Very generally speaking a documentation consists of a text describing the work and different kinds of media showing appearance, functionality, process, interactions, anecdotes, etcetera.
The documentation is an essential part of every project or work therefore it needs to be taken seriously. Oftentimes a documentation is the only thing that will remain of a project after some time. It is also vital to understand that a documentation in itself is a designed work and can be strategically planned and crafted. Certain aspects of a work can be amplified or highlighted while others can be pushed into the background. Every documentation has a bias, wantingly or unwantingly. Understanding this helps looking more critically at other people’s documentations, but should first and foremost help you realizing the potential of your own project documentation.
From a certain point of view a documentation might be a way of presenting one’s work in a better light than the original provides ( e.g photoshopping unwanted kinks, or deliberately leaving out imperfections in a video edit ). To what degree such interventions are legitimate is subject to discussion in each particular case. However, from another more well-meant perspective a documentation presents the opportunity to highlight aspects of your work that are otherwise inaccessible ( e.g it would take too long to fully experience the work, it is very site specific, a particular skill is required to operate it, etcetera ). In this sense a documentation can and should act as an amplifier for the reception or a point of reflection for your work.
Please consider using professional documentation utilities ( photo studio instead of interior lighting, DSLR cameras instead of mobile phone cameras, etcetera ). And because it is a reoccuring topic that emerges quite frequently: as a default we advice to not take photographs of your work in an exhibition environment. an exhibition is often too crowded, with too many distracting details. your work benefits from a dedicated and precisely considered context. Of course and as always there are exceptions to this piece advice.
Please note that we consider the documentation very important for you and also for us. We therefore expect it to be of equally high quality and crafted with the same dedication you invested in the realisation of your project. We are more than happy to assist and supervise you in these last steps of your project.
In the context of our program a documentation usually is comprised of two versions: an extended version and a short version ( which also acts as the website version ).
The latter is supposed to be short and should somewhat fit with the style of project documentations already on the DM website.
http://digitalmedia-bremen.de/de/projekte
We have compiled the document Directions for Preparing Material to Document Projects on Our Website outlining guidelines for the website version. Please read it carefully in addition to this document.
The former is longer and more thorough. All media ( photos, renderings, videos ) should be of high resolution. This version can also contain additional content like source code, sketches, etcetera; as well as longer texts.
Please always send us the individual raw media files ( for example images as jpeg || png || tiff + videos as mp4 || mov || avi + texts as txt || markdown || word + etcetera ). Please DO NOT send us exclusively PDFs or other encapsulated, uneditable formats.
We have a great interest in you publishing your work outside of our program. Do consider organizing exhibitions, send your documentations to blogs, magazins, publishing companies, and radio stations, speak at conferences, etcetera. When you do so please do not forget to mention us ( supervisors or digital media program or hfk ).
For further thoughts on project dissemination and a list of places to publish your work at, please also refer to the section Publication + Dissemination in the document Directions for Developing a Design/Artistic Project.
Your documentation should be in digital form. please upload it packaged as a zip archive ( or similar ) to a webspace ( FTP, owncloud, onedrive, dropbox, … ) then send us the link to the archive. please DO NOT send us the files via mail.
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has put together an article which might serve as an inspiration: Best practices for conservation of media art from an artist’s perspective
Please also consult the document Directions for Developing a Design/Artistic Project which aims to put the documentation into context in regards to an entire work.
This document is available as a public document at Directions for Project Documentations.