Undergraduate Program

Capstone Project

Digital media students posing with food. — Students design voice-activated app to reduce food waste—Pip, an app developed by a team of graduating seniors in the Digital Media Studies Program, will let users check their fridge or freezer wherever they are using only their voice.

In their capstone year, Digital Media Studies (DMS) seniors collaborate to solve real-world problems. Students either work with a community partner or tackle a problem of their own choosing, applying the human-centered design process to develop solutions.

Experiential learning is central to the DMS program, and the capstone is no exception. Whether you're designing a volunteer platform for a natural history museum in the Adirondacks or creating a media library for Douglass Middle School to bridge the digital divide, you'll take on real challenges. This is the year you’ll take off the training wheels and solve unique problems all while having the support of your DMS faculty and staff.

Capstone Highlights

DOS/TWO

This team created a bilingual interactive children’s book, a printed edition, and a companion game to address the underrepresentation of Latinx characters in children’s media—currently less than 10%. Unlike most bilingual resources that prioritize grammar, this project centers storytelling and culture to support Latin American children in the U.S. in feeling connected to their heritage and excited to use the language. Students work through all stages of the production pipeline, from research and ideation to design, prototyping, and public presentation. This project was developed in collaboration with Hipocampo Books in Rochester, NY.

Resistance Mapping

This capstone project builds on Resistance Mapping, a web-based portal that highlights place-based racism and community resistance in Rochester, NY. Tasked with broadening its impact, the student team explored ways to scale the platform across New York State. Through user testing and iterative prototyping, they developed new strategies to extend its reach—amplifying powerful stories of resilience from communities throughout the state.

Remembrance of the Holocaust

Six digital media studies seniors collaborated with the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery to develop a GIS-based interactive map, using GPS data to help visitors and researchers locate and access stories of over 100 Holocaust survivors buried on the grounds.

Pawsitive Cat Cafe

This capstone team collaborated with Pawsitive Cat Cafe to improve their functionality by designing a medical tracking tool, developing an educational video game for adopters, redesigning the website, and creating a targeted outreach plan to enhance community engagement.

Arrange

For this project, the capstone team developed an augmented reality app for college students to scan and create 3D models of dorm furniture, allowing them to virtually rearrange their space and access design tips.

Our Access

This capstone team developed a web app to help people with physical disabilities navigate campus more easily by mapping accessible routes tailored to individual needs, addressing challenges posed by the campus’ historic infrastructure.

Northwest Digital Media Lab

Partnering with Northwest Junior High School's Student Voice Committee, this team designed a 400-square-foot digital media lab tailored to student needs, featuring soundproofing, recording spaces, and workstations to foster creativity and experimentation.

Marketing students created this postcard to explain SPIRIT NYS.

2022 Capstone Project

Students Help Homeless Youth

DMS students developed a year-long capstone project to help Spirit NYS provide effective educational outreach on homelessness. The students' expertise and efforts led to increased visits to the organization's website and greater interaction with social media posts.