There are gender wars, and then there are casualties. It wasn’t until 2011 that the behemoth toymaker LEGO acknowledged girls’ desire to build with bricks, even though the company had long before made a seemingly effortless pivot to co-branding, video games, and major motion pictures. So it’s little wonder that girls face all-too-real obstacles when […]
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Getting the community involved in contributing content to an online project is a great form of public participation, and also a way to build large repositories of content. However, the underbelly of community-generated content is bad taste, inappropriate content, and outright abuse.
This seedy side is particularly evident in social networks sites, where users upload photos from their cell phones. To keep it clean, social media sites hire legions of inexpensive laborers via crowdsourcing sites like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and CrowdFlower to screen uploaded content. (more…)
Mere words are insufficient to describe new web sites or mobile apps. Phrases like “access to information,” “online communities” and “interactive experiences” are ambiguous without a visualization.
Wireframes and sketches are the intermediary between a conceptual plan, and the actual, detailed prototypes and specifications needed to build a project. (more…)
Innovation takes years, if not decades. An essay by Bill Buxton, principal scientist at Microsoft Research, introduced the idea of the “The Long Nose of Innovation.” In his Jan 2008 Business Week article, he draws parallels to the ‘long tail’ of products. This has applications to all kinds of planning.
This is what the long nose looks like as a graph (it’s a nose pointing to the left): (more…)
The term “strategic communications” has become popular over the last two decades. It means infusing communications efforts with an agenda and a master plan. Typically, that master plan involves promoting the brand of an organization, urging people to do specific actions, or advocating particular legislation.
It can refer to both a process, and to a specific job title.
Author: Elisa Warner Eliminating technological distractions can help alleviate procrastination. Problem: While procrastination is inevitable at times, habitual procrastination can interfere with personal performance and team goals. When a project consists of interdependent tasks, one person’s procrastination can cause a ripple effect that impacts a series of team deadlines. Solution: Develop specific solutions to address
Author: Elisa Warner Delineating areas of responsibility for board members can help avoid leadership conflicts. Problem Leadership conflicts arise between an association’s staff and the organization’s board of directors. Solution Ensure that the organization’s board members clearly understand the roles and responsibilities associated with their position. Discussion While new board members accept their positions with
Author: Elisa Warner Implementing a strategic plan gives an organization focus and flexibility. Problem Without a strategic plan, a non-profit organization can drift from its mission and underserve its stakeholders. Solution Design and implement a strategic plan. Discussion Strategic planning presents an opportunity for an organization to examine its mission and set goals for the
Author: Elisa Warner The success or failure of a project often lies in the transition from idea to action. Problem New projects can become bogged down in the process of moving from an idea to an end product. Solution Organize the project development process by crafting a mission statement, prioritizing tasks, and evaluating team performance.
Author: Elisa Warner Allowing team members to play to their strengths sets the foundation for a successful project. Problem Ineffectively managing a team of individuals with different personalities and working styles can result in unnecessary challenges and lead to the failure of a project. Solution Successfully manage a project by structuring project meetings and tasks
Author: Elisa Warner Trusting and supporting your tech team helps them to achieve collaborative goals. Problem Although your technical knowledge is limited, you must effectively manage a group of technical professionals. Solution Earn the respect of your team by utilizing your unique perspective and abilities, while acknowledging your limitations. Help your team to shine by