Role
James lectures on the BA(Hons) Graphic Communication With Typography and BA(Hons) Illustration programmes, and is a practitioner and researcher within the field of interactive media design.
His work explores and questions the aesthetics of digital graphic representation. This includes the impact of interface design on visual communication and an analysis of visual qualities that are specific to digital forms.
He is a member of the Message research group.
Teaching interests
James' teaching expertise centers on fostering an appreciation of the potential of digital technologies and principles, within the context of 'traditional' 2D design practices.
He has experience of developing and managing course programmes, and has facilitated a number of student achievements through initiatives in a range of institutions, including D&AD category winners and commendations (2006, 2007), and Computer Arts Magazine Graduate Showcase 'Best of Category' winners (2006, 2007).
Student live projects that James has coordinated include collaborations with Skint Records, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Wired Sussex, Plug-in Media, Junk TV, Torbay Council and the English Riviera Global Geopark.
Research interests
The focus of James' current research is the impact of digital interactivity on graphic narrative design.
In particular, he is exploring the new publishing forms made possible by tablet and mobile devices, and the implications this may have on graphic storytelling.
He delivered a paper exploring some of these themes titled Repetitive Swipe Injury - Challenging Design Conventions Within Tablet Publishing at the 2nd Message Symposium on 3rd April 2012.
Creative practice & artistic projects
Recent projects include the design and build of a locative narrative iPhone app Cold Case 1866 (2011) that uses global positioning satellites to provide non-linear content specific to a user's location. James is collaborating with Emma Whittaker, the author, on a further project, Locating the Archive in 2012. This will use inertial navigation techniques and mobile sensor fusion to activate narrative 'zones' from within a physical location.
James is currently developing Heavy Weather, a non-linear graphic narrative music promo for North Sea Radio Orchestra, where story trajectory is determined by tablet gyroscope accelerometer and compass sensor inputs.
He is also working on Peacock, an application that enables the creation of multilinear graphic narratives using the Twitter platform, and turning the Plymouth University literary journal INK into an iPad app.
Additional information
Under the name of MightyMeta, James publishes interactive media design experiments and techniques and undertakes private web and mobile design commissions.
He has written articles on developing for iOS targeted at designers, and written and delivered training courses on web design for Plymouth College of Art.
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