A Malta-tude of Need

The Ball State Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) program catapults students into a world of cross-platform, interdisciplinary work. EMDD focuses on how to plan, develop, deploy and test communication designs and storytelling across digital platforms. The aim for the program is for all students to graduate as a highly-trained professional in the high-demand fields of strategic communication, user-centered design, user experience research, transmedia storytelling, design thinking, public relations, advertising, healthcare, corporate business, education and more. A gift to the EMDD fund helps support many exciting initiatives including an upcoming trip to Malta.

A group of graduate students from Ball State University’s Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD) program have been accepted to present their research at the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) in Malta this December. ICIDS is the premier global conference for scholars and practitioners exploring interactive narrative, digital media, and emerging technologies. This year’s conference theme, Kaleidoscopic Machines, highlights the intersection of artificial intelligence and human creativity, offering a platform to showcase how innovative storytelling can help us better understand an increasingly complex world. For our students, attending ICIDS is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share their work, connect with leading scholars, and bring new insights back to Ball State.

By attending, our students will not only immerse themselves in cutting-edge research and global conversations but also represent Ball State on an international stage, strengthening the university’s profile in digital storytelling, interactive media, and applied design thinking. Their work reflects the core mission of the EMDD program by merging storytelling, technology, and human-centered design.

We are asking for your support to make this journey possible. Travel to an international conference is costly, and our students are raising funds to cover expenses such as airfare, lodging, and conference registration fees. By contributing, you are directly investing in the next generation of media innovators and storytellers. Every donation, no matter the size, will help bring their voices and research to this global platform. Together, we can ensure that Ball State’s EMDD students can share their ideas, learn from the world’s leading experts, and return with knowledge that will inspire our community for years to come.

Check out a sampling of the projects that were chosen for this conference produced by Ball State EMDD Students!

*Any additional funds raised will go toward future Emerging Media projects or expenses*