S/ART/Q has some really exciting happenings in the near future. The first is our second annual Print Party which I created the poster and visual material for;

And in the next few weeks we will be presenting the next major exhibit (but you’ll just have to hold your horses for that news!). Stay tuned …

I am excited to start working on a video project with Ryan Nance, coupling a visual medium to his poem, Samarkand. It is one of the more challenging of projects, but something I have been interested in undertaking for a long time. Below are some of my beginning notes …

1. What are the Prime Objectives of the Project?
- Why are we doing this project?

2. Why is this project necessary and why is it necessary right now?
- Sets tone for amount of time allowed on design concept exploration and development (need to know now)

3. What Business Outcomes Are Expected from this Project?
- Business outcomes, not aesthetic outcomes.
“How will this generate revenue? Its something we can sell or market for donors or individuals. offers opportunity to give what we’re giving. its an actual object”… enhance an advantage to …”
- What exactly is the problem to be solved?

4. Identify Key Stakeholders
- Copyright issues, intellectual property rights, trademarks … lawyers?
- When will they need to be involved?
- How much time will they get to do their work?
- Is there a budget in place for them?
+ If so how much has been allotted?

*** All stakeholders need to be identified up-front, then asked to provide detailed information about their issues, concerns, constraints and needs.

5. The Design Brief Project Team
- Identify key stakeholders who will be involved in day to day execution.
- Designers, writers, technical support people.
+ Most important stakeholders are included (aside from project Co-Owners)

Essential Elements of the Design Brief

• Project Overview and Background
• Category Review
• Target Audience Review
• Company Portfolio
• Business Objectives and Design Strategy
• Project Scope, Time Line, and Budget (Phases)
• Research Data
• Appendix

Project Overview and Background

(IMPORTANT)
Clearly articulate the scope of the project, the business needs and objectives, the desired outcomes, and ownership of the project.

Executive Summary of the Project
(per sentence)
State the problem
Tell the result of the problem
Provide more necessary information about situation
Give insight to business objectives of project with suggested solution
Provide advice on how to utilize this for future needs
(next paragraph – design concept)
“The ultimate design solution will incorporate … achieve …, a clearly distinguished … etc,.”
Finally, Identification;
Project owners shall be _______, … Design brief project team members will include _______.

Category Review

(Industry)
Category: specific industry in which this product or service is involved. What category or categories are we in?

1. A list of products
Describe each of the products or services included in this project, their various features and benefits, market share, and sales history. How well are they selling and how long have they been in existence?

2. The Competition
Create similar lists for major competitors.

3. Pricing and Promotion
Describe pricing and promotion methods for each product or service. Be as specific and detailed as possible.

4. Brand
Relate all of the individual products or services to the company’s brand strategy and positioning. Do the same thing for competition. What is the perception of your brand vis-a-vis your competitors in the marketplace? What are the most significant differences?

5. Category (or Industry) Trends
What significant trends are occuring in this category? How might these trends affect this project?

6. Company Business Strategy
What is the business strategy the company is currently pursuing? Price? Quality? Value? Or it may be driven by partnerships or alliances.

Target Audience Review

(IMPORTANT)
Who, in extreme detail, is the target audience?

Company Portfolio

This section describes the company and its activities as completely as possible. What are the elements that make up the organization? How critical are these elements to the project being described in the brief?

Business Objectives & Design Strategy

(IMPORTANT)
(First section of brief laid out groundwork for business objectives. Now is the time not only to expand that discussion, but to formulate a plan of attack, a strategy, for approaching the design process.)
- All key stakeholders need to be in agreement with this section. This is the “contract”.

Best way to start; create two columns: 1) Business Objectives: to create exposure to create interest to create revenue, 2) Design Strategy: form and function, creative, taking ordinary and making it a comodity that is approachable. (a direction, not concepts)
Discuss each point.

Project Scope, Timeline, and Budget: The Phases

(IMPORTANT)
This provides critical detail to the road map to success we are creating. Breaking design project into parts.
To accomplish this, the description of each phase must contain, at a minimum, the following items;

Precise description of the Phase (activity)
Time frame for the phase
People involved in the phase
Approvals of the phase (who, what, when, where, etc.)
Budget for the phase

Last three phases;

Final approval of project
Implementation
Measurement Meatrics

Research Questions

(optional)
State unanswered, critical questions, who gets the answers? When will they get the answers? What are the answers?

Appendix

(optional)
This is where you put all the stuff that doesn’t fit logically in the other sections. (i.e. Documents summarizing research, competitive analysis, photographs, news clippings, etc.)

My good friend Shannon Fortner (http://meteoreyes.us) is putting together a very important event May 22, 2010 at Rosemary District in Sarasota, Florida. I have developed the logo, website and starter poster for media purposes. If you want to get involved or would like to participate in the festival, please go to http://harveymilkfestival.com

Harvey Milk Festival Logo

S/ART/Q Process Exhibition has been running for a week now and I have heard good things from those that have seen it. Look for a Process catalogue in the near future. It will be nice to produce print design again as my work has been focused on web development. If you read ‘Advertising Then & Now’ you can get an idea of why I spend so much time in this medium.

As far as my personal artwork is concerned, I honestly haven’t had much time for myself. Business has been floating with the inconsistencies of the stock market, unemployment and housing sales (or lack there of) which makes actual work very challenging (and extremely busy). On the other side of that (or what takes up my evenings) is dedicated to exposing the art collective, and producing, what seems to be my newest medium of choice, video.

In my quest for understanding ‘contemporary art’, not defined by a time period, rather an actual understanding of what contemporary art means, where its going and how I can successfully represent my work, I converse with contemporary artists I associate with. Naturally I get all different responses with nothing concrete to strive for other than doing what I did since I was a kid, be true to myself; make art for myself. However, one person did mention how contemporary art has landed into the realm of being “digitized” … so lets play with that for a while and see what comes of it.

I must admit that my United States Souvenir Series has been put on hold until this painting block (similar to writers block) gets lifted. The next paintings to come of that are Illinois, Colorado and New Hampshire.

A recent post shows some unedited process work by Ricky Otto (view here).

S/ART/Q Process Exhibition Commercial

Process: Ricky Otto

For more information on the  S/aRt/Q Process Exhibit —> click here.

In consideration to the show’s theme, each artist will be exhibiting process work as well as sketches, drafts and other material to show inspirations and other realms of motives behind final conception.

For more information, please visit www.sartq.com

(I recommend watching the video with music, you be the dj.)