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Content Creation · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Memetic Design

This cutting-edge course explores the intersection of internet culture, psychology, and visual communication. Students will study “memes” not just as internet humor, but as units of cultural transmission. The curriculum covers the history of viral content, the psychology of sharing, and how to ethically harness the power of memetic imagery for branding, social commentary, and digital activism.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Understand the origins of "Memetics" (from Richard Dawkins to TikTok)
  2. Analyze the visual language and syntax of internet subcultures
  3. Master the art of "Trendjacking" and real-time marketing
  4. Create high-velocity content designed for maximum shareability
  5. Navigate the ethics of appropriation, copyright, and misinformation in viral media
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01Introduction to Memetic Theory (Dawkins)
  2. 02History of Internet Culture: Usenet to Reddit
  3. 03The Psychology of Virality: Why We Share
  4. 04Visual Syntax: Impact Font to Deep Fried
  5. 05Templates, Remix Culture, and Iteration
  6. 06Trendjacking: Riding the Wave
  7. 07Community Management & Engagement
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Video Memes: TikTok & Short-Form Edits
  10. 10Absurdism & Surrealism in Gen Z Humor
  11. 11Memes in Marketing: "Fellow Kids" vs. Authentic
  12. 12Political Memes & Digital Propaganda
  13. 13NFT Culture & Digital Ownership
  14. 14Crisis Management: When Memes Go Wrong
  15. 15Analytics: Measuring "Buzz" and Sentiment
  16. 16Final Project: The Viral Campaign Strategy

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Viral Campaign Strategy

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Memes in Digital Culture by Limor Shifman
  2. The Selfish Gene (Chapter 11) by Richard Dawkins
  3. Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger
  4. Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch
  5. Ryan Holiday’s Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
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