Data By Design is an interactive history of data visualization, with a final version forthcoming in print and online from MIT Press in Fall 2026. ECDS software engineers Jay Varner, Yang Li, and graduate student Margy Adams will be listed as co-authors of the publication. The team is led by Professor Lauren Klein from the departments of English, and Quantitative Theory and Methods. The team of consists of researchers, designers, and software engineers. The software engineers work with the designers to implement the site and interactive visualizations. In 2024, the project went into public beta for an open peer review process.
The Power of Practice by Kristin Wendland is a multimedia-rich publication that explores the deep connections between music and yoga through the life and work of renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Developed in close collaboration with ECDS, the project highlights the transformative influence of Menuhin’s relationship with yogi B. K. S. Iyengar on his approach to musical performance, teaching, and global humanitarianism. ECDS’s Senior Video Producer, Steve Bransford, worked closely with Wendland to produce original video content that complements the text and demonstrates the referenced practice postures. Integrated into the enhanced Manifold edition, these elements offer readers a deeper, more immersive experience. The project is yet another example of the unique resources ECDS provides to faculty in support of innovative, digital-first scholarly publishing.
ECDS provided both design and technical expertise in creating the enhanced Manifold edition of Beretta E. Smith-Shomade’s Finding God in All the Black Places. Senior Software Engineer Yang Li worked closely with the author, offering detailed guidance on organizing multimedia assets and managing the final ingestion process. The digital edition features several curated YouTube videos that highlight contemporary Black religious experiences, thoughtfully embedded alongside the book’s narrative and visuals. As the final book came together, we focused closely on visual clarity and accessibility. This includes fine-tuning layout spacing, ensuring strong color contrast, and adding descriptive alt-text for all media elements. These careful design choices helped shape a dynamic, user-friendly publication that reflects our ongoing commitment to thoughtful, impactful digital scholarship.
Harmonic Development and Contrapuntal Techniques for the Jazz Pianist serves as a guide for harmonic expansion and development for jazz piano, offering pianists both a rationale and methods to improve contrapuntal hand techniques. The text focuses on the relationship between theory and execution and both of those components’ usefulness in creating a jazz sound at the piano.
Professor Gary Motley partnered with Dr. Bailey Betik to design and create an interactive website that provides step-by-step curriculum through videos, audio recordings, and interactive exercises to accompany the text.
