Faculty teaching option studios are required to submit an introductory video. The video allows instructors to provide more nuanced information and images supplemental to the syllabus. Option studio introductory videos are accessible only to the Harvard community on the Option Studio Lottery website. Pre-recorded option studio videos, as well as detailed course syllabi, are due approximately two weeks prior to the start of the enrollment period.

Videos from last semester are available here: (password: GSDOSS25)

Option Studio Videos from Spring 2025

 Instructions for creating and submitting a course or studio video:

• Please submit your video to [email protected]. You are welcome to use whatever file transfer service you prefer for sending large files (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer, Hightail, etc.).
• Please submit videos in any standard video format such as .mp4, .mov, or .m4v. Please aim to submit your videos in a sufficiently high resolution, ideally 1920 x 1080 or greater. There is no limit on file size, but files under 10 GB are appreciated. Contact Matt at the email address above for any technical questions or difficulties in meeting these requirements.
• You may use whatever equipment and software you prefer to produce your video as long as long as the video is of sufficient quality with clear audio. See below for further guidance on content.
• If you are interested in learning more about using video editing software like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro or others, LinkedIn Learning offers great tutorials (and courses on many other topics) and is free to HarvardKey holders.

The video below provides an overview of the new recording tools available in PowerPoint:

Recording Presentations Using PowerPoint (Mac and Windows)

 

Tips for successful course and studio videos:

• Keep videos short, ideally under ten minutes.
• Use simple language. This is extremely helpful for students for whom English is not their first language.
• Focus on content that is easier to show visually than explain in written form. Videos should supplement written course descriptions, not necessarily repeat the same information.
• Explain to students what taking your studio will be like. What is your approach to design problems and design teaching? What skills are students going to learn or improve in your studio? What skills are students going to learn or improve in your studio?
• Avoid mentioning logistical details that may change such as dates and meeting times or locations.
• If you’re showing slides, prioritize images over text. If you do use text, keep fonts large and with good contrast against backgrounds. This is good for accessibility reasons and also helps students who will watch on smaller screens like smartphones.
• Captions will be professionally generated for your video. Please be mindful of accessibility considerations and ensure good audio quality to assist the captioning process.