I learned a lot during this unit, both about Visual Storytelling as a medium, how I can apply those principles in creating Digital Stories, and how I can view them on display in the media and art I love. I was thoroughly challenged not just to create certain visual elements, but extract meaning from and form strong narratives surrounding them. In summary, I have learned both the basics of Digital Storytelling and one of the most essential aspects of its composition.
Key Takeaways
One of the most important things I learned was the importance of a strong narrative and visual elements in education. Often, digital educational materials can feel like a textbook was sucked into the computer and displayed on the screen. From my angle of Historic Preservation and what I’ve learned in Museum Studies, understanding how to engage an audience, whether that be visitors to a museum or a lecture, is crucial to their retention of the information you present. Furthermore, for those visuals to engage, they have to have serious intent behind their inclusion within the narrative, or else they don’t act within it and are a waste of space, which will draw attention elsewhere.
Challenges
To create a visual is something I am relatively experienced in: I have been making short films, taking photos, and drawing constantly ever since I was little. However, drawing from these pieces to construct compelling narratives is something else entirely. I found that to be a particular struggle throughout this unit. Organizing the “thousand words” that a picture can contain into something clear is easily what confounded me the most. But ultimately, by facing that unknown, I was able to overcome it and improve my abilities.
Digital Bank Assignments