Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up

Following on from last weeks difficulties, the team has been much more positive and as a result much more productive.

Team Area
Identifying that there was a weakness with how information was distributed certainly has worked in the favour of the greater good. The progression into the 'team area' has been a welcomed and well received one.

Briefs / Scoping
The long anticipated briefs have begun to materialise has provided much needed reality to the project.

It was great to have the other team members scope the games development project to give them an understanding and experience of the process and hopefully some of the difficulties contained there in.

Assembling the brief for the games development was a team collaboration, utilizing the format established for the photography project.

Pitching
Generally speaking, I don't have too much of an issue talking in front of groups of people; regardless if I know them or not.

From the ideas that have been shown to me so far, I would have no issues standing in front of a client and 'selling' those.

The idea of pitching against Tom's Team is becoming ever more of a reality since over 50% of our projects overlap. Whilst I feel that competition is healthy, going up against the other half of the class (almost) doesn't come without some apprehensions.

Working Holiday
To ensure that the efforts put in last week are not lost over the holidays, we have to consider this to be a 'catch up' week rather than a week off.

Inadvertently & regrettably, I have let my A9 work slip a little over the last week in order to bring the A11 unit back to where it needed to be.

There is, as always, much to do.

--
"Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late" - Felix Frankfurter

New design and updates.

Thank you Shaun and Sue for your feedback.

I half agree with Shaun about the space at the top. I don't know why but it feels "right" to move it down SLIGHTLY. So I have. Just to clarify. I think this layout needs to be fixed width due to the image. perhaps about 1000px in width. A max width could also be a possibility. The content divs will not be fixed size and will expand according to the content.
Below is a sample of how other pages could look.

Below is another quite simple design which just makes the work the center piece.


Comments please.....

Better late than never...

This week has been extremely busy, due to the low moral in last week's journal entries. A lot of work has been done to bring the team motivation levels back up and I think we're at the stage where we're back on track. It's the start of half term now and we as a team are preparing ourselves for two pitches during the first week back - one for ND Photography, the other for Game Development.

It's quite nerve racking trying to bring everything together for a pitch, we're having to put our ideas on the line so that someone can decide between us and the other team. A lot of research is being conducted on my part, Content Management Systems for the photography pitch mainly. Working with Gary, we're trying to find the ideal CMS for an image gallery where we can still change the design of the page layout. It's quite difficult!

The Pi Creative website is now completed, just a few 'housekeeping' issues that need sorting. The brand colours are now in stone and we have all our work flow documents to suit, the organisation levels within the team are getting back on form and communication will be something that's an ongoing task.

Generally this week I'm feeling more optimistic. We have to get our heads down and work hard for these pitches as I don't want to feel like we've lost the opportunity of experiencing a good pitch. Hopefully, the hard work will pay off.

--
Suzanne Hullah, Developer

Geting into it.

The design has finally started and It feels like I am now getting somewhere. I ham really enjoying it.

I have come up with 2 screen designs for the Photography course which I am quite happy with.

The first one:


I was quite happy with this quite simple design. I wanted to keep the colours down and quite plain so it did not distract from the work. The response from the team was quite positive.
Steve's Feedback - In Summary
Was expecting something a little sexier.
Pointed me more in the direction of a web 2.0 feel.

Second Design:
I am extremely happy with this design. I like the contrast between the bright photograph and the quite plain background. I am happy with the secondary navigation, I think the glass like box really works for this design. I think the tabbed navigation needs working on a little. There will be a different header photograph for each page. They will be similarly simple. It would also be nice if they students could provide pictures like this to insert there!

I would like formal feedback on both of these designs (via the Journal Comments).

Goals and Aims

At the moment I am getting on with making a Gantt chat for the team projects. I have produced a production schedule which can be used for all the projects we take on, as it is a list of tasks that need to be done to get the project completed. The production schedule is mainly based on our first project (Bob) and alteration will be made for different projects. The Gantt chart will give the team goals to reach and dates to have tasks completed by and it will give a clearer view of what tasks need to be done. Plus the Gantt chart will be really good evidence to hand in at the end on the assignment.

This week when we got Bob’s artwork that he wishes to have put on his web site, I was quit shocked by some of the pieces of work. He’s work isn’t something I would normally look at and it’s not something I personally like. It would be good to see what Chris’s work is like, see how different or alike it is to Bob’s artwork.

The games course project seems quite interesting. It’s good the client knows what they want and as a bit of web design knowledge. Using the information the client as given, gives us a good starting point with the designs and the colour scheme has been chosen by the client which saves a bit of time for the designer. The client wants something nearly opposite to the current web site they have, so that could be a good thing when it comes to designing.

Ramp Up

I'm glad to see the branding is sorted now. I have enjoyed but feel it has gone on much longer than it should have.

Over the last few weeks I have been sourcing, creating and editing images for the PiCreative website. This is a job I am not particularly fond of. An image can make or break a design, I know. I am quite confident about producing a layout or design until it comes to layout images. This is why I tend to go for more simple concepts.

I am happy we have a client at last and am looking forward to starting. I have a few link to start looking at to get inspiration which have been forwarded (via Shaun) by one of the clients. Both of the client's are Wakefield based artists. I don't know weather a project an artist is going to be the best situation or the worst situation yet. From previous studies of Art I know what a pain they can be. It will be a challenge nether the less.

Perhaps this will warm me up when it comes to the use of images for layouts. It will allow me to be creative without restrictions. I can then bring my ideas back into a relevent and appropriate design.

As Sue has commented below I can't help feeling that this team is lacking something. I feel like I should be doing something, more than I currently am. I think it is all down to communication. I would hope for all the problems to be resolved by the end of the week.

This weeks cilent meeting

This week we got a client and had a client meeting. I am glad we have a client now as it means we can get started with the project properly. The client meeting was not what I was expecting it to be like, not to say that it wasn't productive. It was probably mainly because we were in a building that was been decorated so the atmosphere seem quit unorganized.

I think that I kind of expect the meeting to be more formal, but in a way it was, our attitude toward the meeting and the way Shaun spoke and acted towards the client was formal but the clients seemed more relaxed about everything which made us more relaxed.

Shaun did real well in the meeting he asked a lot of questions and covered the thing we needed to know. The only thing that I think would have made the meeting better is if the clients had showed us some of their work. Overall the meeting went real well and it was a good experience and real glad I went.

Viki Fisher, Project Assistant

Progress comes from the intelligent use of experience.

Client Acquisition
Meeting the client(s) has to be the highlight of this week by far. Though perhaps a little overdressed for the situation, I feel that the meeting went well and the team was well represented. The two artists that now form our clients have two very different personalities, both I hope that we can capture during their builds.

This will be the first time that I have compiled a formally written brief for client work. Tomorrow I collect the images from one of the builds which should give us a much clearer starting point for the design.

Firm Words
Following the team meeting earlier in the week (and now a journal comment) the team and I have been given a firm pep talk about our development through the assignment. I feel that the talk had a slightly different short term affect on the team moral than what was desired. A combination of technical difficulties and misdirection has resulted in a slight delay in delivering the requested evidence.

The work is there, and has been there through out but is not in the right templates for review; to follow shortly.

File Store
In order to present the work in the work in the most usable fashion, a password protected section of our team site will be dedicated to the file store which should be live sometime tomorrow afternoon.

The file store will also be the focal source for obtaining the agendas for upcoming meetings, branded templates and so on. Details to follow.

In closing
As mentioned in my previous journal entry, things are set to change and the pace to increase - regrettably, there is a short period of 'setting up' to go through before the results filter through.

Shaun Bellis - Project Manager

Mixed Feelings.

I'm not sure what to write this week as part of my evaluative post. I'm feeling a little downhearted as activities between the group, in my opinion, feel on the verge of breakdown. There has been no communication between the group since Thursday (apart from a short conversation I had with Gary today.) Communication has always been a shortfall in our group, I feel that things that should be communicated to the group as a whole, aren't being and therefore we're missing out on tasks we could be or should be doing.

Our team feels so disorganised, there's no real team delegation - aside from a few obvious tasks. Work flow documents aren't 'flowing' as they should be - no pun intended. Items that should have been completed by now haven't and these are going to impact on our client work if they're not sorted out properly.

Speaking of clients, our team had its first client meeting on Thursday. As I wasn't there, I can't say too much on how the meeting went, but initial thoughts look good. Which brings me back to the last point I made, now we have had our first client meeting and are in the process of bringing together a brief. We really need to crack on with the overdue items, get a proper work flow document process in place and stop tripping up over the little things that are holding the team back. I don't want to sound so negative, but this is a long assignment, if things aren't nipped in the bud now they'll have a ripple effect lasting until hand in.

Sorry to sound so miserable.

--
Suzanne Hullah, Developer

Rebrand

There has been a lot of tension over the few weeks between group members and I think we have covered the “Storming”.

Colour
We have had a re-brand this week. It turned out that the colour didn’t really say anything. Once a new colour had been brought into it, a second colour was used In contrast. I think the new colours go perfectly together.

The colours are now brighter and feel more creative. Complementary colours were used to create an eye catching contrast.

Other Changes
With these changes in effect they didn’t really go with the rest of the branding. I have been beavering a way and have come up with branding. I actually really like the changes. I has really made me see how weak the old documents were.

Below is an example of the team's new letterhead, typeface, colours, and logo.
Business Card


Typeface
I feel the new typeface works very well. I was trying to create contrast with the old style with the use of different weights. However, the difference wasn't enough to give it contrast. The use of the two colours, rather than weight works so much better.

Logo
The logo was changed due to contrast issues brought to light by Steve. This was emphasised by the use of a lighter, brighter colour. The contrast issues were mainly with the typeface being to small when reproduced at small sizes on screen.

The New logo uses both if the team colours which wasn't possible before. I experimented with circles at different sizes to show the growth of a design due to iteration. Which links in with our name, pi creative.



I cant help feel we are massively behind, but in effect I have had to take my work back to week one. I am glad we made the changes though because it is all practice, and I feel I completed the items much quicker.

Now we have everything finished we can move on, and get on with client based things.

Presentation
The presentation last week went much better than I had originally thought it would have. I am not the best presenter in the world, my nerves get the better of me. This was the fist group presentation I had done and I felt much easier.

We all turned up in formal dress code which I think made a big difference as we didn't have to worry about how we looked, for the self conscious ones of us. Initially I was a bit "jittery" and was shaking quite a lot and no doubt you could hear it in my voice. I finally got a grip and was much better after the first slide.

My jobs for the week:
• eChristmas card Research
• Order Business Cards
• New Time Sheets and Print
• New website banner
• Website Pictures

Going well so far

The presentation we did as a team went really well. It’s seemed to go really smoothly, at one bit I kind of panicked and forgot what to say, but luckily Sue stepped in and spoke for me. I was quite nervous while doing the presentation but all the team seem the same. The presentation lasted about 10-15minutes but it didn’t feel that long when we were doing it. The only thing that I think I could have improved on for the presentation is that I could of practiced more, maybe on my own and with the team.

The logo and website development as come on a lot since the last blog entry, we now have a rough logo we just need to work on some colours. The logo as developed from one colour to two colours. I like how the other colour as be worked into the older logo. I colours go really well together. Like the logo we have a rough web site that looks good, but when the new screen design as be developed it should look even better.

The regular meeting though Skype are good and a different experience. I wasn’t too sure about having voice conferences because I had really done anything like it before and I thought I might not be quit as talkative as the rest of the team. I am not really chatty but if I have anything to say I will say it. Also with having the meetings on Skype it is convenient.

Overall the team is getting on really well and I am pleased with how it’s going so far.

Viki Fisher, Project Assistant

Tomorrow is a new day...

Looking back upon an eventful two weeks I can see that the ground we have covered has been immense.

The team has overall grown well together and showing real signs of progress and development. This was never more evident than during the presentations to Steve in the middle of last week.

The preparation and contributions from team members made all the difference to each of our confidences and attitudes. It was agreed that we were going to dress suitably (pardon the rubbish pun) to give the right impression about our approach to this project; additionally, I feel that it gave everyone the little bit extra confidence that we all needed.

Apart from the odd quiver of the vocal chords and omission of a few details, the presentation was a success and the team did, in my opinion, fantastic! Well done!

This week has proven to be our 'storming' stage of the team building exercise. There has been instances where due to misunderstandings, less than adequate communication and general establishing of rolls and responsibilities a few proverbial toes have been trodden on.

Regrettably, this did cause a bit of undue tension within the group which has been since resolved and moved on from. I personally see this as a positive as we are now a stronger group for it; these kind of eventualities are inevitable in a group work such as this; I am sure that future difference of opinion will occur later on also.

The redevelopment of the branding has gone smoothly and the results are far superior to previous iterations; though I am sure Gary will talk about this in more detail. The scheme has been well received and I feel has somewhat boosted moral back to where it was previously.

The early part of the upcoming week will be particularly busy for myself and Viki as the finalisation of the client acquisition is to be completed before the group session on Thursday. I think that this is the area of the project that we have all been waiting for and are itching to progress into.

Things are set to change now that I have reduced (by half) the amount of hours that I am working outside of college which has previously hindered the progression of the team in certain areas. The pace of the project is going to increase from here in.

Big thank you to all the team for the work that has been put in so far.

Shaun Bellis
Project Manager

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Full on!

Since my last post, team related activities have been full on. We've held various meetings, created corporate documents and done our team presentation!

The team presentation went extremely well in my opinion, the usual downfalls of my presenting seemed to disappear while in the presence of my team members. Due to our practise the night before, the presentation progressed smoothly and we even looked the part! This brought about high team spirit and instilled motivation throughout the four of us.

However, over the past week or so, a couple of us (myself included) have become slightly jaded over our roles within the team. Certain problems have arisen with factors such as web hosting and communication has broken down between us. People have been left out of the loop and feelings have been hurt - a definite learning curve for the whole team and something we need to work on.

Aside from from that, I feel that we as a team are progressing well. We are strong individuals and small hiccups along the road are expected. We have our website well underway, the identity has now been re-developed and we have our working documents to use. The background work is now completed, we just need a client now! The part that I'm looking forward to most!

--
Suzanne Hullah - Developer