October 9, 2024 • 31 mins
In this episode of Digication Scholars Conversations, host Kelly Driscoll continues her conversation with Brittany Linus, a Stanford University graduate of African and African-American Studies and Digital Humanities.
Brittany discusses 'modding' in video games, particularly The Sims, and its role in enhancing representation, specifically for Black digital users. Through modding, users can create worlds reflecting their lived experiences, thus filling gaps in representation and offering empowerment through virtual spaces.
Brittany also reflects on her Visible Bodies project and the transformative role of storytelling in cultural rhetoric.
This episode highlights the power of digital tools in education and representation, offering listeners insights into how technology and personal initiative can create more inclusive gaming and learning experiences.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hear PartTwo of my conversation with Brittany
Linus, an undergraduate studentpursuing a dual degree in African and
African-American Studies and DigitalHumanities at Stanford University.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
(00:25):
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
I wanted to ask you a little bit.
So as you were talking, you were kindof referring to the kind of characters
that are developed that really becomeextensions of, of who we are when
(00:48):
we're interacting with the video games.
And I think you describedthis as kind of modding.
And I was curious if you could explaina little bit about what that means
to you and how this connects to.
Kind of some of the concepts that youwere exploring through the Visible Bodies
(01:08):
project, because I do see that there'sthis very tight correlation there.
And if you could kind of expand on that,I would love, I would love to hear it.
So this is, this is beautiful.
Um, so modding is short forvideo game modifications.
And when you're talking about computergames, and specifically the ones that,
(01:30):
um, you play on your personal computers,Modding is a personally decided,
communally negotiated phenomenon.
It's personally decided becauseyou have to make a decision.
You decided that the way this interfacelooks right now, the experience that I
(01:51):
am happy with it is not the most optimal.
So I am going to change it.
That's the decision that you make.
The second one in terms of communalnegotiation is the way, the
style, the sensibility that yougo about making those changes.
For me, I am using TheSims as a case study.
(02:13):
So the Life Simulator, one where you canbuild an avatar and, and dictate what
they do on a day to day basis, right?
For me, that is my case study because I'vebeen playing The Sims for years and The
Sims was published back in 2000, right?
It's like 23, 24 years old now.
So there are so many people around theworld who engage in modding to turn
(02:38):
this platform into their own universe.
And that was the beauty of it,of it being personally decided.
This is, it's a single player experience.
So the only thing that is beingaffected is your world and you
dictate what's going on in your world.
You're the architect, you're the sculptor.
And so with the video game modificationsthat are occurring and what I do
(03:02):
through my scholarship is I want toacknowledge and essentially write
a thank you letter, a dedicationto the fact that the phenomenon
modding is communally negotiated.
There are people out there.
Who, when they look at a website or whenthey look at a video game, say The Sims,
(03:23):
can readily acknowledge its limitations.
And one of the limitations of The Simswas that it lacked a proper representation
of Black aesthetics on the platform.
I mean, it took us so long to getskin tones, an expansive palette
of skin tones on the interface.
And let's not even talking about anextensive palette of skin tones, but
(03:47):
skin tones that render beautifullyjust given the technologies.
Limitations and platforms.
That is a demonstration of anunderstanding of how blackness and
virtual spaces, how they can exist.
However, the way that it hasbeen iterating for the last
few years was not optimal.
(04:08):
The gaming experience issupposed to be a pleasurable one.
You're supposed to feel goodwhen you play a video game.
Well, for black, Digital users.
For black simmers like myself, thatwasn't the experience that we were having.
So instead of saying we are going to justnot play this game, we made a decision.
(04:29):
We decided that we're going to modifythis game and we're going to modify
it with the tools at our disposal.
So there are some of us who have gonethe same way that I went to go and
learn HTML and CSS to build my thesis.
Exhibition.
That's the same thing that so manyblack video game players do in order
to cultivate this pleasurable gamingexperiences with the black aesthetics
(04:54):
that they see on a day to day basis.
They replicate it.
They make it better.
And the thing is they share it.
And so what is available isthis entire free market of
modifications that you, right?
As the, as the player, as the architect,as the sculptor, have an opportunity to
choose from, to build your world, to buildthe avatars, to dictate what they do.
(05:20):
And thus, the experience right of a videogame that was initially disappointing
becomes one of rejuvenation of rest, ofempowerment, of beauty, of appreciation.
A little bit of indulgence.
It is beautiful.
It's great.
It is something that, I mean,it's a process of making Blackness
(05:44):
in virtual spaces visible.
And that is the connection betweenmy thesis, Video Game Modifications,
and the Visible Bodies Project.
Black female authors exist.
It's just that the spaces in whichthey are readily recognized and
appreciated, it's few and far between.
(06:05):
And so how can I consolidate theseliminal spaces into one place?
And not necessarily consolidate,it's one of presentation.
A firm declaration that these beautifulpeople exist and they're doing amazing.
So my job, really, And that's the,that's the crux of black studies, right?
(06:28):
It's literally magnification ofvoices that just tend to be sidelined,
marginalized, put on the back burner,but they are still doing the work
just because they don't have a patent.
Just because they haven't beenpublished by this esteemed or
prestigious university does notminimize the impact that they're doing.
But rather, me as someone whois a Black digital user, someone
(06:52):
who is a student and has neverinteracted with works like these.
I see their work.
It speaks to me.
I am in those liminal spaces.
I am a participant, a communitymember, and they are the stewards.
It is my job, right, as their students,as their pupils, to ascertain that
I am not only learning from them,but I am extending to them the
(07:14):
appreciation that they so deserve.
Because it is, it is hard work.
It is difficult work.
It is a decision that you have to make afight that you are deciding to do, right?
A grapple with the dominantnarrative and expectations.
And yet you still do it because youknow that not only will this make you
feel good, but it will make the peoplewho follow in line have a better.
(07:37):
better experience.
So me as a Sim Player, when I playThe Sims now, I'm like, shoot, I don't
even think about how the skin tones canbe just a little bit ashy or there's
not a lot of hairstyles available.
I'm not even thinking about that.
I'm like, you know what?
I can go and get some Kiko Vanityor I can go to Xmiramira on The Noir
Network and they have something therefor me that will make the game fun.
(08:00):
And so I am not missing out.
I probably have one of the greatestexperiences with the interface.
It's the same way with Digication.
So a lot of people, when theysee like that, my advisors are on
there, when they see Joel is onthere, they're not missing out.
All of the information is right there.
And you too can have apleasurable experience.
(08:20):
We're just making it accessible to you.
Now we're making it visible.
And that's why, I mean, it's just beenat the heart of what we do to give.
Students ability to really becomepublishers so that they can celebrate
who they are alongside those that haveinfluenced them and that they have
(08:43):
learned from and have this kind ofcontinuous loop And, you know, I do think
it becomes a tool for empowerment to beable to share your story and the stories
of others that have influenced you.
And I recall as part of the visualbodies project, there's an area
(09:04):
where you were able to share someinterview experiences that you had.
So could you describe a little bit aboutwhat that experience was like and what
it felt like to be able to kind of.
Interns share their stories as well.
Oh, yes, it was.
You know, the class, I think what thegreatest takeaway from that class was
(09:29):
the fact that the guest speakers, theauthors, the writers that we invited,
they were given the space as experts.
to really share, not only theirprofessional experience in the publishing
space, in the writing spaces, butalso as teachers, as stewards, as
(09:51):
students, people who are observingthe world the same way that I do.
And there are these moments, andconversation Um, where we all, all of
us in the room, it was, it was kindof like, she would give an example.
I would say like, Joel would givean example of a phenomenon that
we're seeing and everyone in theroom just looks at each other.
(10:13):
We're like, Not a wordsaid, not a word said.
We're all just Yeah.
That's right.
And the beauty of transcription isyou have to capture those moments too.
It's not only the moments thatare spoken, it's the, it's
the moments that are unspoken.
And with that, There's also thesetransitions in conversation that sometimes
(10:38):
they're seamless and sometimes they'renot sometimes it feeds into other
conversations previous conversations.
Yeah, other authors.
And so you can see this throughline also that these moments,
these unspoken moments.
These callbacks to other conversationsthat we've had, and then sort of like,
it's like us in the past throwing outa bone for us in the future to catch.
(11:04):
All of these beautiful stringsintertwining to cultivate and
for us to then document, um, Theknowledge, the experiences, the
observations that we are making.
And the thing about itis that it's so raw.
Like, I remember when Joel came to us andwas just like, do you, would you want to
(11:25):
like to work on a transcription project?
And we were like, transcription,what are we transcribing?
Those conversations.
And so I'm there and I'm like, whoa.
You know, and, and Joel made a point.
Joel said.
No sanitization.
We want, I want it raw, uncut, everythingthere, and you can refer back to it.
Uh, I want you in the best way possibleto capture the exclamation point.
(11:49):
I want you to capture, you know, thefaces that are being made, if you
can, and put that on the document.
And so here I am, working throughthis, this like hour long video.
I'm transcribing everything.
And it just made me really think on somelike meta level, just made me think about,
wow, this particular experience and howI am not trans, I'm not only translating
(12:13):
the knowledge, but I'm also translatingthe experience, the glances that were made
around the room, the sudden, exclamationpoints, hey, like someone's dog barked.
You have to clue that in there.
Like, you have all of thesebeautiful, these beautiful
moments that make us human.
And I think that is the part,that unpolished part, a lot
of us don't necessarily see.
(12:35):
We see the result.
We don't really see the process.
Um, and we don't really see those.
It was just those moments.
I mean, it's the moments that we don'texpect that's just beyond us that where
communication is just beyond words.
And it's so beautiful to just capturethat and extend it to other people to see.
And so I was honestly, I was justlike, Oh, but this is a lot of text.
(13:00):
This is a lot of text, you know,to sit here and expect someone
to just like read through it.
I'm not sure if this is like, It'ssomething that I want people to read,
but that was also a challenge, right?
Like I had to decide if I was going tojust make that available or apparent
and what type of workarounds were there.
So instead of posting the whole chunk,I just chose a section and I put it
(13:23):
there and I added a little disclaimer.
So this is what thisparticular page contains.
So if you want to, and you have aninterest, I'm looking at transcription
and what that entails, and so youhave another frame of reference.
You can feel free to use it.
As a designer.
Of course, I am here toguide user experiences, but
(13:44):
I don't dictate that, right?
You are still your ownperson, your own user.
What speaks to you isgoing to speak to you.
My job is just to make it as accessible,as open, as inviting, as warm as it
possibly can, so you can get and maximizeon the impact that that particular
section, that transcription has on you.
(14:06):
Oh, beautifully said.
And so, Brittany, I have here, um,your project pulled, pulled up here.
And I wanted to talk a little bit aboutthe beautiful kind of who I am page.
I don't know if you remember the detailsof that so well, but, you know, very often
(14:29):
when we come to some of the, um, Projectportfolios or more traditional kind of
maybe career oriented portfolios and theyhave a who I am very often, you know,
there might be a photo of the individualand a text bio And you made a really
(14:50):
deliberate decision to represent yourselfdifferently there and I would love for
you if you could describe a little bitabout your thinking there, maybe why you
went a different direction and some ofthe kind of media choices that you made
to present right there, cause that isthis kind of entryway into this beautiful
(15:15):
project that you created and led me tothat initial first gasp when I opened it.
And I would love to hearabout your process there.
Cause it was, it wasunexpected and so beautiful.
Thank you so much.
It was honestly, that page was the lastpage that I worked on because I think
(15:36):
it was I was in that space where by thetime I was working on the portfolio, I
had all of my technical artifacts, right?
At that point, it was justarrangement, stylization, maybe
a few changes here and there.
But with the who I am, that wasnot You know, there was no syllabus
(15:56):
or, or like categorization tableof contents that I could use.
That was something thatI had to design myself.
And I was like, you know, and Iremember like, um, Digication has
a feature where you can look atother portfolios and see what other
people have done and even kind of.
(16:17):
Export their page onto your own.
And I was looking forinspiration at the time.
There are a few, there are programs here.
There's the, um, program inwriting and rhetoric who utilized
Digication as a Portfolio Capstone.
So that's where the archivethat I was kind of perusing.
And I was like, whatdid they put in there?
(16:39):
And they utilize the webpage.
As a, just literally, I mean,almost like a, like a resume
with a lot more personality.
I had a zinger, I had a picture,highly personalized, highly detailed.
And I wanted to make minea little bit different.
And I was just like, how can I do that?
(17:01):
Could I mock up an app?
That was like, that was the challenge.
At the time that I was working withDigication, I was also introduced to
this platform called Figma, which iswhere I do a lot of my graphic designing.
Yes.
And my prototyping, userexperience prototyping.
(17:22):
And so my very first project on Figmawas how could I prototype an app that
explained and showcased who I wasin the most engaging way possible.
So I was like, well, you know, a lot ofthe designers I see, They have a logo.
A lot of the designers that I see on theirplatforms give context as to who they
(17:45):
are, um, and what their interests are.
And they also kind of showcase thatthey're more than just a scholar.
They're more than just an artist.
They are a community member.
They are, say, an anime lover.
All of these quirks, I wanted to just Puton there initially and I wanted to really
(18:08):
hone in on the fact that you know whatby and large I'm a technologist I I want
people to see that I love I cannot imagineliving in a world without a smartphone
I just it's like it's so useful.
You have a supercomputer inyour hand Probably at all
times that still astounds me.
And so it's that you the ubiquitousnessof Technology that I really
(18:33):
wanted to convey, but you've neverseen it on a, like a meta level.
Like this is, I'm on a computer rightnow on this website and someone's
showing me an app that's on aphone on this very same website,
on this very same, Website.
And so that was my rationale.
(18:53):
I was really interested in how I couldutilize as much visual aids to showcase
who I was, exercise that technicalskill through utilizing a platform that
I wasn't familiar with at the time.
And by and large, start thinkingabout what my own design process is.
What I think deserves to go intoa who I am section of my bio.
(19:16):
That is a totally, I mean, it really just.
Would I change?
I would do some thingsdifferently now, like now that
I've had a lot more experience.
Of course.
I mean, it's three years later, right?
Yes.
Maybe, like, maybe the gray was a littleThere's, there are other pop, there
are other colors that and textures thatcould probably work, but the idea, the
(19:39):
intuition has stayed the same, right?
Just this reliance on ontechnology and the visual aids.
It's still there.
I still use it.
Even in my thesis, I'm still using it.
So, it has been quite the journey.
I love where I started, and I lovewhat I came up with in the end.
(20:00):
Because it also forcesyou to sit down and think.
Because you're like, wait,but where is the bio.
I only see like a, like, firstof all, like what is that?
I only see like a little app on a phone.
I want to know moreabout who is this person.
So it forces you to sit with it andthat's when you start to think about it.
Yeah, I love that.
(20:20):
It's absolutely an invitation.
It's an invitation to explore.
For sure.
Yeah.
You, it, and it was a, it's nota traditional approach and it's,
I think you mentioned a wordearlier, something like a magnitu..
magnitu....
Yeah.
It's, it's very in yourface, full screens, dry.
(20:44):
Welcome.
And
welcome.
Here's the invitation to get to know me.
And explore, you know, what, whatI'm fascinated in and learning about.
And right from there, you know,as you browse through some of the
(21:06):
other pages, um, the next thatyou have right next to who I am is
exploring the African literary world.
Yes.
And you have this beautiful introductionto what, storytelling means to
you and why it's so important.
Do you recall some of the kind ofpoints that you made in that page?
(21:29):
It's so, I mean, it has been,it's been a few years, honestly.
Um, but I do believe like one of thebiggest Focuses that I honed in on is,
it's feeling, it's experience, it's thataccompaniment and how storytelling has
always been, right, it's always beena tool of translation, communication,
(21:54):
and it is so useful, it is so useful,especially in the context of history.
And if you're indulging in or inthe process of ethnic studies.
It becomes one of the mostimportant tools of record, tools
of scholarship, tools of pedagogy.
Um, and that's why I started specificallywith storytelling and really Joel started
(22:20):
the course with that question too.
And so it's one that is thought provoking.
It really has you to think what,what does it mean to Tell a story.
And how does that differfrom storytelling?
It just, those are the big ideaquestions that I walked away from,
from the very first class, um,when it came to Visible Bodies.
(22:45):
And I wanted that to be the firstthing outside from, besides for
myself, um, and who I am, that Iwanted the users to experience.
It is storytelling.
But what does that mean inthe African literary world?
How does that translate?
What are the politicswhen it comes to that?
And how do they intersect?
(23:06):
Where do they parallel?
And how can that focus and that, thatdefinition, this term, this experience?
How can it connect toother modalities, right?
Indigenous American Studies, AsianAmerican Studies, all of these
different experiences that are beyondborders, and in fact, bridging borders.
(23:28):
Um, how can we facilitate that connection.
Well, it first starts withthis inter really interrogating
this idea of storytelling.
Because there's a big, there'sa very, very big difference
in the literary world, right?
Because when you tell a story,I had, there was, I just had
an amazing conversation withone of my, one of my advisors.
(23:49):
She says, when you're tellinga story, there's an assumption,
um, that is already made, right?
Say you're telling a story to your mom.
There are certain details you canomit because she knows you there
are that's right Yeah, you can youand you know, and you know her so
you can sanitize something, youknow, she did something, you know
You weren't supposed to be just...
It's gonna look differently
(24:13):
when
you tell it to your friends VersusStorytelling, you're kind of, and
you're literally inventing a world.
You have to give context.
You have to build it up.
Something must be at stake.
It has to have abeginning, middle, and end.
Maybe a little bit of a rise in action.
(24:35):
Something that is going to guideand push the reader, the viewer,
the listener, to continue on.
To listen.
And that is what a lot of thesebooks, with these authors, with the
publishing houses, and the criteria,that's what they're pushing for.
That's what they're advocating for.
And so in spaces where the literaryworld has not received a lot of
(24:58):
appreciation, many aside from a fewbooks here and there, it becomes even
more important as a form of culturalrhetoric, to establish storytelling
as a tool of not only Translation,Communication, but then also Survival.
Um, and so that is really, that's, it wasalmost like a little bit of a disclaimer.
(25:20):
I'm like, so what are you thinking?
Literary world, what does that mean?
What, how does that, what does that haveto do with Africa and then storytelling?
Here is what I'm talking about.
And with this disclaimer, youthen have a better context.
Um, or understanding in your mind ofhow the rest of the portfolio is going
(25:40):
to go and in what world, what shape isthis particular project unfolding in?
Nice.
And as you were speaking, I was justkind of having some parallel thoughts
to what you were describing in yourinteraction with The Sims earlier.
And how you're kind of building your own,you're the architect of your own world
(26:04):
and you're kind of constructing your ownnarrative in that environment and making
choices and what other characters you'reinteracting with, what your character
looks like, what space you're existing in.
I know there's a lot of designelements that go into that.
(26:25):
And kind of the power to be able tocreate these kind of parallel, almost
these kind of parallel existencesand parallel lives and community and
connections alongside what we haveoutside of our virtual worlds, right?
So, um, I love that.
(26:46):
And I know we're getting near the endof our Time together today, Brittany,
and I, I just really wanted to extendagain a huge thank you for joining me
today and sharing your story and yourexperience with Digication and I, I
(27:07):
hope we can continue to stay in touch.
I'm really excited.
I'm so excited about your thesisand I'm so happy that we've been
able to connect and that Digicationhas been able to be this kind of
springboard for you into pursuingall of these other amazing things.
I'm so excited to see where youcontinue to grow and go in the world.
(27:31):
So thank you again, Brittany.
Of course.
Thank you so much for providingthis space, this platform.
I mean, you even, you evencalled it like a conversation.
I was just like, yes.
Like, I'm like, oh my God,I'm dying to talk about it.
You know, it's, it's, it's.
From a digital humanities standpoint,it's always so lovely to see people
(27:54):
kind of take this, um, serious approachto, to web development and presentation
and the utility of portfolio thinking,because really it's a space of just
self reflection, like me just spendinghours just like, okay, so what, you
know, Maybe this layout, this sectionshould go under this section, and maybe I
(28:16):
should maybe turn and make another page.
It's always a time for reflection,and that is the, probably the greatest
gift that Digication gave to me asa student, which was just, I got to
think about myself and my experienceand how I'm going to translate that.
It was all about, Me, it was all aboutme and I had help with that from the
(28:40):
way that the interface was designed tothe example templates that are available
to, I mean, the contact me and I hadlike experts in the classroom, in
the introductory seminars program whocould also walk me through the process.
If I had an idea, Ididn't know how it worked.
I could just go to them.
(29:00):
So it was a beautifully curated.
experience as a student and it mademe less hesitant about building and
cultivating a portfolio for myself.
So now when I go and I talk, now I'mtransitioning, I'm matriculating,
you know, out of Stanford.
I'm starting that process.
You have to start applying to jobs,start networking and meeting people.
(29:22):
And so it even becomes more importantfor you to provide them with something
that they can walk away with.
And so one day when they, you know,they're just thinking about you,
they just pull you up and boom.
Your website says everythingthat a 30 second pitch cannot.
And so it's, it just, and that literallyI'm, I'm, I'm not even gonna lie to you.
It, I've had so many differentfellowships, internships, just because.
(29:47):
I had this project under my belt.
So as much as you're extending tome a thanks, I think it's always
important as a student, I feellike that is my responsibility.
The very least I can do is to makesure that you are receiving your
thanks and the gratitude, because.
What you all created, that's a lifechanging, and I'm an example of that.
(30:09):
That's a life changing interface.
That's a life changing project.
Oh, Brittany, you're gonna make me cry.
Well, thank you so much.
My heart is so full right nowand, uh, I appreciate you very
(30:32):
much and wish you all the best.
Thank you.
I appreciate you too.
Take good care.
Coming up next, we'll be chattingwith Caitlin Koskin, a recent graduate
of Texas Christian University.
Here's a quick preview.
So from a young age, I was able to travelaround to so many countries, like probably
(30:54):
13 by the time I was in high school.
And I think that's something I'llforever be grateful for, from such a
young age, to be exposed to so manydifferent cultures and people, work ethic.
And at the time, I certainlydidn't understand it, I would
say, up to a certain extent.
(31:15):
And then there was a moment where itshifted and I began to become a lot
more interested in the actual businessside of it, where I would actually sit
in on meetings, um, and participateto an extent that certainly shaped my
interest in fashion moving forward.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hear PartTwo of my conversation with Brittany
Linus, an undergraduate studentpursuing a dual degree in African and
African-American Studies and DigitalHumanities at Stanford University.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
(00:25):
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
I wanted to ask you a little bit.
So as you were talking, you were kindof referring to the kind of characters
that are developed that really becomeextensions of, of who we are when
(00:48):
we're interacting with the video games.
And I think you describedthis as kind of modding.
And I was curious if you could explaina little bit about what that means
to you and how this connects to.
Kind of some of the concepts that youwere exploring through the Visible Bodies
(01:08):
project, because I do see that there'sthis very tight correlation there.
And if you could kind of expand on that,I would love, I would love to hear it.
So this is, this is beautiful.
Um, so modding is short forvideo game modifications.
And when you're talking about computergames, and specifically the ones that,
(01:30):
um, you play on your personal computers,Modding is a personally decided,
communally negotiated phenomenon.
It's personally decided becauseyou have to make a decision.
You decided that the way this interfacelooks right now, the experience that I
(01:51):
am happy with it is not the most optimal.
So I am going to change it.
That's the decision that you make.
The second one in terms of communalnegotiation is the way, the
style, the sensibility that yougo about making those changes.
For me, I am using TheSims as a case study.
(02:13):
So the Life Simulator, one where you canbuild an avatar and, and dictate what
they do on a day to day basis, right?
For me, that is my case study because I'vebeen playing The Sims for years and The
Sims was published back in 2000, right?
It's like 23, 24 years old now.
So there are so many people around theworld who engage in modding to turn
(02:38):
this platform into their own universe.
And that was the beauty of it,of it being personally decided.
This is, it's a single player experience.
So the only thing that is beingaffected is your world and you
dictate what's going on in your world.
You're the architect, you're the sculptor.
And so with the video game modificationsthat are occurring and what I do
(03:02):
through my scholarship is I want toacknowledge and essentially write
a thank you letter, a dedicationto the fact that the phenomenon
modding is communally negotiated.
There are people out there.
Who, when they look at a website or whenthey look at a video game, say The Sims,
(03:23):
can readily acknowledge its limitations.
And one of the limitations of The Simswas that it lacked a proper representation
of Black aesthetics on the platform.
I mean, it took us so long to getskin tones, an expansive palette
of skin tones on the interface.
And let's not even talking about anextensive palette of skin tones, but
(03:47):
skin tones that render beautifullyjust given the technologies.
Limitations and platforms.
That is a demonstration of anunderstanding of how blackness and
virtual spaces, how they can exist.
However, the way that it hasbeen iterating for the last
few years was not optimal.
(04:08):
The gaming experience issupposed to be a pleasurable one.
You're supposed to feel goodwhen you play a video game.
Well, for black, Digital users.
For black simmers like myself, thatwasn't the experience that we were having.
So instead of saying we are going to justnot play this game, we made a decision.
(04:29):
We decided that we're going to modifythis game and we're going to modify
it with the tools at our disposal.
So there are some of us who have gonethe same way that I went to go and
learn HTML and CSS to build my thesis.
Exhibition.
That's the same thing that so manyblack video game players do in order
to cultivate this pleasurable gamingexperiences with the black aesthetics
(04:54):
that they see on a day to day basis.
They replicate it.
They make it better.
And the thing is they share it.
And so what is available isthis entire free market of
modifications that you, right?
As the, as the player, as the architect,as the sculptor, have an opportunity to
choose from, to build your world, to buildthe avatars, to dictate what they do.
(05:20):
And thus, the experience right of a videogame that was initially disappointing
becomes one of rejuvenation of rest, ofempowerment, of beauty, of appreciation.
A little bit of indulgence.
It is beautiful.
It's great.
It is something that, I mean,it's a process of making Blackness
(05:44):
in virtual spaces visible.
And that is the connection betweenmy thesis, Video Game Modifications,
and the Visible Bodies Project.
Black female authors exist.
It's just that the spaces in whichthey are readily recognized and
appreciated, it's few and far between.
(06:05):
And so how can I consolidate theseliminal spaces into one place?
And not necessarily consolidate,it's one of presentation.
A firm declaration that these beautifulpeople exist and they're doing amazing.
So my job, really, And that's the,that's the crux of black studies, right?
(06:28):
It's literally magnification ofvoices that just tend to be sidelined,
marginalized, put on the back burner,but they are still doing the work
just because they don't have a patent.
Just because they haven't beenpublished by this esteemed or
prestigious university does notminimize the impact that they're doing.
But rather, me as someone whois a Black digital user, someone
(06:52):
who is a student and has neverinteracted with works like these.
I see their work.
It speaks to me.
I am in those liminal spaces.
I am a participant, a communitymember, and they are the stewards.
It is my job, right, as their students,as their pupils, to ascertain that
I am not only learning from them,but I am extending to them the
(07:14):
appreciation that they so deserve.
Because it is, it is hard work.
It is difficult work.
It is a decision that you have to make afight that you are deciding to do, right?
A grapple with the dominantnarrative and expectations.
And yet you still do it because youknow that not only will this make you
feel good, but it will make the peoplewho follow in line have a better.
(07:37):
better experience.
So me as a Sim Player, when I playThe Sims now, I'm like, shoot, I don't
even think about how the skin tones canbe just a little bit ashy or there's
not a lot of hairstyles available.
I'm not even thinking about that.
I'm like, you know what?
I can go and get some Kiko Vanityor I can go to Xmiramira on The Noir
Network and they have something therefor me that will make the game fun.
(08:00):
And so I am not missing out.
I probably have one of the greatestexperiences with the interface.
It's the same way with Digication.
So a lot of people, when theysee like that, my advisors are on
there, when they see Joel is onthere, they're not missing out.
All of the information is right there.
And you too can have apleasurable experience.
(08:20):
We're just making it accessible to you.
Now we're making it visible.
And that's why, I mean, it's just beenat the heart of what we do to give.
Students ability to really becomepublishers so that they can celebrate
who they are alongside those that haveinfluenced them and that they have
(08:43):
learned from and have this kind ofcontinuous loop And, you know, I do think
it becomes a tool for empowerment to beable to share your story and the stories
of others that have influenced you.
And I recall as part of the visualbodies project, there's an area
(09:04):
where you were able to share someinterview experiences that you had.
So could you describe a little bit aboutwhat that experience was like and what
it felt like to be able to kind of.
Interns share their stories as well.
Oh, yes, it was.
You know, the class, I think what thegreatest takeaway from that class was
(09:29):
the fact that the guest speakers, theauthors, the writers that we invited,
they were given the space as experts.
to really share, not only theirprofessional experience in the publishing
space, in the writing spaces, butalso as teachers, as stewards, as
(09:51):
students, people who are observingthe world the same way that I do.
And there are these moments, andconversation Um, where we all, all of
us in the room, it was, it was kindof like, she would give an example.
I would say like, Joel would givean example of a phenomenon that
we're seeing and everyone in theroom just looks at each other.
(10:13):
We're like, Not a wordsaid, not a word said.
We're all just Yeah.
That's right.
And the beauty of transcription isyou have to capture those moments too.
It's not only the moments thatare spoken, it's the, it's
the moments that are unspoken.
And with that, There's also thesetransitions in conversation that sometimes
(10:38):
they're seamless and sometimes they'renot sometimes it feeds into other
conversations previous conversations.
Yeah, other authors.
And so you can see this throughline also that these moments,
these unspoken moments.
These callbacks to other conversationsthat we've had, and then sort of like,
it's like us in the past throwing outa bone for us in the future to catch.
(11:04):
All of these beautiful stringsintertwining to cultivate and
for us to then document, um, Theknowledge, the experiences, the
observations that we are making.
And the thing about itis that it's so raw.
Like, I remember when Joel came to us andwas just like, do you, would you want to
(11:25):
like to work on a transcription project?
And we were like, transcription,what are we transcribing?
Those conversations.
And so I'm there and I'm like, whoa.
You know, and, and Joel made a point.
Joel said.
No sanitization.
We want, I want it raw, uncut, everythingthere, and you can refer back to it.
Uh, I want you in the best way possibleto capture the exclamation point.
(11:49):
I want you to capture, you know, thefaces that are being made, if you
can, and put that on the document.
And so here I am, working throughthis, this like hour long video.
I'm transcribing everything.
And it just made me really think on somelike meta level, just made me think about,
wow, this particular experience and howI am not trans, I'm not only translating
(12:13):
the knowledge, but I'm also translatingthe experience, the glances that were made
around the room, the sudden, exclamationpoints, hey, like someone's dog barked.
You have to clue that in there.
Like, you have all of thesebeautiful, these beautiful
moments that make us human.
And I think that is the part,that unpolished part, a lot
of us don't necessarily see.
(12:35):
We see the result.
We don't really see the process.
Um, and we don't really see those.
It was just those moments.
I mean, it's the moments that we don'texpect that's just beyond us that where
communication is just beyond words.
And it's so beautiful to just capturethat and extend it to other people to see.
And so I was honestly, I was justlike, Oh, but this is a lot of text.
(13:00):
This is a lot of text, you know,to sit here and expect someone
to just like read through it.
I'm not sure if this is like, It'ssomething that I want people to read,
but that was also a challenge, right?
Like I had to decide if I was going tojust make that available or apparent
and what type of workarounds were there.
So instead of posting the whole chunk,I just chose a section and I put it
(13:23):
there and I added a little disclaimer.
So this is what thisparticular page contains.
So if you want to, and you have aninterest, I'm looking at transcription
and what that entails, and so youhave another frame of reference.
You can feel free to use it.
As a designer.
Of course, I am here toguide user experiences, but
(13:44):
I don't dictate that, right?
You are still your ownperson, your own user.
What speaks to you isgoing to speak to you.
My job is just to make it as accessible,as open, as inviting, as warm as it
possibly can, so you can get and maximizeon the impact that that particular
section, that transcription has on you.
(14:06):
Oh, beautifully said.
And so, Brittany, I have here, um,your project pulled, pulled up here.
And I wanted to talk a little bit aboutthe beautiful kind of who I am page.
I don't know if you remember the detailsof that so well, but, you know, very often
(14:29):
when we come to some of the, um, Projectportfolios or more traditional kind of
maybe career oriented portfolios and theyhave a who I am very often, you know,
there might be a photo of the individualand a text bio And you made a really
(14:50):
deliberate decision to represent yourselfdifferently there and I would love for
you if you could describe a little bitabout your thinking there, maybe why you
went a different direction and some ofthe kind of media choices that you made
to present right there, cause that isthis kind of entryway into this beautiful
(15:15):
project that you created and led me tothat initial first gasp when I opened it.
And I would love to hearabout your process there.
Cause it was, it wasunexpected and so beautiful.
Thank you so much.
It was honestly, that page was the lastpage that I worked on because I think
(15:36):
it was I was in that space where by thetime I was working on the portfolio, I
had all of my technical artifacts, right?
At that point, it was justarrangement, stylization, maybe
a few changes here and there.
But with the who I am, that wasnot You know, there was no syllabus
(15:56):
or, or like categorization tableof contents that I could use.
That was something thatI had to design myself.
And I was like, you know, and Iremember like, um, Digication has
a feature where you can look atother portfolios and see what other
people have done and even kind of.
(16:17):
Export their page onto your own.
And I was looking forinspiration at the time.
There are a few, there are programs here.
There's the, um, program inwriting and rhetoric who utilized
Digication as a Portfolio Capstone.
So that's where the archivethat I was kind of perusing.
And I was like, whatdid they put in there?
(16:39):
And they utilize the webpage.
As a, just literally, I mean,almost like a, like a resume
with a lot more personality.
I had a zinger, I had a picture,highly personalized, highly detailed.
And I wanted to make minea little bit different.
And I was just like, how can I do that?
(17:01):
Could I mock up an app?
That was like, that was the challenge.
At the time that I was working withDigication, I was also introduced to
this platform called Figma, which iswhere I do a lot of my graphic designing.
Yes.
And my prototyping, userexperience prototyping.
(17:22):
And so my very first project on Figmawas how could I prototype an app that
explained and showcased who I wasin the most engaging way possible.
So I was like, well, you know, a lot ofthe designers I see, They have a logo.
A lot of the designers that I see on theirplatforms give context as to who they
(17:45):
are, um, and what their interests are.
And they also kind of showcase thatthey're more than just a scholar.
They're more than just an artist.
They are a community member.
They are, say, an anime lover.
All of these quirks, I wanted to just Puton there initially and I wanted to really
(18:08):
hone in on the fact that you know whatby and large I'm a technologist I I want
people to see that I love I cannot imagineliving in a world without a smartphone
I just it's like it's so useful.
You have a supercomputer inyour hand Probably at all
times that still astounds me.
And so it's that you the ubiquitousnessof Technology that I really
(18:33):
wanted to convey, but you've neverseen it on a, like a meta level.
Like this is, I'm on a computer rightnow on this website and someone's
showing me an app that's on aphone on this very same website,
on this very same, Website.
And so that was my rationale.
(18:53):
I was really interested in how I couldutilize as much visual aids to showcase
who I was, exercise that technicalskill through utilizing a platform that
I wasn't familiar with at the time.
And by and large, start thinkingabout what my own design process is.
What I think deserves to go intoa who I am section of my bio.
(19:16):
That is a totally, I mean, it really just.
Would I change?
I would do some thingsdifferently now, like now that
I've had a lot more experience.
Of course.
I mean, it's three years later, right?
Yes.
Maybe, like, maybe the gray was a littleThere's, there are other pop, there
are other colors that and textures thatcould probably work, but the idea, the
(19:39):
intuition has stayed the same, right?
Just this reliance on ontechnology and the visual aids.
It's still there.
I still use it.
Even in my thesis, I'm still using it.
So, it has been quite the journey.
I love where I started, and I lovewhat I came up with in the end.
(20:00):
Because it also forcesyou to sit down and think.
Because you're like, wait,but where is the bio.
I only see like a, like, firstof all, like what is that?
I only see like a little app on a phone.
I want to know moreabout who is this person.
So it forces you to sit with it andthat's when you start to think about it.
Yeah, I love that.
(20:20):
It's absolutely an invitation.
It's an invitation to explore.
For sure.
Yeah.
You, it, and it was a, it's nota traditional approach and it's,
I think you mentioned a wordearlier, something like a magnitu..
magnitu....
Yeah.
It's, it's very in yourface, full screens, dry.
(20:44):
Welcome.
And
welcome.
Here's the invitation to get to know me.
And explore, you know, what, whatI'm fascinated in and learning about.
And right from there, you know,as you browse through some of the
(21:06):
other pages, um, the next thatyou have right next to who I am is
exploring the African literary world.
Yes.
And you have this beautiful introductionto what, storytelling means to
you and why it's so important.
Do you recall some of the kind ofpoints that you made in that page?
(21:29):
It's so, I mean, it has been,it's been a few years, honestly.
Um, but I do believe like one of thebiggest Focuses that I honed in on is,
it's feeling, it's experience, it's thataccompaniment and how storytelling has
always been, right, it's always beena tool of translation, communication,
(21:54):
and it is so useful, it is so useful,especially in the context of history.
And if you're indulging in or inthe process of ethnic studies.
It becomes one of the mostimportant tools of record, tools
of scholarship, tools of pedagogy.
Um, and that's why I started specificallywith storytelling and really Joel started
(22:20):
the course with that question too.
And so it's one that is thought provoking.
It really has you to think what,what does it mean to Tell a story.
And how does that differfrom storytelling?
It just, those are the big ideaquestions that I walked away from,
from the very first class, um,when it came to Visible Bodies.
(22:45):
And I wanted that to be the firstthing outside from, besides for
myself, um, and who I am, that Iwanted the users to experience.
It is storytelling.
But what does that mean inthe African literary world?
How does that translate?
What are the politicswhen it comes to that?
And how do they intersect?
(23:06):
Where do they parallel?
And how can that focus and that, thatdefinition, this term, this experience?
How can it connect toother modalities, right?
Indigenous American Studies, AsianAmerican Studies, all of these
different experiences that are beyondborders, and in fact, bridging borders.
(23:28):
Um, how can we facilitate that connection.
Well, it first starts withthis inter really interrogating
this idea of storytelling.
Because there's a big, there'sa very, very big difference
in the literary world, right?
Because when you tell a story,I had, there was, I just had
an amazing conversation withone of my, one of my advisors.
(23:49):
She says, when you're tellinga story, there's an assumption,
um, that is already made, right?
Say you're telling a story to your mom.
There are certain details you canomit because she knows you there
are that's right Yeah, you can youand you know, and you know her so
you can sanitize something, youknow, she did something, you know
You weren't supposed to be just...
It's gonna look differently
(24:13):
when
you tell it to your friends VersusStorytelling, you're kind of, and
you're literally inventing a world.
You have to give context.
You have to build it up.
Something must be at stake.
It has to have abeginning, middle, and end.
Maybe a little bit of a rise in action.
(24:35):
Something that is going to guideand push the reader, the viewer,
the listener, to continue on.
To listen.
And that is what a lot of thesebooks, with these authors, with the
publishing houses, and the criteria,that's what they're pushing for.
That's what they're advocating for.
And so in spaces where the literaryworld has not received a lot of
(24:58):
appreciation, many aside from a fewbooks here and there, it becomes even
more important as a form of culturalrhetoric, to establish storytelling
as a tool of not only Translation,Communication, but then also Survival.
Um, and so that is really, that's, it wasalmost like a little bit of a disclaimer.
(25:20):
I'm like, so what are you thinking?
Literary world, what does that mean?
What, how does that, what does that haveto do with Africa and then storytelling?
Here is what I'm talking about.
And with this disclaimer, youthen have a better context.
Um, or understanding in your mind ofhow the rest of the portfolio is going
(25:40):
to go and in what world, what shape isthis particular project unfolding in?
Nice.
And as you were speaking, I was justkind of having some parallel thoughts
to what you were describing in yourinteraction with The Sims earlier.
And how you're kind of building your own,you're the architect of your own world
(26:04):
and you're kind of constructing your ownnarrative in that environment and making
choices and what other characters you'reinteracting with, what your character
looks like, what space you're existing in.
I know there's a lot of designelements that go into that.
(26:25):
And kind of the power to be able tocreate these kind of parallel, almost
these kind of parallel existencesand parallel lives and community and
connections alongside what we haveoutside of our virtual worlds, right?
So, um, I love that.
(26:46):
And I know we're getting near the endof our Time together today, Brittany,
and I, I just really wanted to extendagain a huge thank you for joining me
today and sharing your story and yourexperience with Digication and I, I
(27:07):
hope we can continue to stay in touch.
I'm really excited.
I'm so excited about your thesisand I'm so happy that we've been
able to connect and that Digicationhas been able to be this kind of
springboard for you into pursuingall of these other amazing things.
I'm so excited to see where youcontinue to grow and go in the world.
(27:31):
So thank you again, Brittany.
Of course.
Thank you so much for providingthis space, this platform.
I mean, you even, you evencalled it like a conversation.
I was just like, yes.
Like, I'm like, oh my God,I'm dying to talk about it.
You know, it's, it's, it's.
From a digital humanities standpoint,it's always so lovely to see people
(27:54):
kind of take this, um, serious approachto, to web development and presentation
and the utility of portfolio thinking,because really it's a space of just
self reflection, like me just spendinghours just like, okay, so what, you
know, Maybe this layout, this sectionshould go under this section, and maybe I
(28:16):
should maybe turn and make another page.
It's always a time for reflection,and that is the, probably the greatest
gift that Digication gave to me asa student, which was just, I got to
think about myself and my experienceand how I'm going to translate that.
It was all about, Me, it was all aboutme and I had help with that from the
(28:40):
way that the interface was designed tothe example templates that are available
to, I mean, the contact me and I hadlike experts in the classroom, in
the introductory seminars program whocould also walk me through the process.
If I had an idea, Ididn't know how it worked.
I could just go to them.
(29:00):
So it was a beautifully curated.
experience as a student and it mademe less hesitant about building and
cultivating a portfolio for myself.
So now when I go and I talk, now I'mtransitioning, I'm matriculating,
you know, out of Stanford.
I'm starting that process.
You have to start applying to jobs,start networking and meeting people.
(29:22):
And so it even becomes more importantfor you to provide them with something
that they can walk away with.
And so one day when they, you know,they're just thinking about you,
they just pull you up and boom.
Your website says everythingthat a 30 second pitch cannot.
And so it's, it just, and that literallyI'm, I'm, I'm not even gonna lie to you.
It, I've had so many differentfellowships, internships, just because.
(29:47):
I had this project under my belt.
So as much as you're extending tome a thanks, I think it's always
important as a student, I feellike that is my responsibility.
The very least I can do is to makesure that you are receiving your
thanks and the gratitude, because.
What you all created, that's a lifechanging, and I'm an example of that.
(30:09):
That's a life changing interface.
That's a life changing project.
Oh, Brittany, you're gonna make me cry.
Well, thank you so much.
My heart is so full right nowand, uh, I appreciate you very
(30:32):
much and wish you all the best.
Thank you.
I appreciate you too.
Take good care.
Coming up next, we'll be chattingwith Caitlin Koskin, a recent graduate
of Texas Christian University.
Here's a quick preview.
So from a young age, I was able to travelaround to so many countries, like probably
(30:54):
13 by the time I was in high school.
And I think that's something I'llforever be grateful for, from such a
young age, to be exposed to so manydifferent cultures and people, work ethic.
And at the time, I certainlydidn't understand it, I would
say, up to a certain extent.
(31:15):
And then there was a moment where itshifted and I began to become a lot
more interested in the actual businessside of it, where I would actually sit
in on meetings, um, and participateto an extent that certainly shaped my
interest in fashion moving forward.
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