I talked to two main people at the capstone presentations. They were, Rachel Edwards and Kat McConnell. Rachel said that the week of capstones was a little hectic but for the most part she had her site done. If she could've changed something she would have polished her site design. This also goes for the question concerning what she would've done with more time. For advice, she told me to try and stay calm while doing capstone stuff, because you have more time than you think you do.
I think that this class has helped me to form an opinion on how to go about getting things done for my capstone and helping me find a time frame of how long it is going to take me to get them done. Breaking down the project was most definitely helpful because it helped me see all the steps needed in order to complete it. It also made me think more about it and make me take it more seriously. Advantages of the speakers was the fact of having someone that has gone through something that I am about to go through. But disadvantages was that most of them started on their capstones a lot earlier than what anyone in our class had. I think that the timeline project was the most helpful in this class. I don't think I would've completed this correctly without having this class. I honestly didn't find any assignments in this class to be useless. They all helped me wrap my mind around my capstone project and how it is all going to work.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Progress Report
Since I have submitted the timeline, I have made concrete progress on my logo for my company. I started off with some sketches and then scanned them in and worked with them in illustrator. After the first round of doing this, I still wasn't completely happy with what I had so I decided to sketch some more and then play around with the newer sketches in illustrator once more. After doing this, I now feel as though I have something that I am happy with for a "surf" logo. I have also started thinking about what the website is going to look like.
I have been in contact with my mentor about 6 different times. During our time we have discussed ideas for my logo, and what changes I could make to it in order for me to feel happy about it.
My timeline has pretty much stayed the same so far. The only thing I changed was that I added "soft prints" in the weeks that will need things printed. I did this because I talked about it with my mentor and she made me realize that it is a very good idea to see what my creations would look like on paper.
Before N499 begins, I would like to have all of my clothing designs worked and figured out. The main thing that needs to be done by me before next semester is getting the design of the website done. I need to have this done in order for my partner, Jason to be prepared for what he needs to do for his capstone.
I don't think there have been any significant changes to my project since my proposal.
I have been in contact with my mentor about 6 different times. During our time we have discussed ideas for my logo, and what changes I could make to it in order for me to feel happy about it.
My timeline has pretty much stayed the same so far. The only thing I changed was that I added "soft prints" in the weeks that will need things printed. I did this because I talked about it with my mentor and she made me realize that it is a very good idea to see what my creations would look like on paper.
Before N499 begins, I would like to have all of my clothing designs worked and figured out. The main thing that needs to be done by me before next semester is getting the design of the website done. I need to have this done in order for my partner, Jason to be prepared for what he needs to do for his capstone.
I don't think there have been any significant changes to my project since my proposal.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Timeline
In my timeline, I assigned the benchmarks of my project by sitting down and writing out the steps of what I would have to take in order to get my capstone finished on time. I ended up have 22 different steps written out when all was said and done. This went along with how I decided to chunk up the tasks on the timeline. I knew I had 22 steps to complete with 12 different weeks to divide them by on the timeline, and then distributed them as evenly as possible. The way that I built flexibility into my timeline was by giving myself certain weeks to "refine" certain things within my project.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Project Development Issues
Time management issues: Because I am coming up with a company that will include women and men's apparel, I can see myself having issues with being able to create just as many clothing designs for men as I will be making for women given the time permitted. If this problem does happen, I plan to focus on the women's line first and then create as much as I can for the men's line with the rest of the time remaining.
Skills needed to complete project: Some skills I may need to gain is becoming more familiar with how to show exactly what my clothing designs will look like in the line sheets. I will also need to gain some video experience if I plan on making a commercial.
Resources needed: Jason Utt for the website, Beth Lykins as mentor, Jennifer Moncel as secondary mentor, photoshop5, illustrator5, final cut pro, after effects5
Budget: I will have to spend money on prints and possibly clothing and screen printing. I would really like my capstone to have a real "shop" appearance as if you would be walking into a store, but this all depends on how much money I can come up with in order to make the real clothing.
Team issues: I'm sure there may be some road blocks that Jason and I might have when it comes to agreeing on something, but I think overall we will get along just fine.
Skills needed to complete project: Some skills I may need to gain is becoming more familiar with how to show exactly what my clothing designs will look like in the line sheets. I will also need to gain some video experience if I plan on making a commercial.
Resources needed: Jason Utt for the website, Beth Lykins as mentor, Jennifer Moncel as secondary mentor, photoshop5, illustrator5, final cut pro, after effects5
Budget: I will have to spend money on prints and possibly clothing and screen printing. I would really like my capstone to have a real "shop" appearance as if you would be walking into a store, but this all depends on how much money I can come up with in order to make the real clothing.
Team issues: I'm sure there may be some road blocks that Jason and I might have when it comes to agreeing on something, but I think overall we will get along just fine.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Secondary Mentor
I think that a secondary mentor is another person to have by your side through your capstone besides your primary. They are there as an extra eye to critique and help you make your work better. I think that it is a good idea to have a business professional as a secondary mentor because they might have a different outlook from your primary mentor on the things you create. Although, if you can't find someone in this area, it is still a good idea to have a second professor giving you that extra motivation. The kind of person who might not be good for this role is a close friend. Having a friend as a secondary mentor may be fun, but in the long run it most likely won't get you anywhere. You need someone who is going to be honest with you and not afraid to hurt your feelings when critiquing your work.
Someone who would be a great secondary mentor for me is Jennifer Moncel. She is a business professional in a similar field of what I am wanting to do for my capstone. Jennifer said she is willing to be a listening ear when I need one and would be more than happy to help. Her availability is sort of scattered because she is a very busy person with having to keep up with her own company, so we would have to randomly set up meetings (preferably once a week).
Another possible secondary mentor who I was thinking about working with is Amy Shirong. I took a web class with Amy a year ago and she was always willing to help me out when I asked for it. Her expertise is media psychology and health games. She expects a capstone student to integrate production and research into their projects. These things may not be exactly related to what I will be working on, but I think it is always a good thing to have a different perspective on things.
Someone who would be a great secondary mentor for me is Jennifer Moncel. She is a business professional in a similar field of what I am wanting to do for my capstone. Jennifer said she is willing to be a listening ear when I need one and would be more than happy to help. Her availability is sort of scattered because she is a very busy person with having to keep up with her own company, so we would have to randomly set up meetings (preferably once a week).
Another possible secondary mentor who I was thinking about working with is Amy Shirong. I took a web class with Amy a year ago and she was always willing to help me out when I asked for it. Her expertise is media psychology and health games. She expects a capstone student to integrate production and research into their projects. These things may not be exactly related to what I will be working on, but I think it is always a good thing to have a different perspective on things.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Mentor Profile
For my capstone, I am planning on creating my own clothing company for women. I want to include all of the marketing matters that would be needed within a real company. This would include any advertising, a website, line sheets for the clothing, graphics for tees etc...
I would really love to actually make the clothing designs that I come up with, but that all depends on my budget and time constraints.
Four key components I am looking for in a mentor, is first off, someone to go to for honest feedback. I am looking for someone who will motivate me and keep me on track throughout the semester. I would like my mentor to be able to help me narrow down my ideas and tell me realistically what is possible within the amount of time I have to complete my capstone. Finally, I would like my mentor to just be someone I can go to to talk about things when I'm feeling hopeless. Just being able to have someone as a listener will give me more confidence.
3 potential mentors: Beth Lykins, Mark Pfaff, Jennifer Stewart
I feel that Beth could help bring out bigger and better ideas for my capstone and would also be a huge help with all the graphic design work I will be doing. I am interested in working with her because I feel that she would best suit my capstone project. Mark and Jennifer could help in similar ways but Mark would be able to help more with the visual side and Jennifer with web development.
Beth's area of expertise: "Imaging, creativity, project development, convergence, storytelling, art direction, team building, etc. NOT programming or audio."
Expectations of a capstone student: "Meet 30 minutes/week and show progression each week. Communicate if there are problems with meeting timeline objectives/capstone goals. Be willing to listen to feedback objectively and research problems as they occur. I also expect students to take responsibility for their project instead of expecting me to do it for them. I always expect my capstone students to explore divergent (creative) ideas instead of just following the herd. Creativity and self expression are VERY important to me, as is good craft. I expect students to give priority to their capstone project and take it seriously. It is NOT just another project or hoop and I don't do well with students who treat capstone as that."
Availability for mentoring: "I tend to fill quickly, and can take no more than 10 independent students (a combination of N490 - undergrad independent study, N499 - undergrad capstone, and N553 - grad independent study) each semester, so if you do want to work with me you need to make arrangements earlier rather than later."
Project types of disinterest: "Since I am not a programmer or audio expert, I tend to avoid those projects. I expect that if a student wants to work on a website that it be only a portion of what the capstone is. A lot of students think I won't let them do a website at all, but that is not the case. (see point number 2 for more on that...)"
Thoughts on secondary advisor: "A secondary mentor is an excellent idea. It is a good way to cover areas of expertise that the student and primary mentor might not have otherwise. It is a good way to get another objective opinion on what is happening in the project."
Anything else to add: "I view capstones as a place where students can really work on furthering themselves as well as the future of new media. I love mentoring capstones, but only when the student is flexible and willing to listen. I love watching as a student discovers that there is more to this field than just websites and videos. When the lines of disciplines begin to blur in a capstone and a student sees that he/she has made that happen and their passion for new media catches fire again - that is my favorite time as a teacher!"
Mark's area of expertise: Audio production, interactive design
Jennifer's area of expertise: Online Education, Web Development, Project Management
I would really love to actually make the clothing designs that I come up with, but that all depends on my budget and time constraints.
Four key components I am looking for in a mentor, is first off, someone to go to for honest feedback. I am looking for someone who will motivate me and keep me on track throughout the semester. I would like my mentor to be able to help me narrow down my ideas and tell me realistically what is possible within the amount of time I have to complete my capstone. Finally, I would like my mentor to just be someone I can go to to talk about things when I'm feeling hopeless. Just being able to have someone as a listener will give me more confidence.
3 potential mentors: Beth Lykins, Mark Pfaff, Jennifer Stewart
I feel that Beth could help bring out bigger and better ideas for my capstone and would also be a huge help with all the graphic design work I will be doing. I am interested in working with her because I feel that she would best suit my capstone project. Mark and Jennifer could help in similar ways but Mark would be able to help more with the visual side and Jennifer with web development.
Beth's area of expertise: "Imaging, creativity, project development, convergence, storytelling, art direction, team building, etc. NOT programming or audio."
Expectations of a capstone student: "Meet 30 minutes/week and show progression each week. Communicate if there are problems with meeting timeline objectives/capstone goals. Be willing to listen to feedback objectively and research problems as they occur. I also expect students to take responsibility for their project instead of expecting me to do it for them. I always expect my capstone students to explore divergent (creative) ideas instead of just following the herd. Creativity and self expression are VERY important to me, as is good craft. I expect students to give priority to their capstone project and take it seriously. It is NOT just another project or hoop and I don't do well with students who treat capstone as that."
Availability for mentoring: "I tend to fill quickly, and can take no more than 10 independent students (a combination of N490 - undergrad independent study, N499 - undergrad capstone, and N553 - grad independent study) each semester, so if you do want to work with me you need to make arrangements earlier rather than later."
Project types of disinterest: "Since I am not a programmer or audio expert, I tend to avoid those projects. I expect that if a student wants to work on a website that it be only a portion of what the capstone is. A lot of students think I won't let them do a website at all, but that is not the case. (see point number 2 for more on that...)"
Thoughts on secondary advisor: "A secondary mentor is an excellent idea. It is a good way to cover areas of expertise that the student and primary mentor might not have otherwise. It is a good way to get another objective opinion on what is happening in the project."
Anything else to add: "I view capstones as a place where students can really work on furthering themselves as well as the future of new media. I love mentoring capstones, but only when the student is flexible and willing to listen. I love watching as a student discovers that there is more to this field than just websites and videos. When the lines of disciplines begin to blur in a capstone and a student sees that he/she has made that happen and their passion for new media catches fire again - that is my favorite time as a teacher!"
Mark's area of expertise: Audio production, interactive design
Expectations of a capstone student: "To generally be self-sustaining and self-motivating. I provide guidance and feedback, but I expect the student to do 100% of the work."
Availability for mentoring: "Very limited. I might have one remaining opening for a capstone in the spring."
Project types of disinterest: "I prefer to avoid video projects, as this is not my area of expertise, yet they seem to keep coming my way."
Thoughts on secondary advisor: "I think my background in visual design might be useful in a supporting role, but I don't think I have the expertise to be the primary advisor for a project such as yours."
Jennifer's area of expertise: Online Education, Web Development, Project Management
Expectations of a capstone student: "I expect the capstone student to take the project as seriously as they would take a first job."
Availability for mentoring: "I am available to informatics majors only."
Project types of disinterest: "I would not be well equipped to work in sound or video."
Thoughts on secondary advisor: "I would be happy to advise informatics majors."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Capstone Category
I would like to be placed in a group with people who are working with photoshop and illustrator. If there aren't enough people to make a group in these things, I would also fall under the web development category. My capstone will be based around marketing matters so I could work with anyone doing something similar.
From reading the blogs, the one person who seemed to be doing something very similar to me was Jake Hamilton. I have also been talking to Jason Utt about working together on capstone. I would like to be in a group with these people if possible.
From reading the blogs, the one person who seemed to be doing something very similar to me was Jake Hamilton. I have also been talking to Jason Utt about working together on capstone. I would like to be in a group with these people if possible.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Class Discussion
After sitting through class the other day, I feel more at ease with what I would like to do with my capstone project. It made me feel more confident about my idea and also that I am not alone in the confusion that goes along with this project. The class discussion answered a lot of questions that had been lingering in my head. Once we talk about what the instructors expect of us and our project during capstone I will be even more confident with my own idea!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Capstone Ideas
Idea #1: Create my own "pretend" company that displays women's apparel. It would deal with some type of sport. My top three picks as of right now are dance, volleyball, or surf. I want the company to represent women who have confidence in themselves and see themselves as naturally beautiful beings. After the company is made up and everything is decided upon, I would create a logo and also do all the marketing matters that would be needed for a real company. I would also create the clothing flats and come up with all the graphics for tees.
Idea #2: Create a website that would display a wedding company. I would take photographs of a couple and make a gallery for them on the website. This company would be capable of everything that someone needed on their wedding day. Creating invitations, taking engagement pictures, center pieces for the tables at the reception, video of the special day…etc. All of these things would be shown on the website in order for people to understand what all the company is capable of doing.
Idea #2: Create a website that would display a wedding company. I would take photographs of a couple and make a gallery for them on the website. This company would be capable of everything that someone needed on their wedding day. Creating invitations, taking engagement pictures, center pieces for the tables at the reception, video of the special day…etc. All of these things would be shown on the website in order for people to understand what all the company is capable of doing.
Idea #3: My third idea isn’t as developed as the others, but it would have something to do with video and/or animation. I would like to create some sort of film, but need it to be more exciting than just that. It would need to be able to impress people with more than just simply watching a film.
Inspiration: For my first idea, my inspiration comes from a clothing company called Roxy. It is also inspired by my internship from this past summer with Bullet Boutfits. My second idea is inspired by a wedding photography couple named bobbi+mike. Their photos are the most amazing ones I’ve seen! The third idea is motivated by my boyfriend. He is attending Full Sail University and studying film. Ever since he’s been taking classes there, I have found myself very interested in the work he does with motion pictures.
What is a Capstone?
I think that capstone is our chance as students to show what we have learned during our time here at IUPUI. It is the most important project of our college career. What I hope to get out of capstone is the chance to display the professional skills that I have. I want my project to be able to give people a feel of my interests and have a strong potential to impress individuals at first sight. Not only do I hope for this, but I also expect capstone to be a learning experience.
I think we are expected to work on this project for two semesters so that we are giving ourselves a challenge. I also think that we are given this amount of time in order for us to create something great and make it as successful as possible.
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