expands on Tredwell\u2019s idea. \u201cResearch isn\u2019t just about looking through databases and journals,\u201d she says. Visual exploration tools like TADA offer a new and unconventional approach to a term project or research paper. <\/span><\/p>\nIn the field of design, a broad mindset is important, and TADA works to establish this. It\u2019s not like mathematics or chemistry; there\u2019s no right or wrong answer. In fact, ideas that combine concepts and escape boundaries are encouraged. Lamar calls these \u201cgray-area solutions.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\u201cSometimes the students don\u2019t pick up on the diversity and range of techniques in a particular area of textile design.\u201d Lamar appreciates how TADA allows them to see the ways that textile design has existed and evolved over time. \u201cIt helps them see more broadly the kinds of things that they might be able to do in taking advantage of modern technology, but also leveraging the aesthetics of a previous time period or another style, perhaps even halfway around the world.\u201d <\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\nFrom MONA to TADA<\/h2>\n
Although MONA had yet to turn 30, it was extremely outdated and virtually irretrievable for modern use by the time the project team was first introduced. \u201cIt felt like it was from an older civilization,\u201d says Tredwell. To get to know MONA as it was in its prime, the team had to do some digging. <\/span><\/p>\nOriginally conceived as a sophisticated design inspiration tool for industry professionals, MONA had a lot to offer. With nearly 3,500 patterns in its database, the application provided a visual collection of textiles dating back hundreds of years, organized by broad categories and specific filters. Despite its impressive digital composition, its physical structure and functionality left much to be desired. <\/span><\/p>\nHaving spent years inside a storage room, the application lay dormant on 40 CDs. Once it was unearthed, an even bigger challenge was discovered. It had fallen out of maintenance over the years, missing key updates and improvements that would allow it to run on modern computers. It simply didn\u2019t work anymore. <\/span><\/p>\nAs MONA became inaccessible, so did its value to students. Lamar felt that there must be a way to bring it back, or as Tredwell puts it, \u201crevitalize, resurrect and rethink,\u201d the tool for students to use. Lamar explains, \u201cThat\u2019s what inspired me to write the project \u2014 there may be a way to bring back a meaningful use for the students, where they could not only look at ideas and inspiration, but also look at them in particular time periods or styles.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nExcavation and Challenges: \u201cApp Archaeology\u201d<\/h2>\n
The team faced mounting challenges as they approached TADA; perhaps most daunting was the inability to actually see the application aside from about two dozen screenshots. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t see it. We couldn\u2019t use it in action,\u201d laments Tredwell. \u201cWe had to have long discussions about how we thought it should work.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nEntering in the dark meant making adjustments to the team\u2019s specialized roles. For Tredwell, developing the app required innovating new strategies. \u201cWe used an iterative approach. We did a bunch of prototypes, but they were really early. We could say \u2018Here\u2019s what we like about it, here\u2019s the feeling we\u2019re getting out of this \u2014 let\u2019s make some decisions and refine it as we go.\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n[caption id=\"attachment_20595\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"] Binary to plain text metadata. Screenshot from HexFiend, overlays provided by David Tredwell.[\/caption]\nTredwell was able to decode different categories, filters and date information by combing through the application with a binary file reader. After translating the data to a readable form, he had some information to move forward. From there, the focus turned to advanced color coding, organized to spark exploration. \u201cEach time you load the application, the images are organized a little bit differently. We wanted to expose them more than we wanted them to look at the same 20 images.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nIf you open TADA now, you\u2019ll see a rainbow of colors flutter across the screen. \u201cAll of the images were organized by whatever CD they came from, but we figured out a way to analyze their color, and it let us organize them visually.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nAs White worked with Lamar to design course activities with TADA\u2019s new capabilities, she also had to reverse her thinking. \u201cBackwards design helped. We had to go from what we thought the app was going to look like and design backwards from there.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nTo ensure that TADA would be incorporated effectively, the two mapped their objectives for both the application and coursework. As TADA came to life, they matched its features to appropriate projects and assignments. <\/span><\/p>\nLamar\u2019s memory proved to be the most valuable excavation tool of all. The team at DELTA asked her specific questions about MONA in its prime, like \u201cWhat did it do? How did it work? How would somebody use this?\u201d Questions like these allowed them to establish a framework for TADA to rise from. <\/span><\/p>\nSecuring Ownership<\/h2>\n
While the team possessed the application itself, the images inside of it were divided among several different owners. This posed a burdensome challenge for the project team. In order to safely use the images in TADA, free of risks like copyright infringement, NC State and Wilson College of Textiles needed to receive permission from the rightful owners. <\/span><\/p>\nConnecting with these owners was an entire project in itself. They varied from large organizations like a fashion design school to a family with ties to Guatemala. They also varied in their responsiveness and willingness to provide permission. A design agency in New York City served as the biggest hurdle. While supportive of TADA, they had sold several of their images in the application, but were unsure of which ones. With the best interest of students in mind and time running out before classes, the agency and the team agreed it was best to leave those images out. <\/span><\/p>\nDespite the tedium and time crunch, the team looks back on this process with a sense of accomplishment. In Lamar\u2019s words, \u201c[It] was a really big detective challenge.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nTADA in the Classroom<\/h2>\n
It took months of careful planning to ensure that when students got their hands on TADA, it was more than just a collection of patterns. Instead, it needed to let them explore, travel through time and foster an appreciation for their industry. \u201cIt\u2019s an introduction, but it\u2019s also an ongoing resource,\u201d says Lamar. \u201cWe can use it as a reference material for the actual designs. I might pull a motif or an element and apply it to a modern design.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nTo make sure that these goals for students were met, Lamar and White designed and adjusted a number of course activities to incorporate TADA. <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe started with the scavenger hunt. The students completed that the first day of class,\u201d says White. This activity allowed students to explore the application on their own, embarking on a maiden voyage across its many features and filters. \u201cI didn\u2019t teach them anything about it first,\u201d adds Lamar. \u201cIt was a way to see if they were able to pick it up, if it was as intuitive as we hoped it was.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nOnce students could successfully navigate TADA, they used it to refine their skills, like in the color reduction and palette lesson. Lamar chose this activity to teach them how to derive precise colors from textile samples and establish color schemes and relationships within their own designs. <\/span><\/p>\n[caption id=\"attachment_20593\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"] A pattern sample from TADA. Image provided by David Tredwell.[\/caption]\nTADA was the perfect tool to assist the students as well as Lamar. \u201cI had them find something in TADA to use as their example,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt was useful to me from a teaching perspective. I could look at the original image and make an assessment of how well I thought they accomplished the task. It allowed me to give them feedback in terms of how they had mastered the task, and also if there were consistent places that they had challenges.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nThe application\u2019s historical breadth was also highlighted in the classroom. For their first project, students created a printed collection of textiles inspired by a historical style or time period. TADA served as a springboard for their research and a way to sharpen their historical focus. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFrom color perception, to texture mapping, to design briefs, TADA played a critical role. Its unique capabilities benefited students in a number of ways. \u201cMany of the early assignments using the TADA application were skill building, and then we applied those skills to a bigger project.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nTracking TADA: Student Testing and Response<\/h2>\n
Outside of the classroom, TADA was designed and tested to serve students in the best possible ways. During its renovation, the team incorporated student testing and impressions to design features and improve their work. \u201cWe tested it with students pretty early, even the prototype stuff,\u201d says Tredwell. \u201cWe could sort of watch over their shoulders and see how they were doing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\nExternal applications like <\/span>Google Analytics<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Top Hat<\/span><\/a> helped the team understand how users interacted with TADA, what they liked most and what areas needed focus. <\/span><\/p>\nFrom an instructional design perspective, White explains, \u201cGoogle Analytics really helped because we could tell what students were looking for. We could also tell how long they were spending on the app or a particular image.\u201d Tredwell also found it useful while designing the app to gain insights about the user experience. He was able to ask, \u201cHow did [students] get there? How can we do it better? What kind of behaviors can we see? We know more about how people use it and how students approach activities and assignments. That helps us design better tools.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n