Good Day,
I trust that you all had a good weekend. This will be my only office post this week; I'll start with some notes on Module 8 and then move on to Module 9.
Module 8 drafting and review
Unless you've worked out an alternative schedule within your group, you should be posting something from your Web Site Analysis Project by the end of the day today (and getting feedback returned by Wednesday.)
I want to remind you that posting at this stage of the process is important, but keep in mind that what your post does not have to be a “finished” product of any kind. In fact, you may be more comfortable posting an outline or a series of statements that you want to expand on or a series of questions that you hope to answer. You may just post your criteria at this point, for this is clearly the most important component of this project.
But use the peer-review space to your own best advantage to get the feedback that you need at this point in your document production. Be sure to prompt your peers for that kind of feedback. Don’t assume that they know what you need, but you have all been through the whole course together, and you are all capable of giving quality feedback if only given the chance and asked the right questions. Any perspective is a good perspective if you take the time to use it.
Some pointers for Module 9
Just a few comments on the Final Project of the semester.
First, I think you guys have all been working so hard, and Thanksgiving break is hitting at such an awkward time, that I am going to CANCEL EXERCISE 9 and give everyone full credit for completing it. It's a fun exercise, if you'd like to do it just for giggles, I will give you a point of extra credit in the Exercises column of the gradebook.
For the Promotional Project, I’m more concerned with the quality of your design than I am with the quality of your document. In other words, you can easily do all of the components on MS Word, or something similar, to construct your documents. You pamphlet can be created using the table function (3x1 for a trifold). If I can find some basic brochure templates, I'll share them over on the discussion board. (I want you to do as much original work as possible on these documents, so please don't use any template other than those I provide.)
Again, I’m most interested in your application of the skills we’ve developed over the course of the semester. I should be able to do an analysis of your three documents using the 9-Cell Matrix, so be sure to think about these three separate but related documents from that perspective.
Also, remember that all three documents must be promoting the same product, service, or event. The key to success on this project is showing an understanding of how these documents work differently to deliver a message and how these documents might target different readers. In other words, don’t think that you can just cut and paste the same thing in all three.
Think about how a flyer works, how a sales letter works, how a pamphlet works.
- What is the purpose of each?
- Where might each be delivered?
- What is the level of detail that can be used in each?
- How much text is too much?
- How many graphics should you use? Should you use the same graphics?
- How do you “hook” the reader in each format?
- How much time will readers spend on each document?
- What are intra-, inter-, extra-, and supra-level decisions you have to make for each document?
- What are the textual, spatial, and graphic decisions you have to make?
Again, your ability to use a piece of software is not as important to me as your ability to show an in-depth understanding of document design. I encourage you to use the 9-cell matrix to plan your document before you start playing around with the design. This project is the culmination of the semester, and it’s important that you show me what you have learned.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I'll be checking in regularly on the Web Campus board this week.
Keep up the good work with your projects, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Julie
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