Design Briefs

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DH 501 Assignment

A design brief is a short document (from a paragraph to a page) that articulates a problem and a general approach to addressing the problem (it sets the scope of the problem and the solution). In articulating the problem, the design brief highlights the facts of an issue that are most relevant.

Research Question:

Audience:

Approach:

MoSCoWs:

• Must-Haves (critical to the project)
• Should-Haves (important but not necessary)
• Could-Haves (desirable but not necessary)
• Won’t Haves (future “wish list”)

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Research Questions

1. What makes the podcast, as a digital tool or medium, effective at promoting the habituation of knowledge sharing and consumption?

Thoughts when forming this question: As a form of entertainment, podcasts have succeeded in a lot of ways to bring in massive audiences that respond well to interface jumping and regular engagement. The choose-your-commitment structure that allots for simple streaming to multi-platform social media following allows podcasts, among few other mediums of our digital age (perhaps video/TV/movie streaming as the only other), the capabilities to form our most habituated and wide-reaching communities of knowledge-sharing.

2. How could a mission of universal access at the forefront of a podcast's production strengthen the habituation of knowledge sharing and consumption?

Thoughts when forming this question: The above questions refer to universal access and knowledge sharing which might have a variety of meanings pending on the reader; thus, warranting a few clarifications. Universal access, as used above, aligns with the plain.txt podcast's continuous efforts of universal design (a.k.a. design for all) and digital accessibility development of all forms of our content. Additionally, universal access, as used above, means ensuring a wide-reach of engagement by making the content in every iteration public and multi-platform present. Knowledge sharing, as used above, aligns with the plain.txt podcast's promotion of accessible information and feedback loops that blur the lines of learning as student becomes teacher and vice-versa. Community building around knowledge sharing means existing in an active, ever-changing symbiosis with others not just for the purpose of sustaining but also growing (whether individually or as a group|society).

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Audience

Anyone interested in "the Digital Humanities", new podcasts or podcasts themed around human|societal interaction(s) with technology, spoken-word enthusiasts, and future employers.

Detailed personas available soon.

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Approach

Produce a podcast in public space (GitHub and social media) promoting the distribution of the underlying technology and content while implementing universal design in all efforts of development, promotion, and distribution. Conduct research on human habituation of technology and reflect on personal habituation of such knowledge building as well as observed community knowledge sharing.

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MoSCoWs

Must-Haves (critical to the project)

• Three ready-to-stream podcast episodes: audio files and plain text transcripts

• Universally designed website that passes Section 508 Digital Accessibility Standards

• Accessibility statement

• Community engagement strategies for GitHub, Twitter, and Sound Cloud

• Well-Developed RSS feed

Should-Haves (important but not necessary)

• Extensively linked transcripts of three ready-to-stream episodes utilizing the project wiki's link iconography

• Universally designed website that passes the stricter, more accessible WCAG AA Digital Accessibility Standards

• Additional community engagement strategies for other streaming services and social media platforms - Such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, a (public) Slack, Spotify, iTunes

Could-Haves (desirable but not necessary)

• Two additional ready-to-stream podcast episodes: audio files and transcripts - allowing a pool of five podcasts ready to release for each of the summer months

• Universally designed website that passes the even more stricter and more accessible WCAG AAA Digital Accessibility Standards

• Academic journal publication reflecting on the process of the podcast's production centered on universal access and knowledge sharing

Won’t Haves (future “wish list”)

• Video companions to podcast episodes