Karolina's thoughts on Project Community 2014.

[kerylson]

Last post about the project.

Hello my potential readers!

The module is about to end. So this is the high time to deliver our presentations with problem solutions. 

Since last two weeks I am really into the topic of reciting audiovisual expressions. Also for my other – Personal Branding I need to make a movie. For me this is just the beginning of the journey.

The most challenging part about audiovisual presentations is a fact that we are designer and we always have to go one step ahead, we have to constantly challenge ourselves. The presentations is just not simply a content.

So, what has to be there in a good presentation?

Explain your content in easy to understand way

Take care of a nice look

Make it interesting. Use examples!

For designers: Make it special!

No, designer doesn’t have such an easy life. So, I will try to practice it by making my day and people in my surroundings a bit more special every day. 

* * *

We are done with the project now, the presentation is ready and solution described. I hope the it would useful for CoM. 

I want to also add that I learnt a lot during these two months. I learned not only about social networks and NGOs, but also about myself, my skills and how to work in a group. I understood that a crowd can be a really powrfull tool if you want to achieve your goal. The methods such as crowdfunding and crowdsoarcing show that ou jsut need to have a good idea and desribe it well, and then easily you will find your supporters. It is not only beneficial for orgnaisations, but also for designers and promotion of their prodcuts or ideas.

  At the ned, I want also to thank my team for working well together. I think that everybody tried to contribute it and share skills and knowledge they have. Thank you, guys! We made it till the end.

Cheers, K.

[kerylson]

Show me your website, and I will tell you who you are.

  Hello my potential readers!

WELCOME TO THE ONLINE WORLD        

Welcome to the Online World, my friend. Internet has changed the world. Thanks to it we can, in a very fast way, reach people and data from all over the globe. Online communities and networks become more and more important. It gives a lot of new possibilities for innovative designers. Some of the products exist only online.

The Online World became a place to be for innovative designers. If you don’t exist in google, it is very likely that you don’t exist at all. Thanks to Internet the world became much smaller. Designers can reach their customers without any go-between. The Online World give them also bigger freedom to create for any target group they like. They are not limited by preferences of their compatriots.

I have learnt a lot about the importance of online communities and networks during my work on the project for NGO. These communities are extremely significant in everyday life of such organization. The engaged facebook page or twitter profile can be crucial for NGO’s popularity. This how you present yourself online, is a visit card for many potential donators or customers.

  FUTURE

As a future designer, it is really good for me to know how online communities and networks work. I was always unhappy about this that now everything is happening online. We waste so much time just scrolling facebook. But thanks to this course I have understood that it can be a great of importance for my future career.

Internet is a great place to start with. At very this moment I can do something to interest somebody with my work. Although I don’t have a specific plan ready. But what I can do is to collect my works and start from a portfolio. And maybe somebody would feel interested in my works.

  COCA COLA

One more thing which I have learnt during this week, came from the TED talk video of Melinda Gates. Gates gives an example of Coca Cola company and how well their marketing strategies work like. NGOs, individual designers and even government should learn from this company. If Coca Cola can reach everybody, why condoms or toilets can’t follow this success?

Myself I am interested in social design and this quite new approach for developing ideas. We have to realize that world is so beautiful, because it is so different. We can’t apply the same thing for everybody on the globe. First we should understand people and region where they live, and then we can design. First we should know for whom we design. 

[kerylson]

Let me talk about crowdfunding

Hello my potential readers!

The topic of today’s post is a crowdfunding and crowdsourcing.

IDEA OF CROWDFUNDING. GOOD, EVIL. DRESDEN DOLLS AND POSTAPOCALYTPIC TOYS.

The explanation of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing you can find here -à and here à

For me the idea of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing is very simple and this is where the beauty of it lies. To ask people about their help to support your design or project is the easiest option to think of. Only these projects who can defend themselves would be released. Nowadays, because of the social networks it is becoming very popular. Staying home you can be in a contact with anybody in the world.

Although the success lies in a promotion. And this is where many people think the devil is. Marketing is a powerful tool. But still there is more good than bad people. So why to carry about this few? I am aware of this that my statements are very naïve and childish. We don’t live in a fairy tale. It is a serious world with serious players in suits. But what if…. It brings amazing results?

The musician Amanda Palmer shared her experience with crowdfunding during the TED Talks event. à http://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_palmer_the_art_of_asking#t-666299

The Dresden Dolls star explains that we shall not be afraid of asking people. As she sums up her speech: “ Don’t make people pay for music. Let them”. There is a difference, right?

Another really inspiring story for me is a project of my friends who produces self-crafted steampunk art toys ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamy-chums/steamy-chums-hand-crafted-steampunk-designer-toys ). Thanks to crowdfunding you really don’t need to big and have good business relations. You can just share your idea among people and wait for responses if the crowd likes it.

  CLASSES AND FUTURE.

During the last classes the competition over the knowledge of the crowdfunding and crowdsourcing was carried out. The questions stimulated me to think more about the possible future of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing. Can we live in the hippie world where every project is supported by crowd itself? Even for me it is difficult to imagine and somehow it doesn’t feel right.

First of all this method of gaining funds is not good for everything. In order to gain funds, the creator has to share a lot of information about the product/idea with the audience. For instance, most of the intellectual properties can’t be crowdfunded.

Not every country is prepared for this. You need to trust people and have enough money to donate somebody else. That is why kickstarter doesn’t work so good in India as it works in Europe or USA.

The crowdfunding lacks a long-term viability. It is the good method for starting a business, but not for managing it.  It is not the long-time strategy.

      NGO AND CROWDFUNDING.

Luckily, our group project is also related to crowdfunding and crowdsourcing. Children of Mexico uses the crowd power in order to gain money for donations.

During this week we had a meeting with Nancy, too. We discussed together about the organization work and structure. During this chat we have realized that it is very important for the NGO development to take each step in right order. Although, some of ideas can be good, they will find no support if the base is not ready.

Thank you, Nancy! :)

[kerylson]

STARR and team work

Hello my potential readers!

Team work and me

The last class was dedicated to team work. Although, I studied before, I have never experienced so much of teamwork as here in the Netherlands. I always worked only with my friends and it was never a long-term project. Here it is a bit different. I had to start to work on a project with people whom I didn’t know so much at the beginning. First we needed to get to know both our strengths and weak points, and then split the tasks between us.

I know, sometimes I can be a bit chaotic as I think loudly too often. To organize my thoughts I always need a paper. That is why when I am lost in the group discussion, I often start to write down some things and the order them into plan. Only then I can see things clearly. As I am quite busy most of the time, I do it also for myself, not only for studying.

I am also a kinesthetic person. I learn, when I move. That is why I gesticulate too much sometimes. I am also get excited way too easily and that is why I always want to go straight to the point. That is why I need my colleagues to stop me and my  stream-of-consciousness working style.

We are 5 in our group, yay! :D As it was explained in the video our group size is just perfect. If two are voting for, and two against, then there is a third one to say what is better. Our nationalities are: Estonian, 2 Germans, Pakistani and Polish. I think that knowing what is the working style in each of these countries we can be more patient in our work.

  STARR

Situation:

We are after week 5 right now.  Last Tuesday we had the second meeting with the chairman of our NGO, Children of Mexico. The meeting with the chairman was a good experience for me We asked some questions considering target groups and communication within the organization. Henning was honest about how his company works and shared with us a lot of stories about it. Henning explained the structure of the company  as well as he told us about the Mexico and the Mexicans. The answers, which we received, helped us to give insight in the work of NGOs and helped us to create the strategy for next weeks.

Task:

Based on the meeting we listed down the tasks to do. We have decided to focus on two important matters: how to get volunteers and how to get money and donators.

Our main task is to work on our target groups:

Universities/schools à volunteers plus preparing an internship letter

Companies/NGOs à companies interest in being advertised on NGOs websites

Research the ways of getting more people from other target groups

We shall also continue with creating a video.

Action:

To do so, we have divided different tasks between us. I am responsible for both video and the research about the companies and their interest in CoM.

Actions that I need to take:

- Companies: Research on the Mexican companies in the Netherlands/companies who collaborate with Mexico (inspiration: Internet)

- research on the ways how to make them interested in donating money for CoM

- Video: find photos for the video,

-bring camera for the next meeting if you need photos of the group

- be reay with the general plot

Result:

This I would be able to say after the next meeting. J

Reflections:

So few weeks left!

[kerylson]

Getting upgraded!

Hello my potential readers!

  I am very happy to announce that this week our group has managed to contact our NGO. The result of the meeting is very positive.  Children of Mexico are open to any good crowdfunding and crowdsourcing ideas. On the one side it is very good, because it gives a lot of possibilities. At the other side the beginning can be more difficult, because we ourselves have to specify the direction we are going to go to.

The last lesson was dedicated to crowdsourcing and online social structures. We focused mainly on the division between ME, WE, and the NETWORK society. ME represents individuals who are involved in the project, WE stays for small groups working together on it, sharing ideas and the network is created by a group of people who are interested in what we are doing.

First of all it all was blurry for me and I didn’t understand why do we need to think about it. I didn’t know how it should contribute to our work. Just LOST. But then I understood that this is more or less job of the designer. Disassemble everything, both possible and impossible things. And then analyze it. Our last task from Visual Communication course was to analyze a pencil sharpener and then redesign in 30 ways. In able to achieve it you have to think about each part of pencil sharpener separately, you have to understand the dynamics of it and then come up with something completely fresh and new (Am I really writing about the dynamics of a pencil sharpener? Unbelievable what this tumblr blog is taking out of my head.)

If you start to think about the me, we and the network, you describe everybody who is or can be a part of the project. If you point everybody separately, it is so much easier to say where the company or organization is doing well or what parts can be more extended. It gives you a big insight in the structure of this one specific society. Then you can also think about the communication between those groups.

The NGO consist first of all people who are in the board of management, then of other employees. Second group can be volunteers, people who are going for events, donators etc. . Then we can talk about the target groups like Mexicans in the NL, people who are interested in Mexican culture, finally everybody who liked it on fb. Thank you Gabriella that you have explained this to us!

The other I thing which I’m slowly starting to understand is that I need to catch up with technology.  I have always preferred  to meet in real with somebody and then talk about problems than using social networks for it. But as I moved out from my country, I understood that  technology is not only this worm who keeps people home, but also a very useful tool to actually stay in touch with somebody and be more updated about the changes in my friends lives. You are also able to have more friends, just because it is so easy to communicate. Letters are sweet, but it takes too much time as for the modern world.

It is the high time to get upgraded, Karolina.

[kerylson]

I see the light!

I have to admit I was a bit confused one week ago. Now, I’m slowly starting to see the light.

Due to my confusion, I think I didn’t give my best to write the first blogpost. Therefore, this one probably will be much longer. My potential readers – please remain patient and attentive.

First of all, I have to admit that I’m a kind of chaotic person. Some steps have already been taken in order to yoke the chaos, but the process itself is not so easy at all. Luckily, in my group, I have people who can balance me and stop me of going too much ahead. So I think, right now, we are on the good track.

My main task in the project will be to create the plot and video for the final report. I will share this task together with Jonatan. Currently, I join the group-brainstorming and actively participate in discussions and group-meeting (Yes, the Crabs have already started to have business meetings!)

The purpose of my group is to find the way in which our NGO – Children o Mexico can make a use of crowdfunding and crowdsourcing. The term is relatively new, so allow me, dear reader, to explain it here:

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the Internet (Wikipedia)

Crowdsourcing is the process of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, and especially from an online community, rather than from traditional employees or suppliers (Wikipedia)

Honestly, I’m happy that we have chosen this issue. Over the last year I have been interested in travelling matters and the clever way how to sponsor these adventures. One of my idols is a Polish traveler – Przemek Skokowski. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any link in English to illustrate the way in which Przemek used crowdfunding. Such a pity! L  

 I think myself that this is a wonderful tool for future designers. We can have the great ideas, but, I can assure you, that we will need some money to realize them. Crowdfunding is just perfectly tailored for this. Somehow, I have this feeling that this method is partly close to my heart because of my nationality. Comparing to other European countries Poland is not the richest one. Additionally, the history didn’t allow us to trust too much in the right (normal/top-down) way of getting things done. You can understand it more by reading an explanation of the Polish word “załatwić” ---> http://listverse.com/2010/09/23/10-words-that-cant-be-translated-to-english/ . It doesn’t mean illegal, it means unconventional.

Internet give us an enormous amount of possibilities. We can reach people or clients from the parts of world we can never even dreamt about to visit before the technological boom. Our last lesson was about the technology stewardship. Technologies make a lot of things easier, but they can be also intimidating. Technologies are of great use for future designers. The sooner we learn how to use them, the better it is.

Yesterday, the new thing for me also a spidergram model which is supposed to help us with defining the objectives of our NGO. I have seen spidergrams many times before, but I didn’t understand exactly what it was. Now I know :D!

[kerylson]

Karolina - Project: Communities.

I am Karolina from Poland and I work in group 11.

I am so confusiast at the beginning! Yesterday, me and my group, we started to work on the new project: communities. Project itselft was a bit confusing a the beginning. What do we need to do? How? Did I just become confusiast since the first day?

I was really surprised that we are going to contact the real companies. And this is really what I wanted after my theoretical studies in Poland. As of now we are just starting, getting to know what the company is about. 

I think the course would help me to the develop new skills, for sure how to wirte better posts. :)

Thats all for today! 

-Karolina