Design of Digital Cultural Products
The specialization “Design of Digital Cultural Products” focuses on the possible “scenarios” of each “cultural projection”, combined with cutting-edge technologies, such as two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) graphics, mobile technologies, virtual and mixed reality. Emphasis is placed on the synthesis of theoretical models related to cultural representation with practices of how to record, manage and display cultural data in the form of digital applications. Within this framework, the courses combine students’ acquisition of knowledge of the methods and techniques of how to construct “digital narratives” with cultural content as well as students’ familiarization with the technologies used in various fields for the creation of web-based and stand-alone multimedia applications.
Winter Semester
7 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΠΟΛ102
Angeliki Chrysanthi, Yiannis Iliadis
“Cultural narration”, as a concept and as a content, is defined by the practices of cultural representation that involve the discovery (and/or creation), transmission and display of a data corpus. This data, drawn upon a particular historical, economic, social and cultural context, is articulated, interpreted and made meaningful in a different context and environment through the creation of narration. The course first examines the basic theoretical principles of cultural representation, and relates them to practices such as interpretation, organization, management and display of cultural resources for the needs of contemporary cultural production. Therefore, it ends up exploring and elaborating the concept of narration in the light of contemporary digital forms of representing cultural information and designing interactive scenarios. Students are encouraged to examine interactive narrative projects at both theoretical and practical levels and are provided with the appropriate methodological and digital tools so to be able to compose complex and engaging scenarios for any kind of application encountered in the contemporary landscape of digital culture.
7 ECTS
COURSE CODE 3ΓΡ300
Vlasis Kasapakis, Alexandros Spathis, George Rizopoulos
The course “Three-Dimensional (3D) Graphics” is initially concerned with learning the basic design and theoretical principles of the field. More specifically, the course introduces students to the field of three-dimensional (3D) graphics design through a practical approach that allows them to study and apply the basic principles of 3D- graphics modeling. Furthermore, students can be trained how they can place of lighting, materials and textures in 3D-graphics, while both theoretical and practical techniques of 3D animation and the introduction of 3D-graphics to game development engines are approached.
10 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΕΙΠ100
Vlasis Kasapakis, Elena Tzardanova
The course “Developing Games and Augmented Reality Applications with C#I” is initially about learning the basics of programming with C# language. Then, the course introduces students to Game Design and Development with Unity specialization to learn its basic functions, how to create virtual worlds by using 3D-graphics, and how to program behaviors so to develop interactive applications and games.
6 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΣΧΕΠ100
Elena Tzardanova
The course “Games Development” is initially concerned with learning the basic design and theoretical principles of the field in developing interactive games and applications. More specifically, the course introduces students to the field of application and game design through a fragmentation approach of the key elements involved in this process. Students are provided with the theoretical knowledge that is required to conceive and design digital interactive games and applications, while being guided towards the process of capturing the design for their future development with the use of application and game development engines.
Spring Semester
7 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΠΟΛ203
Nikos Boubaris
In this course we critically apply concepts, methods and theories from cultural – media studies to formulate principles and practices in content design in a variety of multimedia applications such as desktop, virtual and mixed reality. Content creation concerns the dynamic production of meanings, emotions and experiences during the development of a communication process. Within this context, content creation both shapes and is shaped by the possibilities offered by digital media and user interfaces. More specifically, content creation involves: a) the application of traditional and experimental research methods so to create the primary data that compose the conceptual and informational contours of the application; b) the development of narrative structures that combine alternative information flows with the dynamics of users’ emotional engagement; c) the transformation of information data into images, sounds and texts which carry and reshape various socio-cultural communication patterns; d) human-computer interaction through which the conditions/terms are formed so that specific positions and communication practices between the user and the technical system can be developed. Within the context of the course, the above are approached and critically applied through the implementation of an interactive multimedia application.
6 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΓΣΔ100
Sofia Mytilinaiou
In this particular course, we initially try to get to know the new way of thinking and strategy in the field of design in digital environments through the study of User Experience Design by offering to the work team methods and tools how to carry out research and understand in depth, how to feel and provide the best possible result, not only for their customer but also for the users, whom we now encounter worldwide. Subsequently, the result of this analytical research will bring information and knowledge so that the purely design part will be enriched and directed by the Surface Elevation in User interface (UI) design. In this part of the course, we are learning and studying the principles of composition, typography, colors and all the tools that the designer can use, the tools that are adapted to the needs of digital reality, while we are also observing the differences with the printed design. These design tools do not only aim to produce a beautiful result, but also to create the conditions (i.e. visualization and organization of operations and content) so that users have the most satisfying experience in different digital environments.
10 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΠΕΠ200
Vlasis Kasapakis
The course “Developing / Programming Games in Augmented Reality Applications with C#II” includes the application and extension of the principles presented in the winter semester within the context of the course “Developing Games in Augmented Reality Applications with C# I”, in application development environments with the aim to fully familiarize the participants. This course presents in detail and practically the process of developing and programming applications and games in virtual and mixed reality environments using common development tools. More specifically, the students of the Postgraduate Programme are introduced to advanced game and application development tools on the Unity platform, while implementing and utilizing a variety of techniques, games and applications by using three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) graphics in an environment of computer, virtual reality mask and on mobile devices.
7 ECTS
COURSE CODE ΠΕΠ300
Vlasis Kasapakis, Elena Tzardanova
The offered teaching course provides an extensive introduction to Virtual and Mixed Reality (VR, MR) technologies, examining in depth how the historical context, cultural narratives and technological landscape of each era sustained the slow development of the modern immersive medium for over two centuries. Of particular interest is the correlation of the vision of Virtual Reality, as expressed by a series of prophets, inventors, and various historical artifacts, with the practical challenges of developing its individual technological components and synthesizing them into a variety of system architectures. Since the 1990s, Virtual Reality has been evolving into a recognized scientific discipline and the first theories of interpretation of the immersion experience have been introduced, both as attempts to identify and control the possible parameters that cause it and their gradual modeling. Not only is experimentation within the industry intensifying, but also is the diffusion of technology, which is now being utilized as a tool in a large number of other scientific fields.