Interactive Media Management Program Offers Students Unique Business and Creative Experience

Laura James is the Digital Content Producer & Strategist at Mulberry Media Interactive, Matthew Flanagan serves as Digital Content Coordinator of Movie Services at Astral Media, Violet Edwards, meanwhile, is a User Experience Designer at Twist Image and Guilherme Chee works at Interactive Designer at Electrolux in Brazil. What do all of these people have in common? They are all graduates of the respected Interactive Media Management program at Centennial College.

The interactive media program takes three semesters to complete and is open to applicants who have completed a college diploma or university degree in any discipline, or those who have partial post-secondary (minimum two years) and relevant work experience. The offering was designed to make students effective producers working in interactive media design and development, content production and process management. As such, it emphasizes strategy, user experience, and narrative and management skills in the interactive digital media industry with an emphasis on understanding industry, user experience, strategy, processes, job roles and documentation skills. This is achieved through courses that first establish a foundation in user experience planning through wireframing, content structure analysis, practical coding, A/V production for digital platforms, and management skills. These courses then progress into advanced business, analytics, technology, and planning documentation topics. Lastly, students partake in a field placement that sees them working in the field for ten weeks.

Interactive Digital Industry: There are certain interactive media industry expectations of which students must be aware. This course teaches students about the institutions and enterprises that are shaping interactive media today, and the resulting socio-cultural conditions they impose. Through guest speakers and industry-relevant research, students are introduced to various opportunities available to them within this field. This aspect also allows them to network.

Experience Design Tools: This course is all about analyzing and working with the standards of the user experience design in the current web and mobile environment. Issues that are explored include: elements and principles of visual design, readability, page identification and navigation systems, as well as constraints of the web environment including layout design that works across multiple resolutions, platforms, basic accessibility practices, and managing file sizes and download times.

Studio Mentorship/ Partnership: As a real life feature, this Interactive Media course combines class and industry to teach students about the creation and exploration of interdisciplinary projects in a real-time development cycle. This is achieved by having students work collaboratively with both members of the industry and members of the community at large, while defining personal strengths and career goals.

Entrepreneurship: Because freelance is a common form of employment in this field, students learn the business structures for freelancers and studios, considering the business administration and operation obligations of working freelance or as an incorporated entity. Topics covered in this course include: guidelines for starting up and maintaining an interactive media business, accounting advice, business budgeting/funding, pricing strategies, and community resources.