ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the AIDS Quilt Touch (AQT) project as an example of an applied media studies project. The AQT project has resulted in the creation of a dynamic media system that includes distinct elements such as multimodal content, data structures, interface conventions, and cultural practices. The AQT project provides viewers with access to a digital archive of Quilt images as well as to stories about the creation of the Quilt and the rise of HIV/AIDS in the US Working in collaboration with computer graphics pioneer Andy Van Damm, and his computer visualization research team at Brown University, the AQT team created a version of the Virtual Quilt that was comprised of images of the entire Quilt at different levels of resolution. The physical size of the table and its horizontal orientation enables multiple people to collaboratively browse the Virtual Quilt. The ability to collaborate across differences is a foundational skill for any person doing applied media studies projects.
