Introduction

Designing Around Place

Course Number: H179. 2730

Course Type: Lecture

Instructor(s): Crowley, Sharon

Credits: 4

Dopplr knows where you'll be next week. Dodgeball knows where you were last night. Google Maps on your iPhone knows where you're standing right now! So now what? This class is designed to experiment with the tools and technologies that are driving location-based services and the ways in which location data can be used to change the way we experience the world around us. The class focuses on existing location-aware applications and techniques (geocoding, geotagging, mapping, location tracking, proximity detection) and how they can be combined with existing data feeds and APIs to reinvent the tools, social apps and gaming concepts that we're already familiar with.

Students experiment with various tools, techniques and data sets for accessing, pinpointing and storing location and learn how these technologies can be used to develop applications across multiple platforms - including mobile phones, laptops, navigation and gaming devices. Students are expected to build at least two working applications during the semester (midterm + final).

Prior experience in dynamic web development (PHP / Python / Ruby / Perl + MySQL) is required as we start building in Week 2.