These are not RJ's answers. I wrote these myself.
1. Create an online display space for yourself (this will be part of how you become famous as a result of your work in this class)
My display space shall be... this display space. http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jantonisse.
2. Articulate a collective participation strategy (i.e., how will you take advantage of being part of a participatory culture?)
In the exchange of ideas, I'd like to create an atmosphere of honesty while maintaining positive feedback and encouragement between our cohort. As a former teacher, I believe its important to create an environment in which opinions can be expressed and mutually respected without stifling discussion and collaboration.
2a. Decide on and articulate your own strategy for creating a productive tension between theory and practice in your work.
Theory should influence an idea at the concept level... it's extremely useful for the creation of original ideas. However, I don't believe theory should restrict the sorts of works we create as interactive designers (unless it's an ethical/moral concern).
3. Define proficiency and an economy of value for the realm in which you intend to work (i.e., how do you want your work to be judged?)
I am almost guaranteed to answer this question incorrectly... but for now, I would like my work to be judged in two ways:
First: experientially. As a gut reaction, what "works" for a user? Is the experience interesting? Engaging? Fun? I'd like brutal honesty in these reactions.
Second: Analytically. Looking past immediate visceral experience, I would like to engage in a dialogue about our/my intention, whether that intention was addressed from a user perspective, and how we can find a middle ground between what we/I wanted to express and what the user wanted to experience.
4. Post a Personal Inventory in your display space that addresses the following:
3 things you already do well
- High-level concept design
- Writing (narrative fiction / narrative scripts)
- music composition/sequencing (specifically in Garage Band)
3 things you want to learn
- I want to become a self-improving time management machine
- I'd like to become passably proficient in 3D modeling software
- I'd like to improve my execution of lower level/detail-oriented design
An just for good measure, I'd like to get better with...
- C++, on a deeper level.
- Photoshop
- Sound mixing
3 things you want to be great at
- Writing compelling interactive content
- understanding the translation of interactive digital concepts into algorithms
- Detail-oriented design (see above) that serves a larger concept
5. Post a few links, names or readings that you are interested in exploring as part of the research for these projects.
- Godel, Escher, Bach (logical structures, recursion)
- Mythology and theory of myth (Carl Jung (just like RJ!))
- I need to think about this more.