Technical Foundations of Digital Media and Digital Design

The course comprises two modules: Module 1 Digital Design, 7.5 ECTS cr The module deals with issues of design processes in digital environments and the importance of analytical methods for evaluating and developing services in these contexts. The focus is on the conceptualisation of data-driven development, e.g. by observing patterns of usage and integrating them into design processes. The students plan, design and develop strategically tailored digital environments drawing on areas such as usability design, search optimisation, and web analysis. The students also reflect upon the role of the data analyst in an organisation, including the specific challenges this role entails in terms of communication and coordination and the design of socially and ecologically sustainable processes. Instruction is in the form of lectures, workshops, seminars, and supervised group work. Module 2 Data Infrastructure, 7.5 ECTS cr The module aims towards a general understanding of the technological frameworks involved in digital media analysis. The practical components of module 1 are followed up by introducing technical and conceptual vocabulary of digital communication networks and data analysis, including protocols, algorithms, data typologies, and metrics. Special emphasis is on the practices of tracking and targeting online, both in terms of the strategies being applied and the underlying technical infrastructure. The module also provides an overview of the functionalities and structure of the most relevant social media platforms and skills in critically analysing the data flows between them. Students practise identifying connections between datafication and mechanisms of social sorting and categorisation, and engage in critical discussion of its societal consequences. Instruction is in the form of lectures, workshops, seminars, and supervised group work.