Ben: N.D. Farm Relief Interview
Val: Interview
Nick: Interview
Lottie: Interview
Paige: Worksheet
Ben asks:
How will we know that our manual is complete?
define by next week.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
This blog is lessons learned:
1. Ensure that it is in the scope before doing any projects
2. Speak in a unified voice
3. Stay positive
4. Simplify
5. Don't commit unless you're CERTAIN you can commit
6. If you need to "time out", "time out." : Regroup, Keep your head on straight.
-Paige
2. Speak in a unified voice
3. Stay positive
4. Simplify
5. Don't commit unless you're CERTAIN you can commit
6. If you need to "time out", "time out." : Regroup, Keep your head on straight.
-Paige
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
These past few weeks: Paige's Journal
After our proposal review, we were more clear on what we needed to do. We have been refining and developing our research, trying to be exploratory and creative, while covering all the basics. We have compiled a document that contains much of our research this week, but not all of it. The research will continue on. We have begun to execute the design phase and suggestions. We have also begun our field research, going into the coops for first hand inspiration. Now we are going to hope to survey and interview experts in non-profit fundraising, coop workers, and coop shoppers and document that in our research and/or manual. We are meeting next week to begin to outline our final manual and double check on our project plan. We have been laughing a lot, and feel mostly good about our project. Casual conversations with our client have reassured me in any questions that I do have. It certainly does help. There is some confusion in our team from time to time, but the confusion of one team member does not necessarily define the confusion for our whole group. We are currently hoping to finish the manual ahead of time so that we could go into further detail for our recommondations, possible prototypes and such, but our client has agreed that the recommendation and research manual is our priority, as they just need to have documentation for a lot of the things that have been kept only in their memories.
-Paige
-Paige
Monday, September 29, 2008
Blog Week 6 Meeting
We are about to revise our proposal. Jan, a grammer stickler, has sent us her comments and we want to have the proposal in tip top shape. Everyone has just arrived, and we're about to settle down to business. One of our RTC clients has agreed to meet up with us at 5 pm tomorrow.
-Paige
-Paige
Vis Studio Weeks 4 & 5
Visualization Studio Journal Weeks 4 & 5.
Our fourth week in class, the peacekeepers came. It was a man and wife team who were interested in teaching us about communication and problem solving in a group setting. It was interesting. I wasn’t much in the mood for the exercises when they happened but they went well. Our problem solver welled up about some conflict he had with his daughter, and you could tell he took his techniques very seriously. I thought about it a lot in the following days. I’ve been really trying to pay attention to how I visually appear as a listener, and also if I’m consistently attempting to keep open body language. I made some “I feel” statements with a friend, which mostly led to ridicule, but I can see how sticking to that format can solve some communication problems. For example, “I feel” that it does not point fingers, and it ensures that words are carefully chosen before they are spoken. After our class period our group hid in the depths of the library, worked on our proposal, and divided into research areas. I found the meeting successful.
In between our fourth and fifth week, we met on Monday at 2:30, to further work on our proposal and our work breakdown structure. I thought this also went well, but we didn’t finish our proposal as hoped. It was much more time consuming that I had originally planned for.
Our fifth week in class, we enjoyed more team-building instruction from two grown men with a set of tinker toys for each team. The exercise was, once again, in communication and role-play. I found the exercises entertaining, but scarcely educational. This would have been more useful to me in the beginning of the semester, I think. It did; however, seem to really affect some of the other groups that were, perhaps, still forming groups and teams. I feel fortunate to have Krista as our advisor, because she had worked to solve these issues for us very early on. After the tinkering was finished, we returned to our corner of the library, and watched the rainfall. I was very stressed out, and was not much of a leader on this day. I apologize profusely to my teammates, and promise to be better rested for our next time together. There had been confusion in our deadline, and so we rushed to meet it. We had thought we were just handing in our draft proposal, not a client-ready copy, and so that is where this group-stress came from. Through a little bit of unhappiness, quick thinking, teamwork, and hitting the grindstone we got our proposal in the next day. I wish we could have waited to hand in our proposal, because we did not even receive a response from our client yet. Ben and I were going to speak with Brett after our class on Friday, but did not. It escaped my mind that I should have spoken with him. I attempted to set up a meeting to go over the proposal with them this next coming Tuesday, but I still have not received a response. Tomorrow, when the group meets at 2:30, I’d like to get a hold of them.
-Paige
Our fourth week in class, the peacekeepers came. It was a man and wife team who were interested in teaching us about communication and problem solving in a group setting. It was interesting. I wasn’t much in the mood for the exercises when they happened but they went well. Our problem solver welled up about some conflict he had with his daughter, and you could tell he took his techniques very seriously. I thought about it a lot in the following days. I’ve been really trying to pay attention to how I visually appear as a listener, and also if I’m consistently attempting to keep open body language. I made some “I feel” statements with a friend, which mostly led to ridicule, but I can see how sticking to that format can solve some communication problems. For example, “I feel” that it does not point fingers, and it ensures that words are carefully chosen before they are spoken. After our class period our group hid in the depths of the library, worked on our proposal, and divided into research areas. I found the meeting successful.
In between our fourth and fifth week, we met on Monday at 2:30, to further work on our proposal and our work breakdown structure. I thought this also went well, but we didn’t finish our proposal as hoped. It was much more time consuming that I had originally planned for.
Our fifth week in class, we enjoyed more team-building instruction from two grown men with a set of tinker toys for each team. The exercise was, once again, in communication and role-play. I found the exercises entertaining, but scarcely educational. This would have been more useful to me in the beginning of the semester, I think. It did; however, seem to really affect some of the other groups that were, perhaps, still forming groups and teams. I feel fortunate to have Krista as our advisor, because she had worked to solve these issues for us very early on. After the tinkering was finished, we returned to our corner of the library, and watched the rainfall. I was very stressed out, and was not much of a leader on this day. I apologize profusely to my teammates, and promise to be better rested for our next time together. There had been confusion in our deadline, and so we rushed to meet it. We had thought we were just handing in our draft proposal, not a client-ready copy, and so that is where this group-stress came from. Through a little bit of unhappiness, quick thinking, teamwork, and hitting the grindstone we got our proposal in the next day. I wish we could have waited to hand in our proposal, because we did not even receive a response from our client yet. Ben and I were going to speak with Brett after our class on Friday, but did not. It escaped my mind that I should have spoken with him. I attempted to set up a meeting to go over the proposal with them this next coming Tuesday, but I still have not received a response. Tomorrow, when the group meets at 2:30, I’d like to get a hold of them.
-Paige
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Class Notes "Gathering Our Thoughts"
RTC week 3: Collecting Our Thoughts
How did the research go?
Val: Integrated Campaign with an online digital form. Website. Banner Ad. Maintenance. Update. “Digital Presence.” Eco-friendly approach. Cost effective.
3 tactics:
1. POP Kits (cash register at the Co op), box donations “Please donate for this cause, this is who we are, this is where the money goes, can the money be tracked?” Incentive for donating. Give money, get seeds etc.
2. Minneapolis Green Convention: Awareness. Donations.
3. Widget; Interactive. Informative. Current Updates. Rock star Farmer/Farmer story of the week. Make your own widget? Research?
Ben:
1.Idea: In-store marketing website. End caps, specifically floor stands is more effective than media advertising because they are standing right in front of it. The most effective thing is asking you to donate. 1-dollar wall hanging, 2 dollars you get a button campaign. Offer options. Make flexible. Work with coop. what days would work? What are they willing to display? Plant Markers (little plastic plant labels)
2.Vote of Confidence:
Paige: Minimalism, Green Design, Simplicity, Involving and Continuing Donor Relations, Education
Lottie: Growing Up Organic: Fun Fact Kid File, as well as adult materials. Coloring materials. Farmer visiting a school. (Organic food council. Manitoba). Farm Shadow Program.
Nick: The power of a dollar. Following the dollar. Simple education/info. Inniative. What about promotion:
Audience:
1. People to donate
2. Future Farmers
3. Consumers
Kris:
Working backwards. Starting with the end of the timeline and working backwards.
Working for Coops. Asserting the Coop Aspect first. Getting the Coop to say yes.
Computer terminal. Informational Terminal.
Focus how do you present this program to the Coops to get them to buy into it,
Double Check to see how many farmers they need: 8 Institutions, double funding by the second year into 16 farmers. One institution sponsors each farmer. Is it better to sponsor a particular person or the person or both or not knowing?
Define 1 to 2 sentence statements. The team will deliver to RTC a _______ (Definite expectations). “Research into your market, market saturation of other companies, design document for your web application and education”
Homework:
ALL OF US: General Timeline. Revised Proposal Ideas. Personal Research.
RESEARCH! OBSERVE! RETAIN! INCUBATE!
A personal policy of mine is to “Be a Sponge, Obsorb and Expand.”
All innovation means is taking an idea and forming it to new, improved standards.
Invention stems off a need that is pre-existing.
Val: HOW. What type of In coop design works best
Lottie: WHO. User Profiles. Demographic. On site or google. Working with Ben.
Ben: WHO. User Content.
Nick: WHY? The power of a dollar.
Paige: WHERE? HOW MUCH? Similar to the power of a dollar, but also the power of an inch, or a foot. (Marketing Space).
-Paige
How did the research go?
Val: Integrated Campaign with an online digital form. Website. Banner Ad. Maintenance. Update. “Digital Presence.” Eco-friendly approach. Cost effective.
3 tactics:
1. POP Kits (cash register at the Co op), box donations “Please donate for this cause, this is who we are, this is where the money goes, can the money be tracked?” Incentive for donating. Give money, get seeds etc.
2. Minneapolis Green Convention: Awareness. Donations.
3. Widget; Interactive. Informative. Current Updates. Rock star Farmer/Farmer story of the week. Make your own widget? Research?
Ben:
1.Idea: In-store marketing website. End caps, specifically floor stands is more effective than media advertising because they are standing right in front of it. The most effective thing is asking you to donate. 1-dollar wall hanging, 2 dollars you get a button campaign. Offer options. Make flexible. Work with coop. what days would work? What are they willing to display? Plant Markers (little plastic plant labels)
2.Vote of Confidence:
Paige: Minimalism, Green Design, Simplicity, Involving and Continuing Donor Relations, Education
Lottie: Growing Up Organic: Fun Fact Kid File, as well as adult materials. Coloring materials. Farmer visiting a school. (Organic food council. Manitoba). Farm Shadow Program.
Nick: The power of a dollar. Following the dollar. Simple education/info. Inniative. What about promotion:
Audience:
1. People to donate
2. Future Farmers
3. Consumers
Kris:
Working backwards. Starting with the end of the timeline and working backwards.
Working for Coops. Asserting the Coop Aspect first. Getting the Coop to say yes.
Computer terminal. Informational Terminal.
Focus how do you present this program to the Coops to get them to buy into it,
Double Check to see how many farmers they need: 8 Institutions, double funding by the second year into 16 farmers. One institution sponsors each farmer. Is it better to sponsor a particular person or the person or both or not knowing?
Define 1 to 2 sentence statements. The team will deliver to RTC a _______ (Definite expectations). “Research into your market, market saturation of other companies, design document for your web application and education”
Homework:
ALL OF US: General Timeline. Revised Proposal Ideas. Personal Research.
RESEARCH! OBSERVE! RETAIN! INCUBATE!
A personal policy of mine is to “Be a Sponge, Obsorb and Expand.”
All innovation means is taking an idea and forming it to new, improved standards.
Invention stems off a need that is pre-existing.
Val: HOW. What type of In coop design works best
Lottie: WHO. User Profiles. Demographic. On site or google. Working with Ben.
Ben: WHO. User Content.
Nick: WHY? The power of a dollar.
Paige: WHERE? HOW MUCH? Similar to the power of a dollar, but also the power of an inch, or a foot. (Marketing Space).
-Paige
JOURNAL JOURNAL JOURNAL I MADE YOU OUT OF CLAY... AND WHEN YOU'RE DRY AND READY... ON JOURNAL WE SHALL PLAY.
Vis Studio: Paige: Week 3:
This week, after seeing some of Kris’ past production work, we split into our respective groups. Desperate for a glimpse of waning sunshine, I asked the group to meet on the student center deck, and they obliged. From uncomfortable white chairs we hammered out some beginning details for our project. We reconsidered our roles and made sure that each of us was content and ready for our position, and we began to consider our end goal. We decided, first things first, let’s develop a central communication point. Benjamin created a blog for us, and we worked together to format it. Together we considered some of the focal points of our proposal, so that we were to be on the same page, before we began our individual proposals. Krista met with us towards the end of our session, and we further discussed our proposals and the need to clearly identify our expectations. It was a smooth meeting with several minor accomplishments, and a settled direction. We left understanding that each of us should research at least one successful, paralleled marketing campaign from a similar organization or cause, and in our next meeting, I am hoping we are able to formulate a basic timeline and outline for success, as well as a continuation of research.
This week, after seeing some of Kris’ past production work, we split into our respective groups. Desperate for a glimpse of waning sunshine, I asked the group to meet on the student center deck, and they obliged. From uncomfortable white chairs we hammered out some beginning details for our project. We reconsidered our roles and made sure that each of us was content and ready for our position, and we began to consider our end goal. We decided, first things first, let’s develop a central communication point. Benjamin created a blog for us, and we worked together to format it. Together we considered some of the focal points of our proposal, so that we were to be on the same page, before we began our individual proposals. Krista met with us towards the end of our session, and we further discussed our proposals and the need to clearly identify our expectations. It was a smooth meeting with several minor accomplishments, and a settled direction. We left understanding that each of us should research at least one successful, paralleled marketing campaign from a similar organization or cause, and in our next meeting, I am hoping we are able to formulate a basic timeline and outline for success, as well as a continuation of research.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Questions
Although we won the question analysis for Project Tracking...
I am ill from eating all that toffee prize at once. For real.... Ugh
I am ill from eating all that toffee prize at once. For real.... Ugh
Week 3 Assignment
After next week, we still have 2 weeks until our final propsoal is due, which gives us an extra week to meet with our client.
No rush!
For this week:
Write Personal Proposal
Research (Succesful, Unsuccessful, Types of Media to Use, What's involved in a Marketing Campaign, What's already working in Coops, How many Coops there are, How many Coop members there are, Where the Farmer Fellowship program is at now, etc).
-Paige
No rush!
For this week:
Write Personal Proposal
Research (Succesful, Unsuccessful, Types of Media to Use, What's involved in a Marketing Campaign, What's already working in Coops, How many Coops there are, How many Coop members there are, Where the Farmer Fellowship program is at now, etc).
-Paige
From the Farm of Benjamin
We're officially up and running with our exciting, and always delicious RTC Future Farmers blog. For all 5 to 7 of you out there that need to read this... it's going to be WICKED.
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