Our Project Brief Video Update!

haha so here's the little video we whipped up to show you guys what we're up to...its all from what written in the previous blog post...but totally cooler because you get to see our ugly mugs XD buon apettito

Our Project Brief!

Team Name: Team Hamburger

The Organisation: YouthworX

Mission/ Vision: Through connecting, empowering and promoting, YouthworX will collaboratively strengthen and support the North Shore Youth Sector.

Identified Goal (of yMedia): Creating an easier way for these groups to converse, discuss and collaborate.

Current barriers: The lack of necessary skill to create a digital space in which these community groups to converse and discuss.

Client/ Target Audience: Community organisations that specifically work with North Shore youth.

Possible/ Discussed Digital Solutions: A networking space where these organisations can collaborate, network, engage and discuss anything. Blogging could be used or Facebook social networking group could be used to connect these organisations. Also, a type of emailing system to facilitate face-to-face conversations and meetings would be very beneficial for the organisation.

Evaluation of Solutions: Facebook doesn’t tap into the identifiable need of YouthworX. This type of communication is also rather inaccessible for some groups that don’t have a profile on Facebook. The networking space is probably the best solution, with a possible blogging/emailing aspect to it.

Proposed Solution: A space on the web containing a forum where community groups can discuss their needs. An area for contact information of YouthworX and other organisations would be a great idea. Fortnightly email update to all members about hot topics on the forum.

Focus of Solution: The focus is on YouthworX’s main goal of making an arena of collaboration. This has been slightly sidelined in past years.

Design Approach:
Required elements: Tabs; webcasts; easy to use forums; space for contact information; and a message board.

Look and Feel: Easy to use tabs and simple graphics. YouthworX colours (red, orange, black) present but not overpowering. Clean lines, logical layout and movement through the website sectors.

Scope of Work: The organisation is going to need to gather all contact information that they have. And all other information and data that they want to be on the website. The ‘students’ will need to provide YouthworX with a site that fulfils their needs of collaboration. Also, a structure of sustainability would have to be constructed for future use by the organisation.

Outside Scope: At this stage it will be a basic website that can be added onto by the organisation at a later date. Also, the idea of creating a means of resource sharing would have to be looked at by YouthworX at a later date.

Technology to be used: all work will mainly be done on the computer. Design software and all that shebang will be used in the process. :D

Proposed Structure: The main structure that will be used will revolve around the idea of a communication tool for the involved community organisations. Once the members enter into the website they will be greeted with tabs linking them to forums that focus on various areas of youth organisations. They can then follow these to the forum and read up on what people are posting and add their two cents as well. The fronts page of the website will also contain a message board where people can write up events that are happening in their sector, inviting other organisations to help or participate. There will also be an integrated help system. This will be videos (web casts) and written help items telling the users how to get the most out of the website.

Project Briefing Forseeable!

Hey y'all!!

Sorry bout the tardiness of this update post! :S But just to let you know, we've sent off our project brief post haste to out mentor (who is out there somewhere!) to be approved and what not :D so hopefully (defiantly) there will soon be a video overview of what we plan to achieve for YouthworX

We Hate Spam!

And facebook for not being very nice to us and telling us it hasn't sent a group message when it has.

Lame, facebook. Very lame.

Taking Care of Business

From 2:30 to 5:30 today, Tim and I attended the yMedia 'Briefing Workshop' held at Microsoft's office building in Auckland's viaduct (along with other teams and community groups). While we were all briefed on the processes, terms and conditions of the competition, the focus of today was to collaborate (this was the word of the day) ideas and work on a two-week action plan with Amanda and Rebecca, who are part of our chosen community group YouthworX.





With chocolate chip cookies, Toffee Pops, Moro bars, Crunchie bars and Just Juice to fuel us, we all sat around a table discussing not just their wants for their organisation, but the very passion that drives them to work for their organisation. Tim and I got to learn a great many interesting things about Amanda and Rebecca that steps beyond their work. We all talked about who we are, what we do, and aspirations of where we would like be in future. Through talking we got to know and understand each other further.

We find ourselves inspired by their drive and determination to build a stronger link of communication between the youth organisations, to ultimately improve services to the youth of the North Shore. It makes us want to help them even more!

As we listened to the needs and wants of YouthworX further, Tim and I pitched possible network and digital solutions to help improve the running of their organisation. We ran through many ideas, working out pros and cons of each idea and trying to figure out what works best for them. Amanda and Rebecca were mostly supportive of the solutions we provided. We proposed our solutions to the yMedia Mentors Adele and Sheena who both constructively offered us advice on our ideas and how to approach these two weeks wisely.

We were both flattered that we already received positive feedback from Amanda and Rebecca, who said they're impressed that we're able to clearly understand the purpose of YouthworX, and what they want to achieve with it. That was a compliment to our confidence and gives us that extra bit of motivation we need, knowing that we're doing good so far. It was evident in today's workshop that the level of clear communication and understanding between the four of us is already working phenomenally. It provides great hope for all of us working together on this project.

After today, things are shaping up to look great. Having made a plan of action, set meeting dates with YouthworX and organised a list of tasks to follow according to a strict time table over the next couple of weeks, all we can say is;

"Sorted." ;)

- Kenneth and Tim

Fellowship of the YouthWorx

So, on a rainy afternoon in July Kenneth and Tim decided to venture out into the mist to liaise with the lovely Amanda Judd of YouthWorx.

The whole purpose of us trooping to Takapuna, after approximately 5 hours of university, was to get to know the community group that we would be working with for the next little while.

At four o’clock we met with Amanda, the sole employee of the organisation, to chat, laugh, gossip and talk about how Phoenix and the rights to American Apparel distribution are controlled by Mark Ellis.

We started off with some amazing organic juice and the nibbles provided. We talked about what we were doing in the wondrous world of AUT Communication Studies and what Amanda had got up to before her joining YouthWorx. Topics shifted to clothes and goldfish before we decided that we should probably get down to business and get to understand the organisations purpose and goals, and more importantly what we could do to help.

Amanda joined the organisation only recently, but the whole shindig has been going since 2001. When she arrived she found that the main goal had been put by the wayside in favour of employees working with other youth/council based organisations. Now she wants to pursue the ultimate goal of providing a space where youth based organisations can share information and resources.

A database where organisations can discover what other organisations have in terms of services and objects they are willing to share. So right now YouthWorx’s main audience they are wishing to serve and aid are youth based companies, organisations and charities. They want to involve organisations revolving around sports, performance arts, health, mental health and education, to name a few.

The main challenge that YouthWorx is facing at the moment is finding the ways in which they can create a cyberspace database. They don’t have the resources and abilities to create an attractive space for this to happen in. They also want to start advertising and enticing the youth to use a (foreseeable) website to discover resources and services available, but they want to get a synergy in the youth sector before they advance to this stage. :D

So thats about it! Check back after we do our planning workshop tomorrow....cos honestly....its gunna be the best thing ever! After American Apparel, of course (Amanda will agree!).

Tim and Kenneth

Team Hamburger: What's with the name??!

Every team competing in the competition registers with their own team name.

Our team name is Team Hamburger. So why this name?

Well, as much as we love our burgers, it's more than a devotion to this delicious meal.

We like to think of ourselves as double pattie action squeezed between two hot buns.


... no, not really.

It's just a name that best describes our combined talents and skills. As we're both hoping to give this competition our best, we want to make sure we nourish our client with all that what we have to offer.

By being mates through university, Tim and I have discovered that we are both creative people with a lot of skills to offer. However, while we may be similar to each other in some areas, we are both capable of sharing different perspectives/views.

That helps us observe something at all angles. That's what makes us work as a balanced, professional team.

With the hope of winning aside, I personally think this challenge will be a rewarding experience. I've never participated in something like this before, nor have I worked with a Non-Profit Organisation.

Outside of uni or work, i've never done something this 'meaningful'.

And devoting two weeks of my life to do something like this isn't a big ask.

I'm really determined to help these guys because I wholely believe YouthworX are doing an amazing thing for the community.

All in all, I hope at the end of this I can make a good difference in some peoples lives.

Chur.

- Kenneth

First post!

We know our blog looks a little bare, but we'll let you know when it looks a bit more lively! :)