Assignment 2: Read Me Again
A prototype whose reading changes when a reader experiences it a second time
Due: Week 9 · Weight: 30%
A book that gives up something different the second time it is read. This is not only a plot twist: background narrative, visual clues, reading order, unreliable narration, page relationships, reader action, perspective, or withheld information can all do the work.
The brief
Make a short book that reads differently the second time through, and find out whether it actually does.
Decide what changes on rereading and how a reader is meant to notice it, then test that decision against readers who do not yet know the trick.
What you submit
A prototype of roughly 6–10 pages or spread-equivalents, tested with about 2–3 readers without the trick explained in advance. Keep lightweight evidence of what each reader noticed, missed, misunderstood, or reconsidered — notes, recordings, or annotated pages are all fine. Alongside the prototype, a design response of roughly 300 words setting out what you expected readers to experience against what actually happened, and what you changed as a result.
The spec
The brief poses the problem and leaves room for a response. The spec is the fixed part: what a marker checks. Some lines can be checked mechanically; the rest call for judgement.
- approximately 6–10 pages or spread-equivalents
- tested with roughly 2–3 readers, without explaining the trick first
- lightweight evidence of what readers noticed, missed, misunderstood, or reconsidered
- a design response of roughly 300 words comparing expected and observed reader response
How it is marked
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Design of the change between first and second reading | 35% |
| Evidence from reader testing | 30% |
| Design response comparing expected and observed reading | 35% |