VIS159: History of Art and Technology

Your paper will have two parts. Each part should be about 500 words in length.

1. The chapter "What is New Media?" introduces seven particular cases
of the principle of variability. Take one of this cases and present
an argument that it can also be found in old media
, and thus is not unique to new media.

Examples of possible arguments to develop:
-a traditional book which has text and footnotes can
be already considered hypertext;
-an architectural space such as maze is already
based on branching interactivity;
-modern design of trademarks and logos and products
is already scalable since a designer creates deferent
versions of the same trademark for different uses.

For extra credit: In what other ways the principle of
variability operates in new media? Discuss one or more
cases not mentioned by the chapter. Try to present a
general principle rather than simply particular examples.

2. The chapter "The Language of Cultural Interfaces"
discusses how conventions of print, cinema, and human-computer
interface shaped the language of cultural interfaces.
Using this analysis as an example, discuss the role
played by conventions of other older media in new media.
Focus your discussion on one media, such as are music, architecture,
theater, or television. Make your analysis concrete by
showing how particular older conventions operate in
particular new media objects, such as Web sites, computer games,
software interfaces, etc.

Examples of possible topics:
- the concept of television channels on the Web;
- music metaphors in Director interface;
- architectural conventions in adventure games.