Digital stories as we use the term here are digital videos, typically two-to-three minutes in length, that combine voiceover narration with images, and sometimes also with video, sound/music, text or animation. These stories often relay personal narratives, and are designed to provide a way for everyday people to tell their stories.
To illustrate and provide examples of selected participatory research and design methods in action, faculty from Art, Digital Media, and Sociology/Geographic Information Systems (GIS) created assignments for their classes in Graphic Design, Research Methods, and GIS that focus on participatory research and design approaches.
In DIGITAL MEDIA (part of the School of Visual Art and Design), DIG 6825: Research Methods in Digital Media, Natalie Underberg-Goode created a class assignment in which students worked with international traditional artists to develop digital stories about fabric arts that local artists can use to promote knowledge about and appreciation for their work. Students used virtual conferencing, film editing, and digital project and content management techniques to co-produce digital stories that bring diverse traditional artists into dialogue around a common visual motif and its connection to personal and community experience.
Below is one student project produced by graduate student Jacob Boccio: