COMMUNITY ADVOCACY PROJECT :: FINAL CRITIQUE

for the final critique, each group is showing their completed design ignites change project page and any additional mock-ups and/or images that will aid in the class' understanding of your project. we will meet in futura.

each group has 15 minutes, max -- about 5 min presentation and 10 min feedback. give a quick re-cap of the problem, research findings, prototyping, and design process, (most of which we already know pretty well).  spend the majority of your time discussing the merits of your solution.

post a link to your dic page on your blog, as well as any additional photos that are important, but didn't make it onto your project page. dic application pdfs need to be uploaded to my cas drop box before class. i will submit all applications together.

PROTOTYPE PRESENTATION

wednesday, oct 20 we will split into two groups to present the results of your prototype feedback. we will have some guests from rosedale community partners to provide feedback. here are the basic specs:

5 groups per room -- futura and garamond
5-7 minute presentation
suggested content: quick re-cap of the problem, show prototypes, report on findings/experiences, tell how that influenced your current direction, next steps
10 minutes for feedback
media: open, but make it professional.

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY PROJECT :: QUICK THOUGHTS

i'm pasting some thoughts below from an email conversation i had with tom tonight regarding testing prototypes. maybe you will find them useful...

on a related note, one model for our projects that may (or may not) be instructive is software revisions. software is never really "done" and new updates and refinements are always in the works. google is known for their "continuous beta" i think it's called, where they are constantly making tiny updates to live software almost daily.

with that in mind, you might think of your prototypes as the project even now, and each time you take them out they get bigger, better, and have more components accompanying them. more sculptures this round, less type next round, more web content later on, etc. and it continues to get better all the time...

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY PROJECT :: PROBLEM-FINDING PRESENTATION

this friday, a visual-verbal presentation of your problem-finding will be due. each student, or student group, will have three minutes to present, and will have six minutes for feedback (9 minutes total). 

this presentation is an important part of the design process and should be treated as such. it should be made as if the presentation audience has not been privy to any of the previous discussions. it should clearly take the viewer through the entire thought and research process in a clear and concise way.

include the following in your presentation and turn in for grading.

- problem statement or question 

this is a concise statement of the issue you have researched and determined to be a problem. it may be phrased as a statement of fact -- “too many teens are being bullied in the classroom”, or it may be phrased as a question to explore through your design process -- “how can graphic design help eliminate bullying in the classroom?” either approach is acceptable. 

- audience definition and characteristics 

include basic demographic info such as age range and other relevant factors (possibly gender, socio-economic status, etc). 

more importantly, include qualitative information that explains the “whys” and “hows” behind your issue. ideally this is gleaned from your initial interviews and audience observations. explain their relationship to the problem, mentioning where they fall on the receptivity gradient (handout on the sidebar of the blog) as well as specific input you have received from your audience contacts.

- what social behavior you want to change 

be as specific as possible here, framing it in terms of behavior and not in graphic design artifacts. ex: “i want to eliminate bullying in the classroom by making potential bullies realize the emotional damage they inflict on others.” 

- how you will measure the results of that change 

list any ideas you have for how to evaluate the effectiveness of your design work. how will we be able to tell your project did what you intended? again, be as specific as possible. ex: “at westport high school 9th grade classes, the number of bullying incidents will decrease, as opposed to the increases from previous years.”

RESEARCHING RESEARCH

at the sidebar to the right you will find three links to help you think about your audience and hopefully understand them better as a result.

• a lecture on audience research
• a "receptivity gradient" handout
• audience analysis worksheets from kathy mccoy

take a close look at each of them and utilize them as you continue researching your audience. there should be some new ideas in there for you.

content-related links

additional research about childhood obesity can be found below. this isn't totally necessary for friday's meeting, but will certainly be helpful as the project moves forward.

post additional links in the comments for the benefit of the entire class.

article about richard louv, author of "last child in the woods"

children & nature network

a good little article chris found in the online new york times called "fixing a world that fosters fat"

ROSEDALE RESEARCH LINKS

please visit the following links to be prepared for our initial meeting with the client for friday. no need to read every single page, but look through to get some solid background information, particularly the first link.

http://www.healthykidsinitiative.org/assessments
password rosedalehki

http://www.rosedalefarmersmarket.com

http://rosedale.org