Rewind

Midterm project for Digital Storytelling class

This is a multiform autobiographical project for my Digital Storytelling class. Written in JavaScript and DHTML/css. Very browser-dependent -- predated Firefox and Safari. Works best in IE for Mac, 5.5.

Unfortunately this site is at least partially broken. I need to reprogram sections of the code to work properly. The site has been moved many times and files may be missing, etc. I will get it back in shape ASAP and I am even considering updating the JavaScript/css to run better on modern browsers (something I could not figure out at the time). The screen shots below were taken from Internet Explorer on the Mac, so you can see the browser the project was developed on.

Case Study: Design Elements & Gallery shots

Rewind was based on the theory that there are story styles that are best told with the aid of technology.

This is similar to a choose-your-own-adventure novel, with some unique elements that even make it unsuitable for that forum.

Overall Style

Rewind's interface is a small portable cassette recorder style PDA device. The "reader" is scrolling through a diary or blog about someone's life. The fun thing is that they are doing so backwards, like someone looking back on their life. Note that blogging was much less popular at the time Rewind was written :)

Control Panel

Rewind's "control panel" allows navigation in the reading window, which has no scrollbar, and jumping from section to section, or jumping to the beginning or end of the story as a whole.

Non-Linear Navigation

You do not need to follow the storyline in chronological order. The story encourages following the tale backwards (Play & Forward buttons are actually chronologically back in time), but has many embedded links that allow jumping out of the timeline order.

Hidden Treats

The interface has links in the text, and "Easter-egg" hidden popup windows that explain more about obscure portions of the story -- asides not essential to the storyline, but helpful to the curious reader. This style of footnoting is not an available device for a writer of a paper book format. Click on the image for a screen shot.

Grounding Elements

A non-linear story require elements that allow grounding -- the reader can get lost in the story and not know where to go, can end up in a dead end, or simply need to start over. The atypical style of telling the story requires comfort in knowing that you can "pause" or "restart" at will -- that you are not a victim of the interface.

Rewind has several grounding elements (click the thumbnails to see the full screen shot):

The "Record" button gave information for the visitor to get in touch with the author (record a message).

The "Rewind" logo brings you back to the home page -- a common website feature but one exceptionally essential in a disorienting format. The "Stop" button also does this -- a redundancy I thought would be hopeful for the reader.
The "Pause" button is a plot-ruining device that brings the visitor to a table of contents.

Clicking the by-line brings the visitor to an about-the-author page.