http://vectors.usc.edu/issues/7/totality/#annotation=0;page=1
This project is called ‘Totality for Kids’ by Mckenzie Wark. This project wanted to use the Kevin Pyle to tell the historical story of the Communists party in Paris. People in Paris seem to be bored of their city, and life as well. Everyone is sad and fed up with the rules and laws. This leads to protests and some city destruction. This project contains all free, non-copyrighted material.
Navigating this site was quite easy. The controls and layout was very straightforward. The application had a side panel with a few controls that were self explainable. Changing through the slides to reveal the comic-like story was no trouble at all because of the simple layout. Added functionality came with the preview window for each slides once they have been read. This was clear indication which page you were on, and allowed me to go back and click through previous slides. The site also had good animations and effects on how the content enters the frame when the slide first loads.
The designer originally wanted to present the art of Kevin Pyle and present it in a comic like style. This is definitely reflective in the visual choice of presenting information. The name of the project ‘Totality for Kids’ also reiterates the comic book style of story telling. I believe the slide like interface was the best choice for these designers. Putting all the pages up at once like a real comic strip would have been overwhelming. I believe using only material that is freely available to the public further emphasizes the feel for the story. That it is about a group of people in a city, who come together and share similar ideas. It keep the process and the narrative in agreement with one another.
I believe this project is very successful. It had a goal in presenting a historical story, in a visually appealing way. Not only in a visually appealing way, but also something easily comprehended. I believe the comic strip like aesthetic aspect provided this. The visual style allowed for a more flowing reading, and the short length of the dialogue did not cause a reader to spend too much time on each slide. This project is also successful in just being an art piece, as the art is very impressive and original. Even the background song was recorded just for this project. I find this project unique and original.