Lion Head

Interactive Development

Overview

Interactive Developers are part scientist and part inventor. Mathematicians and magicians. They take ideas and bring them to life. Developers have a passion for technology, coding, organization, communication and creativity. They can take a Photoshop document and make it move, sing, bounce and play. Developers are comfortable with languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and Ruby. But they don’t keep all the fun to themselves. At The Creative Circus, like in the working world, Interactive Developers work closely with the full creative team to bring ideas to life. You don’t have to be completely versed in design, copywriting or art direction, but when you walk in the door, we expect that you that you possess a genuine curiosity and willingness to participate in a rigorous program.

The Curriculum

The Interactive Development Program is agile and future-proof, in that we’re constantly validating technologies as they come down the pipeline to determine if they’re relevant for our students. If it’s something you need to know, it will be in our curriculum. We’re also working with leading professionals in the field and have established partnerships with software vendors, mobile software representatives, and other emerging technology experts.

Year one is dedicated to aggressively expanding the students’ skills in all areas of coding and development. Students also participate in competitions. “Hacking” contests are a fun way to test students’ skill levels in problem solving. In the first year you’ll learn all the critical scripting and programming languages in use today, along with up-and-coming applications. You’ll develop an understanding of the most cutting-edge programs that turn designs into reality. Expect to be versatile in all the engaging applications that cross the relevant mediums.

Year two is unlike any we know. You’ll hone your skills in communication and become integral to the industry by working on projects developed in conjunction with copywriters, art directors, designers and photographers. Picture making the web site for an electric car by Duracell, coding a new interface for Facebook, or creating a working smartphone app for Urban Outfitters. You’ll be collaborating with the next movers and shakers of the industry to show real-world stuff. Pieces that feature marketing intelligence and gorgeous design. When you graduate you’ll not only possess a sharp engineering mindset, but will also have a keen eye for design.

Competencies

  • Ability to create engaging applications across all relevant mediums
  • Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
  • Effective communicator
  • Strong grasp of user experience and digital strategy
  • Version control
  • Unit-testing
  • Reverse engineering
  • Platform agnostic development
  • Browser compatibility
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Responsive development
  • De-coupled and agile coding techniques
  • Patterns based development
  • Creative collaboration
  • Invention and creation
  • Ability to meet aggressive deadlines
  • Ability to transform conceptual thinking into tangible user experiences
  • Ability to contribute during the discovery phase of a project

Graduation Requirements

To graduate as an interactive developer, you must have a full grasp of object-oriented programming. You should be able to leverage streaming technologies to develop applications across multiple mediums. We also expect you to be able to communicate fluently and productively with the creative team. Your portfolio will feature real-world working samples geared toward the advertising and design industry. You will have a site that is database-driven and shows advanced use of the technology. Your site will showcase projects developed throughout the program. Finally, code will be assessed to make sure it is properly executed, continuous, and standards-compliant.

Career Services

While front-end developers are heavily sought after in the marketplace, it’s imperative the student performs due diligence in staying current on evolving technical standards, industry trends and best practices. The staying power of a developer in the industry is directly proportionate to his ability to understand, respect and participate in what the creative team is doing. These are the skills we teach here at The Creative Circus and the very values that set us apart from any other school.

Development Courses

For more information on our Interactive Development program, please contact our Department Head of Interactive.

Click here for additional program disclosure information.