio will result in a failing grade.

Share the URL to your post on slack #cmstudio.

Week 1: Overview

Jan 15 / Jan 16

  • Hello 2019!
  • Syllabus
  • Schedule
  • Assignments / Projects
  • Tools of Critical Making - Documenting, Evaluating, Testing, Mapping
  • Research Maps & Frameworks

Course Themes

This is a list of just a few of the themes we will explore in the weeks ahead. What comes to mind when considering these technologies as things you are likely to encounter in everyday life?

  • Physical Computing
  • Internet of Things
  • VR / AR / MR / Spatial Computing
  • Interactive and Immersive Digital / Physical Experiences
  • Parametric Design
  • Digital Fabrication
  • Automation
  • Robots
  • AI, Machine Learning

Various Projects / Products / Possibilities

What kinds of projects or ideas move / inspire / intrigue you?

Studios

Project Inspiration

Maps

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Week 1 Questions

Think about the weeks ahead and how they can help you advance a project you are currently working on or investigate a tech stack you are interested in diving deeper into. The best way to succeed / learn in critical making is by asking questions and taking action (aka building something every week). Think in terms of devices, prototypes, and/or experiences as they relate to your other courses. Spend some time this week researching the course themes above and produce a mind map of your interests and ideas.

  1. Think about if / where your interests intersect with the technologies we might be exploring and create a map defining the space of possibilities. Whats your question?
  2. Post your map to your blog.

Week 1 Readings

Phase 1: Physical Computing

terminal

Week 2: Intro to Arduino

Jan 22 / Jan 23

Arduino is an open-source hardware and software platform for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control objects in the physical and digital world.

Inputs (Sensors) -> Behavior (Software) -> Outputs (Action)

You can think about this type of device (microcontroller) as the interface between the physical and digital world. It allows you to translate physical phenomena into digital information and act upon it with software (code) to produce a kind of digital or physical output such as flashing a light or turning a motor. The Arduino and connected devices can be thought of as LEGOS or building blocks to construct complex electro-mechanical, interactive, and responsive systems.

Hardware

  • Official Arduino Boards
  • There are many different shapes and sizes of Arduino's available, how do you choose hardware for a project?
    • Look for a guide such as the Arduino Comparison Guide by Sparkfun to start.
    • Decide what your project will do and what inputs and outputs it has. Also take into consideration how you plan to use the Arduino. Does it use data from the physical world? Does it need to display information? Do you need everything available in the board or can you get away with a smaller/cheaper/less capable one?
    • How much do you have to spend on the project? Look at the cost of supplies. Luckily most Arduinos are cheap but components and devices can add up.

Software

Resources

More Projects

Upcoming Events & Opportunities

Week 2 Questions

This week I invite you to go deeper than what we cover in class. Continue to work with some of the built in examples that begin to incorporate more hardware or keep it basic and see what you can do with just buttons, knobs, and LEDs. Try out new circuit combinations building off the examples and see what happens. Begin to seek out project examples related to your interests in physical computing so far.

  1. Research 3-4 Arduino based physical computing project examples that you find intriguing and related to your project interests and goals. What parts do they use? How much does it all cost? Where do you get all the parts? Is there a "Bill of Materials" (aka BOM) for the project?
  2. Post your research to your blog.

Week 2 Readings

Week 3: Input / Output Devices

Jan 29 / Jan 30

  • Arduino Review
    • Breadboards, Wires
    • Describing Circuits: Breadboard View, Schematic View, Block Diagram View
  • Autodesk TinkerCAD Circuit Simulator - A great tool for learning how to build circuits without the hardware. Great for prototyping.
  • Digital vs Physical IO
    • Photoresistor (Physical) -> Arduino -> LCD Display (Physical)
    • Button (Physical) -> Arduino -> USB (Serial Port) -> Processing Sketch (Digital)
    • Button (Physical) -> Arduino -> RGB LED (Physical)
    • Exercise: Sketch out two more digital/physical, physical/physical, or physical/digital signal flows with input and output devices.
  • Sensor Kits
  • Datasheets
    • A datasheet is like the user manual for the device. Most are written for a design engineer or technician. For example, look at the datasheet for a Photocell. It contains information about how the device operates and how it was tested by the manufacturer. Other datasheets, such as the Sparkfun Redboard are a bit more visual and easier to read.
    • If you don't know what a part or device is:
      • Step 1: look around for a part number on the device itself or the package it came in or look similar looking things in the area. Perhaps another part has a number on it.
      • Step 2: Google it. If you still can't ID something try to describe it to google. If all else fails, phone a friend.

Input Devices

Output Devices

Resources

Opportunities

  • Global Access 2030 (GA2030) - Information in Slack #cmstudio.

Week 3 Questions

This week I invite you to again go deeper than what we cover in class and/or begin looking at how to build a project based on some of your research from last week. Choose one or more input devices and output devices to explore. You can always count on simple interactions such as button presses and LED flashes as reliable modes of input and output but eventually you might find yourself looking for other devices to build interactive systems. Read the article How Arduino Sensors Actually Work to learn more about various types of devices and their uses.

  1. Build and document your experience working with the Arduino and input/output devices of your choosing. What did you build? How does it work? Record a short video demonstrating your project / explorations. Include a summary and circuit diagrams to enable another person to follow your instructions and build their own version. You can use a tool like Fritzing or TinkerCAD Circuits to create a diagram or simulation.
  2. Post your project / research to your blog.

Week 3 Media

  • Arduino Inputs - Great overview of Inputs, Sensors, and Applications.
  • Arduino Outputs - Great overview of Outputs and Applications.
  • Instructables Arduino Class: Input/Ouput - A great guide to input and output devices in both hardware and simulation via TinkerCAD Circuits. Highly recommend if you need more practice with Arduino basics and don't have all the hardware at hand.
  • The Edge Podcast by Bantam Tools - A new podcast by the Bantam Tools folks about digital fabrication, design, and making things.

Week 4: Intro to Raspberry Pi

Feb 5 / Feb 6

Raspberry Pi

A Raspberry Pi is a fully functional single-board computer capable of running various Linux distributions (aka Operating Systems). It's used for all kinds of IoT / connected physical computing applications where internet connectivity, bluetooth, HDMI, audio, or more advanced hardware is required.

Projects / Devices

Resoures

Week 4 Questions

This week I invite you to revisit your maps / project ideas and ask if and where devices like the Raspberry Pi, Arduino, or another type of single-board computer or device may support the development of that which you envision. Like most, if not all, tools encountered in creative work, these are a means to an end. If these tools resonate with you and/or suport a project you are developing, begin to identify how they will be used and to what end.

  1. Identify to 2-3 projects that are closely related to the areas of interest you have in your maps and projects. What about these projects do you consider significant or exemplary? What elements will you build off of to realize your vision?
  2. Post your project progress and research to your blog.

Week 4 Media

Week 5: Work Session

Feb 12 / Feb 13

Phase 2: The XR Continuum

terminal

Week 6: Intro to VR

Feb 19 / Feb 20

  • Project Updates / Discussion
  • XR Discussion - Industry, Frameworks, Tools, Use Cases, Getting Started
  • VR Tools: Unity, SteamVR, HTC Vive, Visual Studio

X Reality (aka The XR Continum)

X Reality (XR or Cross Reality) consists of technology-mediated experiences that combine digital and biological realities. It encompasses a wide spectrum of hardware and software, including sensory interfaces, applications, and infrastructures, that enable content creation for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), cinematic reality (CR), and more. With these tools, users generate new forms of reality by bringing digital objects into the physical world and bringing physical world objects into the digital world. (Wikipedia)

Virtual Reality (VR)

Hardware

Software

Examples

Industries

Week 6 Questions

  1. Locate at least one piece of content (article, video, podcast, research paper, etc) that discusses any aspects of the XR continuum you find intriquing. Sumarize the information and provide your thoughts on its application to a project you have in mind and/or disucss its larger implications for your area of interest (Brand or UX).

    • What questions arise in reponse to the content?
    • How does this technology paradigm impact your anticipated or chosen line of work?
    • How are others exploring the technology and applying it?
    • What questions arise about the current platforms, tools, and workflows?

  2. Seek out 2-3 examples of XR experiences and place them on the XR spectrum. In the process, if you discover new tools that enable you to further your project vision, sumarize what they are and how to use them. Identify a few key resources to get started.

    • What do you find exemplary about these experiences?
    • What are their characterisitics and features?
    • What justifies their placement on the spectrum (ie. how do they relate to other types of experiences)?

  3. Post your project / research to your blog.

Week 6 Media

Week 7: Unity

Feb 26 / Feb 27

Install Unity

  • Download and Install Unity
    • Step 1: Install Unity Hub - This is a small application for managing multiple versions of Unity. Install this app then proceed to signup for an account and install Unity.
    • Step 2: Install Unity Personal Edition (2018.3.6f1) - Note this is a large install (~5.6 GB). Make sure you are on a fast connection or it will take a long time.
    • Step 3: Launch Unity - Make a new 3D project and begin experimenting with the environment.

Getting Started

Week 8: Unity / TouchDesigner

Mar 5 / Mar 6

HTC Vive Setup

Tools for Prototyping Interactivity

A sampling of tools that can be used to quickly prototype interactivity using a variety of mobile devices and communication prototcols such as UDP, DMX, and Open Sound Control (OSC). In the case of Blynk, this incorporates connected hardware solutions.

  • ZIG SIM - Mobile app that exposes device sensor data and transmits over OSC or JSON.
  • ZIG Indicator - Desktop companion app to ZIG SIM that visualizes device sensor data.
  • TouchOSC - Mobile app that enables custom controllers that transmit over OSC.
  • Blynk - IoT platform with mobile app based user experience

Game Controllers

XBX One and PS4 controllers can be easily connected to Touch Designer or Unity for alternative control of an experience.

  • In Touch Designer: Use the Joystick CHOP. PS4 controllers are accessible on the "Wireless" source and XBOX One controllers are avvessible on "Player 1..4" sources.
  • In Unity: You have to setup mapping for a controller

Assets

Unity Tutorials

TouchDesigner Tutorials

I've mentioned this tool before. It's worth starting to get familiar with it for some of your work. It's a pretty comprehensive visual programming environment that can work with many types of media and input / output tools such as cameras, kinect, touch controllers, mobile dvices, hardware, lighting, and web based systems.

Check out the learning resources I've put together under Learning TouchDesigner.

Week 8 Media

Week 9: Work Session

Mar 12 / Mar 13

This week we will have a VR work session with Unity and any related programs / topics you are needing or wanting to discuss for your projects. Come with questions.

Learning Unity

There is a dedicated section called Learning Unity in the left sidebar that includes instructions for using Unity with SteamVR. It includes instructions for setting up a Unity project that has a Player object (you), teleportation functionality, and object interaction (picking up and throwing) functionality. These are a few of the most common types of interactions you might design into your VR experiences.

Character Modeling and Rigging

  • Mixamo - This is an Adobe tool that allows you to design characters and animate them. You can export them as FBX files and import into a Unity scene. There are a few parameters to adjust to do this correctly so watch the tutorials below.
  • Adobe Fuse - This is an Adobe CC tool that allows you to design and customize characters at the body level - head, torso, legs, and arms. It's no longer in development since it's being replaced by Mixamo but it may still be useful if it runs on your machine. It still offers features that Mixamo doesn't yet such as integration with Photoshop. Models can be exported from Fuse and imported to Mixamo for rigging and animation.
  • Mudbox - This is an Autodesk tool that enables you to model characters and objects.
  • ZBrush - This is another character modeling tool similar to Mudbox. You can download a 45 day trial if you want to experiment with it.
  • Autodesk AREA - A repository of 3d models to use.

Week 9 Media

Week 10: Work Session

Mar 19 / Mar 20

This week I will be out of town. Use the time to work on projects / proposals. Send me any questions via Slack.

Final Project Proposals Due by end of week.

Spring Break (No Class)

Mar 25 - Mar 29

Phase 3: Final Projects

Week 11

Apr 2 / Apr 3

Week 12

Apr 9 / Apr 10

Week 13

Apr 16 / Apr 17

Week 14

Apr 23 / Apr 24

Week 15: Studio Showcase

Apr 30 / May 1

CM Studio Showcase
Wednesday May 1st, 2019
5 pm to 6:30pm