OK, I admit it - I was looking at shoes on the web, which I almost never do. Really. I swear... I mean, not that much, it's not like I need an intervention or anything, not yet.... Anyway, I was looking at shoes for like, one second, and I clicked my way to
Polyvore, where users can put together "sets" of clothes, shoes, and accessories from all over the web. Remember playing with paper dolls? What, you haven't? Never mind. Go straight to Polyvore and discover what kept Victorian children busy for hours and hours. Only this is web-based, scissors-free, interactive, and probably not too messy, provided you submerge your credit card in a bowl of water and put that into the freezer about an hour beforehand.
Oh, yes, the instructional part, yes, I was just getting to that - well, students can analyze sets or create sets themselves to learn color theory, design principles, texture - all kinds of aesthetic lessons are possible. (What? Oh, those gray suede pumps are very distracting - sorry.) Not to mention graphic design principles like composition, font choice and so on. Users hail from all over the world, so maybe a geography lesson there, or economics, or political science (globalization, anyone?) Here's another example, from a user in the USA:
