Week+1

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=Week 1= David Gelb went through the scope of the class (going through course outline). Bill Kirby, director of the CCCA, came in and introduced the CCCA project, where we are invited as a class to be a part of rethinking their database in terms of content management, expanding searching options, etc. (See Project for more details.) **Website:** [|Centre for Canadian Contemporary Art]

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Background

 * CCCA as high-end with established artists, recognizable careers; research-oriented
 * adaptable to all viewers
 * artists as participants or partners (therefore not so much copyright issues and is flexible compared to other formal art database)
 * 100,000 viewers all over the world; approximately 3 million hits each month.
 * Website is used in an art classroom context, in place of traditional slides
 * database-driven, template based
 * open source material, some are not

Needs

 * Improved search mechanisms. i.e. aim for efficiency
 * Design as secondary to content.
 * Ideas for information visualization
 * User defined interface, customize to their needs
 * several ways of viewing information (list, detail, thumbnails, timeline, side by side comparison)
 * He mentioned something about reconsidering the name to something more appropriate (Is this for the name CCCA or the name of the interface they use currently?)
 * Information management interface that is well-customized (Multimemsis?)
 * Easier to access navigation (reconsider drop down menu, especially with more than two level hierarchy); navigation should be intuitive
 * Immersing the user (for them to find what they're looking for easily, but at the same time engage them with other things so they would stay longer at the site) → present interconnections
 * Resolution display differences - should be consistent
 * Browser forms → to database → online instantly
 * Rethink how to document performances (slideshow/video instead of mass thumbnailing)
 * Being able to look at data in context (i.e. timeline)
 * customizable: date range, series, medium, comparing artists with other timeline
 * Must have standard metadata field / most necessary information
 * title, dimensions, medium, date, artist, source

Opportunities

 * access from mobile devices (problem with copyright problems when delivering video)
 * in place of traditional slides; more interactive
 * not married to the idea of traditional way of teaching; should make it possible, but should also invite to embrace digital media
 * resource center of high resolution images projected on screen → repository of all necessary information
 * virtual exhibitions
 * cross database searching
 * formal taxonomy with wiki-relationship
 * tags, commentary, public interactive (2 way, feedback)
 * [|Digging Into Data] (He gave this as an example)
 * tri-country grant (participating countries UK, US, and Canada)
 * a challenge to find ways to make accessing information (large-data) more useable, accessible, teachable

PACT Analysis
> perhaps a "tag" software can be installed on this site > so the range is very wide and the site needs to cater to both || design community || * Search for designers
 * **Users** || **Activities** || **Context** ||
 * artists || * updating bio and past works/exhibitions
 * keeping up with colleagues
 * uploading / managing own work
 * use as portfolio space
 * manage subscriptions through rss
 * use as a self-promotional tool
 * use as a blog to keep track of progress || * university
 * for artists who are unfamiliar with building a website from scratch
 * an online social networking platform for creative minds ||
 * teachers || * image analysis for teaching
 * preparing images || * Used in place of traditional slides ||
 * students || * Research
 * Inspiration
 * Class Assignments
 * Thesis || * Grade school
 * High school
 * University (undergrad/grad)
 * Collage ||
 * curators || * searches for artists
 * finds common thread between multiple works, either visual or conceptual
 * opportunities for online exhibitions
 * would benefit from a blog || * entitled to give his or her opinion on an artist's work
 * publishes papers
 * needs to envision how these works will appear in a gallery setting: dimensions/size of piece? materials used?
 * since he or she would need to find a thesis that connects through multiple works,
 * perhaps as the curator goes through works, he can pick and choose images and add to a "basket" or "archive" where he can go back to at any given point. In whcih case, he would need to be a sort of member of the site. He then signs in and begins going through the mysql database. ||
 * researchers || * Research
 * Thesis
 * Add to knowledge || * Writes/publishes papers
 * Writes/publishes books
 * Writes/publishes documents ||
 * casual viewers || * browsing || * perhaps unfamiliar
 * either very knowledgeable about contemporary canadian art or not at all,
 * designers and
 * Examine specific Movements
 * use for portfolio space
 * Keep up with peers || * Learn about design at an educational/recreational level
 * See the progression of design through movements
 * Look at different designers
 * Educational
 * Promotional
 * Professional ||