Required:

Flash CS5: The Missing Manual
By: Chris Grover
Publisher: O’Reilly Media, Inc.
Pub. Date: May 25, 2010
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-4493-8025-0
Online resources:
Example files and web sites

Recommended:

Flash® Professional CS5 Bible
By: Todd Perkins
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Pub. Date: July 13, 2010
Print ISBN: 978-0-470-60228-7

1. Illustrate and set in motion an “Instructable” OR
2. Illustrate and set in motion a nursery rhyme OR
3. Propose a project of your own choosing that incorporates original illustrations using Flash and motion components to guide a user experience

The project is intended to allow students to use Flash as an authoring platform. The student will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Original graphic creation in Flash or utilizing the Adobe Creative Suite CS5 applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, etc.)
• Full utilization of timeline-based animation using sprites, movie clips and motion graphics
• Provide basic functionality: Start, forward/backward navigation, replay and quit
• Proper execution of a project plan according to storyboards, sketches or schemas
• Use of sound (required) and video (not required) where appropriate
• Adherence to the design project grading rubric

Week 1

Course Introduction & User Interaction Principles

• Introduction and Course Overview
• What is a User Interface?
• What is a user experience?
• Lab: Flash IDE introduction, review, and discussion

Assignment for next week:

1. Assemble and bring any and all prior Flash or Interactive Motion work
2. Review and complete practice exercises in Grover, Introduction & Chapters 1 – 3
3. Submit your results from the Motion Tweening exercise, pp. 98 – 110, Shape Tweening exercise, p. 111 – 115 and the Shape Hints exercise, pp. 115 – 116. Make your own graphics – do not use the default graphics provided by the text. (Submit to the dropbox in a folder labeled with your last name and the week submitted (e.g. moner-wk2)

Week 2

Flash Fundamentals

• Frames, Layers, Drawing, Coloring, Text

Assignment for next week:

1. Review and complete practice exercises in Grover, Chapters 4 – 6
2. Complete creative brief and storyboards for your animated instructable or nursery rhyme. Prepare a rough draft of the project, including as many elements of interactivity and scripting as possible. Create graphics and motion assets, paying close attention to sequence, naming conventions and motion principles.

Week 3

Assignment for next week:

1. Create your FLA project for the Midterm Assignment. Create graphics and library items for your key frames. Assemble your story/instructable in proper sequence. Create all keyframes, Start and End frames, including buttons to Start, Replay and Exit. Be aware of layering and time constraints—you will only have three weeks to complete this assignment.

Week 4

Assignment for next week:

1. COMPLETE Midterm Assignment. Integrate sound, sound effects and motion enhancements. Enhance and improve graphics from testing-level quality to production-level quality. Test interactivity and all aspects of motion. The goal is to deliver a smooth, clear and professional presentation of your interactive story or instruction set.

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11