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Conflict and Media NAM project development

Submitted by cfollows on 25 July 2011 - 9:50am
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http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/conflictandmedia/

The Conflict and Media NAM project http://conflictandmedia.arts.ac.uk/ initially seeks to bring together the photographic archives of Phillip Jones Griffiths, the film archive of Stanley Kubrick, and the journalistic archive of Phillip Knightley in an interactive multimedia resource that looks at the resonances of the conflict in Vietnam today.

The project will continue in the future to expand its coverage and critique of the role of media in conflict by adding more resources and critical material. As such, it will be a valuable resource for history, politics, film, photography, media and journalism scholars and students. The resource will be developed by the  team from the Photography and the Archive Research Centre (PARC) based at the London College of Communication (LCC), University of the Arts London (UAL). The project seeks to bring together 3 sets of archives initially, and to then introduce further materials during the lifetime of the resource. Initially, the project will draw on the photographs and other materials already digitised by Magnum Photos and the Phillip Jones Griffiths Foundation, which amounts to approximately 3,000 items including photographs, notes and audio interviews with the photographer and other commentators. This archive is soon to be housed at a new centre at the University of Bangor and part of the National Library of Wales. From the UAL Archives and Special Collections Centre the project will draw on the digitised assets relating to the production of Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘Full Metal Jacket’, which include locations stills, production stills, annotated works and reference books, including excerpts from Jones Griffith’s Vietnam Inc. Additionally, the project will use Phillip Knightley’s notebooks and reports from the period. LCC has contributed to the digitisation of these assets. See project Blog blogs.arts.ac.uk/conflictandmedia/

Aims and Objectives

To develop an innovative resource for teaching and learning that will integrate images, audio, video and multimedia pieces into an innovative resource. The site will seek to draw connections between different areas of practice around the issues of the ethics of war reporting and the media’s role in covering and representing conflicts.

To develop a template based on the above aim that can be reused by others for similar archive based projects

To deliver a report based on the experiences and evaluation of developing the project, especially focusing on the IPR issues and the curation of the resources.

To develop a sustainability plan for the project to ensure its existence for 5 years

To develop an dissemination plan including a series of linked themed conferences on photography and conflict.

Project blog - http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/conflictandmedia/

Drupal development update 20 June 2011

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

PROGRESS AND AIMS

The following draws reference from Paul Lowe’s original NAM proposal, the student led design user feedback session on 19 May 2011, discussions with Grzesiek Sedek (Nam Drupal developer) and John Casey (ALTO) and the representatives of the three archives involved.

SUMMARY

We propose the CONFLICT AND MEDIA website would consist of two connected sites – one formal library of archived content ‘THE NAM ARCHIVE’ with an integrated dynamic ‘EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION’ section.

Development Methodology and Review Process: Development will follow agile principles (rapid prototyping, targeting known problem areas and early user testing etc) and include regular reviews of progress. Reviews will consist of several workshop style meetings of the project personnel.

ORGANISATION OF WORK (completion date 30/09/11)

People: The work has been discussed by Chris Follows Grzesiek Sedek (Drupal Developer), given the time of year, we hope to develop as much as possible before Mid July, before the holiday period begins.

I have requested 2 day specialist consultation from Brightlemon at the beginning of July and they will consult again towards the end of August.

We should consider employing a designer, we would like the user experience and user driven design functionality to be the primary development motivation. A designer would work with this approach in mind. Q. Any designers in mind, have we a budget for this?

Conflict and media: experimental research and discussion

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

This section of the CONFLICT AND MEDIA site will encourage users to experiment with the content from the archives and their own research.

Users would not like the site overloaded with functionality, like NING site etc.

User would like the site to engage with as many ages as possible, engage school children.

The functionality of the site will take advantage of the UALs existing http://process.arts.ac.uk/ site, which is based on Drupal, has been very successful and the ALTO project (based in CLTAD) has identified the site as suitable for upgrading as part of the ALTO workplan.

The general aims of the upgrade are:

To improve the user experience and the system performance in the light of the lessons learned since the site was initially established as an experimental exercise – in terms of usability, performance and functionality.

It is also intended to use this opportunity to tidy up any loose ends and necessary maintenance left over from the original development.

The code from the upgraded version of the process.arts site be used to develop the CONFLICT AND MEDIA RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION site, it will be will redesigned and include additional specific functionality based on the following feedback:

TIMELINES:

User group would like to create timelines – Student group would like to research Philip Jones Griffiths and other photographers and try and map who was in same place at same time and what they were doing – only (Philip Jones Griffiths, Tim page, Larry borrows appear to cross-paths) the timeline map would show what and where photographers were at certain times – there are problems of finding and mapping dates some documentation shows the year but no research material shows which month.

For example the timeline would explore intense periods like 1968 battle Saigon lots of photographs, and would be contrasted against why no photography documented in 1969 photographers activity is juxtaposed with historical events. The users would like to find out why Philip Jones Griffiths was in a certain place at a certain time and why not in other times. Was another photographer shooting another story in another place at same time, maybe run timelines of different photographers side by side?

ACTION: Timeline software: The students suggested using dynamic simile timeline software, this can be installed as a Drupal module see examples here (http://www.simile-widgets.org/timeline/examples) – students can add data direct into the timeline. One large timeline that can be filtered should be considered, different students responsible for different timelines, war, events, photographers…

Student users will obtain 3rd party content from the public domain to add to the timeline with links to various websites etc

The student group responsible for the timeline projects will have a nominated student administrator user for each timeline project, all other students to be

Editors/contributors/moderators. Non timeline students and site users can add or change content on the timeline but this will be moderated before publishing.

SITE COMMUNICATION:

Site group email – users do not want to use internal site email communication they would like to continue using Independent group emails.

Users would like a basic Forum or blog focused specifically on discussion of research questions. The public can ask questions of the researchers (General).

USERS:

Student users are unclear regarding their involvement after they have contributed their research and gained their 10 grades, majority do not see themselves needing/wanting to contribute to the site again unless their research demands.

Q. Begs the question; what is the sites primary function? It’s an archive and research site.

Q. Who are the logged in users, what rights do they have?

Student researchers

Staff researchers – creation of learning objects

Outside researchers

UAL Student users

Public or not public – what happens – Users say anyone should be able to comment – open debate Q. who will manage this?

Users would like private (closed off sessions) sections

CONTENT:

Q. “Can we do stuff that’s not just words”? Video – interviews (“would be nice to interview his daughters about his thought process, about his Journal, what was said to his daughters as they grew up around the dinner table”) 27:50

Video & Multimedia – User interested in PJG editing process, contact sheets, viewing them, who worked with him the darkroom, help editing. Interview, talking heads. User generated video and embedded 3rd party content video and images.

Physical primary source content and digital content and 3rd party users are aware of the the relationships between the two forms – search methods

Site should include Image light-box

User does not want this to be lots and lots of academic text. See American experience – Vietnam online, all the videos of the TV reels of the day.

SEARCH & TAGS

Searchable by key word e.g. women and photography

Q. Can we produce, predict keywords?

Users would like it to have good Keyword search and be really well cross referenced.

Archive tags and research tags (same tag cloud keep it simple)

Three areas of research, users would like to see in-depth tagging and key word to be very comprehensive. Q. How will the archive tagging (taxonomy) and research taxonomy be integrated together?

SPECIALIST RESEARCH GROUPS:

Student researcher is interested in Philip Jones Griffiths welsh identify and would like to create a timeline of their background history welsh personal history, explore Philip Jones Griffiths identified with the oppressed peoples of the world – his own connection to welsh occupied territory 8oo years (tape 2 – 02:01)

Student researcher is interested the nature of the ‘embedded press system’ how US military used Press briefings to mould the shape of the media output contrast to how it is today.

User idea – smaller tabs, subheadings research project groups – users create their own communities. Researchers Spark off debates

Larger personal research – Breakaway independent sites to carry on loosely related research projects

Forum for researchers – Users do not want a site Forum (too much like NING) but would like one to compile sub forum linked to research categories as they prepare content in groups. Site will be like a forum.

Stanley Kubrick – User would like to find the photographs Kubrick used for Full metal Jacket, marry up the visuals. Archive Kubrick’s copy of Vietnam Inc. with cut out sections used to set up a scene and explore which other photographers he used as influence, photos, clip of film, stills. Film scene grabs (copyright issues) Q. how does this look as a post? – Text and image essay form suggested by students, film clips would be embedded. Q. How do dispersed archive elements come together?

MIND MAPS:

Users would like to link together text and pictures from photographers articles, interviews personal brought together through mind mapping with an image in the middle and text coming from the image.

LAYOUT DESIGN:

Mapping route of photographers but not to be over complicated KEEP EASY AND ACCESSIBLE – 2 Themes – at the entrance structured layout ways into the archives

Archives are overwhelming – users to give it visual language, reel it in to see what you need.

Q. Users unsure what the archive material will include, Index or copies of the images

Users would like the encourage serendipity by opening up ways to explore the site by including an element of discovery – users suggest contextual links, research paths, when your on one story you can learn of other related subjects, tag related search to research. Q. Can images in the archive be related to the research content being produced and be shown in the archive when that image is selected?  E.g. if the image has been used by six people and this is how they are using it in their research.

Users would imagine a prominent search area on front page and then features into the different type of content. See images student made of interfaces.

During the interface visual session:

Slide show random images, image archive (jump right into the images)

Multimedia aspect of the site on the main page

Interactive map – Geography

Divided into groups – specific

Tags, keywords

Maps  (Vietnam map, key areas?)

A feature with a big Image, very prominent search, link to advanced search specify tick box images or text.

Group A

To be able to get where you want from the front page, sections for list popular content, without having to leave the home page straight away, give you an idea of the sort of content you want. Categories of content – top level of archives

Group B

Header image and title of the project, educational platform users would like to show where they discover their research (things they found)

Grabber visual entrance to the site (popular images) Tag cloud

The Archive

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

ARCHIVE CONTENT: Student user stories, notes from audio recordings of  workshop 19/05/2011

In the Index, content and searches users would like clear levels and distinctions of what content can be used and how, information should be associated with content and related content. It would be good to clearly define what is actually available online and what content you have to login to find and use (what can a non logged in user see, what is their experience).  Avoid/Excluded no dead links.

Users think nothing worse than finding a good piece of content and not being able to access it, would be good to have the choice – a link if you’d like to go further with your research they can contact the archive and request this content Q. Is this possible, for archives to deal with such requests? What advice do we give to access content?

Some students are not naturally research students, (what are the ‘standards’, expectations for the research, is this a scholarly exercise, how much experiment) Creative links, off on a tangent, time based – graphic design

The word ‘EXPERIMENT’ should be used associated with the research part of this project, students would like their association with the site to be aligned in context with the JISC project.

Licensing

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

Licensing: Student user stories, notes from audio recordings of  workshop 19/05/2011

What kind of licensing options – users think this is important issues (crucial)

Dream licence – users should be able to use whatever is on that site – Non-commercial, share alike. E.g. “It would be great to look through the diaries and have a photocopy scan of the diaries next to our work” (26:10)

Users would like to understand how the creative commons works and licensing, users would like to have help and support in this area, for using content, making videos etc.

The Diaries

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

The Diaries: Student user stories, notes from audio recordings of  workshop 19/05/2011

Users would like to examine the diaries of PJG, to assist in finding out where he was, what photos he took and when – they would like to know if they could copy the Diaries? Can these be published online?

Drupal development meeting – 13 April 2011

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

Drupal development meeting – High Holborn 10:00 – 13:00 13 April 2011

John Casey, Mike Kelly, Grzesiek Sedek, Chris Follows

Nam project drupal development Team/ ALTO/drupal open.arts project (process.arts)
Drupal Project team: Nam Project Manager – Paul Lowe
Quality Manager – John Casey (ALTO project manager)
Drupal development project coordinator –
Chris Follows NAM drupal manager (ALTO project coordinator and process.arts creator)
Lead drupal developer – Grzesiek Sedek
In house advisors (CLTAD ) Mike Kelly – Paul Tabak

Issue Proposed action Who & When
1. Nam team to meet up asap and start communicating as much as possible via email, skype and phone Grzesiek and NAM team to discuss how best to work together. Consider using versioning system – subversion or GIT Grzesiek, Chris and Paul to all meet up at LCC 19 May 2011, also meeting user groups and other project staff.
2. Hao process.arts developer Talk via email Grzesiek and Hao  (TBC)
3. Research user types, personas user stories, permissions, sitemap, content types, non-functional requirements Paul Lowe and Nam team to work in-depth with Chris Follows to create a clear overview Paul Lowe and Chris – to start straight away, to make best use of time over Easter and early May to develop as and when staff are available
4. User stories, MA students, online students, researchers, external partners, academics Write lots of user stories for both drupal projects and relationships to ALTO John Casey and all project staff
5. Nam site simple and user friendly – view content, search content – interact with content and users – bring content together to create ‘mash ups’ create groups and communities Simple and user friendly – additional functionality and collaborations with Penn state and Johns connections in Scotland to be followed once a working template is in place All – Note – Penn state – Separate funding opportunity
6. Publishing options personal work space Create personal space to develop content/tutorials Grzesiek
7. Nam and ALTO have similar interests in developing drupal sites at UAL to handle rich media content. The Nam site to be developed with primary focus on Nam functionality, process.arts will also be developed ‘as it is’ in parallel along side Nam with a basic upgrading, development and to be packaged for open distribution with funding support from ALTO. Viewing process.arts as a starting point for both projects – Grzesiek will test basic upgrade of process.arts to Drupal 6.3 to note changes, bugs and what stops working etc, decision to be made regarding fresh build, clean site for both sites or just Nam. (In progress)
8. Process.arts upgrade, additions code site package for open source – output a cleaned up version of process.arts – Explore Sandbox as server Chris project manager

Hao and Sat – advice

Grzesiek Drupal developer

 (ALTO separately funded in collaboration with Nam) start ASAP
9. Story boarding module and code review Collaborative project ALTO – Nam and – Glasgow partners Towards the end of Nam project
10. ALTO Drupal development Prepare project plan and budget John and Chris (May 2011)
11. Review other drupal projects http://my.arts.ac.uk/mycpd/

https://elearning.psu.edu/elearning/

http://www.baaso.org.uk/

https://open.umich.edu/wiki/Install/mac/laptop

 Use Open source  where possible – Copy of mycpd – use relevant code – Grzesiek also to look at  http://www.baaso.org.uk/ could this be of use? Chris, Grzesiek (ASAP)
12. Concerns raised regarding the digitising process/formatting of Nam content, labelling needs to be considered in context of the site build and standardised across the archives prior to adding to the site – are the images all optimised for web, different optimisations. Nam team to provide 20 – 50 pieces of sample/real content from each archive in the form of how they are going to archive e.g. showing how content is being stored, optimised, meta data, archived and categorised. This will inform the both teams. Grzesiek and Chris to test content integration with test site (ASAP)
13. Best methods of importing and cattogrising content Talk with content team  
14. UAL Drupal development Project Wiki to be set up Set up drupal Wiki on Sandbox Chris (In progress)
15. Drupal Open Atrium Like base camp do we want to use this for project manage  
16. Good practice case studies – champions Start thinking about case studies Ongoing
17. Drupal – eprints (Perl) integration

Import feeding from server and migration – consider light intergration via linking – deposit in ALTO button in process.arts

 Ask – Edshare about direct access to data base and file system how they handle content John Casey, EdShare, Ronald Ashri – Funding required
18. Process.arts template – Look at two systems – an internal setup integration with, ALTO, LDAP, IT consider restrictions and benefits, and external systems, servers (sandbox) how does this work with internal systems? Need to consider in the wider picture. Ongoing – funding required for future development
19. Drupal hackathon developer event at UAL Brightlemon interested in being involved Mid June – funding required

Understanding current practice

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

Objective: Complete design and development of the NAM site and user environment

User Consultations and Prototyping: Understanding current practice / Discuss & produce paper and wire-frame prototypes and examples / Identify User needs / identify user requirements/

Prior to MAM specific user testing, the following was prepared based on earlier projects of a similar nature.

Nam: Early thoughts 21-03-11 – What do we want the Nam site to do?

Learning from existing projects the NAM project could benefit from the research and development already taken place in a UAL drupal site called http://process.arts.ac.uk/. The structure of process.arts works well in its basic form and delivers a clear, simple and user-friendly environment for user to view, interact and contribute rich media resources online although The PA site is in need of a basic upgrade and some minor development in order to improve the user experience and its general look and feel. We also need to add additional functionality how do we do this without alienating or compromising the user experience, I propose we approach this in 1-3 phases of development.  The following is based on rough estimates only.

Phase 1 – Basic upgrade and development (estimated 4-6 weeks development)

With a basic update and minimal development the current framework of process.arts can deliver – “… a web based interface that will integrate images, audio, video and multimedia pieces into an innovative resource that will seek to draw connections between different areas of practice around the issues of the ethics of war reporting and the media’s role in covering and representing conflicts.” from NAM original proposal

 

“The site will include a blog with invited guest contributors” from NAM original proposal

 

“The project will sit within the UAL OER repository and will form a key resource for PARC as well as the other partners.” from NAM original proposal (How much/what type of integration do we want/require)

Phase 1 preparation

Which server will this site be hosted on?

If internal, what space and price is agreed etc, what aspects will IT manage/not manage

What are the capabilities of the system?

What login system will it have (who’s the Nam site for, describe user profiles/roles?)

Terms and conditions, licensing etc (see ALTO)

How can the image thumbnail (vocabularies/category pages) area be adapted to reflect the Nam vocabularies/category pages?

Phase 1 Key development areas

Improved/dynamic help and Q&A pages, develop peer support networks General
Terms to include creative commons General
Take down policy General
Licence option (creative commons) create content page General
Background colour change option (dyslexia) General
RSS feeds General
 
Design image thumbnails add Nam vocabularies/category pages? Layout/design
Improve tutorial post creation e.g. bring different elements from various posts together video, image, text, sound etc to create ‘BASIC’ learning objects. (see phase 2 for advanced development) Layout/design
Create a more dynamic banner area on front page and vocabularies/category pages (currently image banner link below tags) Layout
View recent comments on main pages (use and improve how comments are presented and highlighted) Layout
Show two separate columns/feeds on front page and category pages, e.g. ‘Recent posts’ & ‘Featured posts’, (most viewed can be featured if necessary or leave as separate tab as before) Layout
Blog/forum feeds on front page (danger of over crowding front page, do we need a blog) Layout
 
Improve/add download media options on all content Content
Embed Flash media content option Content
Improved Text input fields (all site) Content
Embed Flash media content option Content
Expand format types, embed and attach Content
Create and design better presentation of 3rd party useful website links, content link alone on a post looks sparse. Content
Vimeo thumbnails fail to display on teasers in IE Content
Introduce draft option for working documents, online or offline draft (work in progress) Content
Blogs – Personal and group NOTE Post are blog like so is there a need for a blog as well or just add group functionality to content and users Content
   
Set minimum profile info requirements e.g. – thumbnail, short title summary of who you are? User profile
View all members on the site (privacy settings) User profile
Improved user personal profile tools and interface User profile
Improved user statistics, views, comments, downloads etc. User profile
User to user in site messaging (inbox) User profile
Friends option User profile
Privacy settings User profile
Improve subscriptions options User profile
Invite friends to the site – page User profile
   
Expand images on click or view images at higher resolutions Images
Option to add metadata to Individual Images Images
Improve/add bath image uploading Images
Image download options Images
Link/improve relationships and reference between images and text Images
In site Image basic editing tools Images
Individual image licensing options Images
   
Separate video link download option, preferably Quick Time so viewable on iphone/ipod/ipad Video
Improved video embedding of site video content with other sites and networks Video
Upload limit settings, higher for specific users Video
Improve videos with fine detail, e.g. screen captured videos show blurry small/fine details Video
   
Forums Social tools
Groups – chat – status Social tools
Improved social networking integration, twitter, facebook etc Social tools
   
Image file name conflict (overwrite problems when uploading images with same file names) Bugs and updates
Featured page – post gaps Bugs and updates
 
W3C accessibility standards Integrate
Explore site re-use and packaging options Integrate

Phase 2 – learning design development (estimated 3 – 4 weeks development)

Explore how learning design could be applied to upgraded site and its various content types, how can content from this site be mixed and presented as learning objects?

I propose we look at integrating this into the site as an additional part of the site, which can be added or used if required, trying to integrate this complex functionality into the ‘main’ site may alienate ‘regular’ users.

“embedded in the curriculum of courses at UAL” (Define what this means, provide visuals examples of this to use as templates for development)

 

Phase 3 – Site package and distribution (NOTE NOT WITHIN THIS PROJECTS SCOPE)

 

“The website will be able to be ‘skinned’ in a customised way so that individual partners can more easily integrate it into their own websites by giving it a similar look and feel to their own sites.”

 

Wish list

Integration with ALTO, e-portfolios, myblogs.arts etc General
Events page General
LDAP sites ONLY – Address how to include Alumni accounts and current students who use the site and leave? General
 
Be able to show images along side sound file uploads Content
Share options – group only – site users only –  Open to the web (to be default) Content
Wiki style option for ‘collaborative’ post editing options Content
 
Improve Animated image sequence content type

 

 Images
 
Annotations Video
Video & text sync (follow along highlighted text/annotations) Video
Video chapter/maker jump links Video

Project working group

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

Paul Lowe | NAM Director

Brigitte Lardinois | NAM Curator

Wendy Short | NAM Assistant Curator

Chris Follows | NAM Drupal Manager

Grzeseik Sedek  | NAM Drupal Developer

Sarah Mahurter | Project Manager, UAL Archives & Special Collections Centre

Richard Daniels| Senior Archivist, UAL Archives and Special Collections Centre

Rachel Howse | Cataloguing Archivist, UAL Archives and Special Collections Centre

Nick Galvin| Digital Archive Consultant formerly Head of Archive Magnum Photos

Russell Merriman| Dean of Media Faculty LCC

Katherine Holden| Daughter of Philip Jones Griffiths and Founder PJG Foundation

Faanella Ferrato | Daughter of Philip Jones Griffiths and Founder PJG Foundation

David Learmont | Director Information and Library Services Bangor University

John Casey| NAM Project Evaluator

NAM drupal & site development team

Posted on July 15, 2011 by chrisfollows

NAM Drupal & Site development Coordinator

Chris Follows
Arts Learning & Teaching online college coordinator (ALTO) – http://www.arts.ac.uk/alto/
SCORE Fellow UAL/Open University -
http://www8.open.ac.uk/score/fellows

I have worked at the University Arts London for 7 years.
My pedagogic research includes UAL research pilot project: http://process.arts.ac.uk an open resource, sharing and exploring process in arts practice through the day to day practice of staff and students at UAL. Part of this three year research and development will feed into the development of the NAM project.

I graduated from Fine Art painting at Wimbledon College of Art in 2000.
I paint, make videos and animation in my studio, an artist run space is in Stockwell, London – http://www.amacstudios.org – Paintings Work in corporate and private collections.

NAM - Drupal developer – Grzesiek Sedek

NAM – Drupal & site development consultants – Brightlemon http://www.brightlemon.com – BrightLemon™ London build large social networks which grow and connect communities of like-minded people.

 

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