Since my last blog post, I started working on my in-class presentation.  I created a powerpoint and started working on a few slides – about my fount choices, design decisions, and overall ideas for the project.  I also looked at the questions from the book to guide my presentation.

Why I Did It

I am presenting on Friday, so I needed to start thinking about and working on my presentation.  Looking through the questions and thinking about things like rhetorical decision, design, and audience will help me to create an effective powerpoint.

Today I continued working on my graphic.  I bolded the dates to incorporate feedback from peer review.  I also continued to add information to the timeline.  I have now completed information through year six of the Harry Potter books.

Why I Did It

I am making significant progress on my infographic, so I should be finished by the due date.  Bolding the dates adds more emphasis, which is important for a timeline.  I should be able to start planning my presentation next class.

• Strengths included my overall design.  My peers liked that I’m creating a timeline.  They liked my font and color selection, and how the infographic was designed towards the audience.  They also liked my images and title with the watermark.
• My main weakness was that the dates didn’t stand out.  My peers suggested bolding them or adding an outline so that they are more clear and attention-grabbing.  Because it is a timeline, this is important.  I will plan to work on that.  I also plan to work on adding my sources.  I haven’t added any sources yet, and because I plan on making this an interactive portion, I will need to learn how to do this.

Peer review was helpful and specific, and I should be able to make all of these improvements in time for the due date.

Since my last post, I have made pretty good progress on my timeline.  I have added events up to Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts.  I have also added a few graphics.  I only have three years left, plus some more design/graphics.

Why I Did It

I have enough completed that peer review can be effective on Wednesday.  I’m also making good progress to complete the project in time.

Since last class, I looked for and downloaded fonts I can use for my project.  I found a few that look exactly like the movie and book fonts for Harry Potter.  I also designed a title for my infographic, which I’m pretty pleased with.  This is always subject to change, but below is a screenshot of the title I have right now:

Why I Did It

The fonts I found will make my infographic feel like it’s from the world of Harry Potter.  I also got to start working on the actual design with the title.

Documentation Plan

Because I’m creating an infographic, having a lot of text on the actual project will be distracting.  Hopefully I will be able to create something interactive for my sources.  I would like to add them at the end with a link or a few links, giving fair credit to my sources, but also keeping the design visually appealing.

I created a mockup for my story remix.  I used illustrator, and made a rough idea of what I would like my graphic to look like.

Why I Did It

I used Illustrator because it’s a took I’m familiar with, and it’s what I’ll use to create my final project.  My mockup will give me an idea of how to create my infographic.  When designing/ using my creative process, I do change my mind a lot.  This mockup will give me something to ultimately shoot for.

In class today, I created a timeline for my story remix:

• 4/15 – Create my mock-up or storyboard and maybe create a sketch of my infographic
• 4/17 and 4/20 – Work on my infographic and have a significant amount finished for peer review
  • This will include collecting images, fonts and graphics; creating an outline of what my graphic will look like; and creating the actual infographic
• 4/22 – Peer Feedback
• 4/24 and 4/27 – Incorporate feedback from peer review and prepare for presentations
• 4/29 – Presentations start, continue finishing up my project
• 5/6 Project due

I also thought more about how I want to remix the story.  I think I will create a timeline kind of infographic, and it will be something that looks like it could come from a history book or a website.  I will create it like it’s something that “witches and wizards” will read when they’re learning about history and Hogwarts.

Why I Did It

My timeline will help me stay on track and manage my time well.  This is especially important at the end of the year when everyone is so busy, so I tried to make my timeline detailed.

Continuing to brainstorm for my infographic will make my progress quicker when I begin to work on it.  I also have a better idea of what I’m aiming for and what I would like my final product to look like.

I plan to make a timeline using illustrator and also maybe indesign and photoshop if I need to.  I could focus on either:

• the horcruxes that Harry and his friends find; or
• the major events that they encounter throughout the books (finding the sorcerer’s stone, killing the snake, etc.)

Some sources that I can use are:

• A timeline of Harry Potter
  • https://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/timeline_harry.html
• The Harry Potter book series, by JK Rowling
• The Harry Potter movies, from Warner Brothers

I think the best remixes take a story and tell it in a perspective that’s a little different, instead of just digitalizing an existing story or rewriting a story.  I especially like the Chamber of PostSecrets one, because it takes the story and tells it from Ginny’s perspective.  It gives it a different spin.  The best remixes are also more specific.

What Makes a Good Digital Story

I think the best stories focus on one kind of digitalization.  I thought that the spinoff of Alexander’s bad day had too much going on.  It’s more effective when the story is digitalized through one form of media.

I liked the magazine that retold the Hunger Games.  It focused on one story and one kind of media.

Stories I am Considering

This project will be most interesting for me, and I will learn the most, if I choose a story that I like.  I am thinking about doing:

• The Little Mermaid – I love Disney, and it could be fun to do something related to singing/recording.
• Harry Potter – I also love Harry Potter, and I think it would be interesting to create social media related to one of the movies.  I could use the perspective of someone other than Harry.
• Spiderman – It could be interesting to create a blog or newspaper story about this one.

I like that users can share more than one photo at a time, unlike on Instagram.  The photos also look professional and skilled, which I like.  I think this would be a cool interface to use to share my photos and also browse through the photography of others.