Monday, February 16, 2015
Thursday, June 5, 2014
ROADMAP: Use of images, graphics
The original SUPORT Roadmap was well received. In retrospect however, although quite colorful and nicely laid out, the overall impact perhaps does not incite individuals to "take the trip". I would see the main impacts of the roadmap as being:
- to well explain the key stages of the "voyage" to successful innovation by working together with HEI
- in other words, to "tell our story"
- to not only raise Awareness (especially of Benefits) but to raise Interest in going further
- how measure either awareness or interest?
- to get a maximum of people exposed to the roadmap to take the action to visit the project website
To these ends we might consider an "overhaul" of the roadmap so it would be more along the lines of an infographic. The example below is an extremely rough outline of what I mean - certainly a good graphic designer can be inspired to bring all this together coherently to best communicate our message. This is meant to replace the top center box on the original roadmap (so, rather than Collaborating :
... the "story" contines then with the box of Benefits which now could be "expanded" to say "can bring you (adjective) benefits".
Then, "but, of course, there are challenges", "that you can overcome with some preparation" and "there are people to help you", etc.
What do you think?
ROADMAP: Facilitators
The original SUPORT category of "Facilitators" is a key area coming, as it does, at the end of the logical flow from Benefits through Challenges and Preparation to end up highlighting who can help.
However, given that a facilitator can be defined as "one that helps to bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision" we may want to get away from the idea of a specific individual and, especially, the idea of "indirect".
We want to provide "helpers" that really do help... and in the most direct way possible.
One idea is to use the word "support" for this category, which, at least in French, translates well and clearly into "assistance".
Perhaps a word with my "actionability" and more of a hook would be possible.
Perhaps this category (and all the others) need to be more than just a single word - perhaps something more of a "tag line" with an action verb.
To image what this might be is not easy - perhaps if we look at the "story" the roadmap is telling?
The original SUPORT roadmap STORYLINE was essentially saying " If you work together (collaborate) with a university or research center (HEI; and hence something you may not have done before or even considered or know about) then you may be able to take advantage of certain benefits; however there are some challenges (barriers) than may show up to block your progression and hence you need to prepare well (get Ready ... but also be Willing, have the motivation, and be Able, have the skills or abilities - perhaps some are transversal) by focusing on several actions (that have worked well for others - that are best practices?) and you don't have to do this alone since there is help available from facilitators (who will help by providing information, contacts, procedures and, even, money). All this is still not enough since you will need to be clear about your project by "scoping it out" and, once you have found the appropriate partners you will need to have a solid agreement (we provide guidance?) that leads to real knowledge transfer and successful innovation."
So, just looking at the first part: in the original the "start box" was "Collaborating with a Higher Education Institution - HEI" ... first perhaps we can write colloquially and more action oriented, such as "Working together with a University or Research Center for (adjective) Innovation" - I will develop the idea of also using graphics and images in another post.
For now I ask us to muse upon other language to express the flow and power of the roadmap.
However, given that a facilitator can be defined as "one that helps to bring about an outcome by providing indirect or unobtrusive assistance, guidance, or supervision" we may want to get away from the idea of a specific individual and, especially, the idea of "indirect".
We want to provide "helpers" that really do help... and in the most direct way possible.
One idea is to use the word "support" for this category, which, at least in French, translates well and clearly into "assistance".
Perhaps a word with my "actionability" and more of a hook would be possible.
Perhaps this category (and all the others) need to be more than just a single word - perhaps something more of a "tag line" with an action verb.
To image what this might be is not easy - perhaps if we look at the "story" the roadmap is telling?
The original SUPORT roadmap STORYLINE was essentially saying " If you work together (collaborate) with a university or research center (HEI; and hence something you may not have done before or even considered or know about) then you may be able to take advantage of certain benefits; however there are some challenges (barriers) than may show up to block your progression and hence you need to prepare well (get Ready ... but also be Willing, have the motivation, and be Able, have the skills or abilities - perhaps some are transversal) by focusing on several actions (that have worked well for others - that are best practices?) and you don't have to do this alone since there is help available from facilitators (who will help by providing information, contacts, procedures and, even, money). All this is still not enough since you will need to be clear about your project by "scoping it out" and, once you have found the appropriate partners you will need to have a solid agreement (we provide guidance?) that leads to real knowledge transfer and successful innovation."
So, just looking at the first part: in the original the "start box" was "Collaborating with a Higher Education Institution - HEI" ... first perhaps we can write colloquially and more action oriented, such as "Working together with a University or Research Center for (adjective) Innovation" - I will develop the idea of also using graphics and images in another post.
For now I ask us to muse upon other language to express the flow and power of the roadmap.
ROADMAP: Introduction
The roadmap we are developing for the CCI (Creative and Cultural Industries) beneficiaries of the LEC project is based on the SUPORT project's original roadmap for SMEs (see here).
Our current "prototype" is laid out via the Popplet mind-mapping tool and can be seen here.
A number of question have come up (and will continue to come up) related to the adaptation to CCI and improvements to flow, layout, text and other components, graphics, etc. and we will attempt, in part, to use this blog to discuss and also document our collaborative team-based approach.
Posts in this thread will be entitled "ROADMAP:" and then the details of the focus.
Our current "prototype" is laid out via the Popplet mind-mapping tool and can be seen here.
A number of question have come up (and will continue to come up) related to the adaptation to CCI and improvements to flow, layout, text and other components, graphics, etc. and we will attempt, in part, to use this blog to discuss and also document our collaborative team-based approach.
Posts in this thread will be entitled "ROADMAP:" and then the details of the focus.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Welcome!
This blog is intended to be a place to capture ideas, concepts, questions, etc. regarding the LEC project.
The blog can serve as a "one-stop shopping" location to archive and comment upon items leading to the final creation of the deliverables for the project.
This can be a place to SHARE, REFINE and ultimately CHOOSE the approach, process and work plans that will produce excellent results in this domain.
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