Tomorrow

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Tomorrow we will really begin to build out our sites.
If you have not already purchased your domain and/or hosting, or worked out another situation, please come with those purchased.

If you are using WordPress:
buy a domin + hosting on GoDaddy.com
(as we went over in class)
install WordPress on your hosting account
(this happens in the GoDaddy window)
purchase/download your theme
upload your theme to your FTP site
>> find your FTP info on the hosting panel of GoDaddy
>> use Cyberduck to upload your theme to the Themes folder in WordPress

This is not easy. We can go over it again in class. This is just a reminder.

If you are using 4ormat.com:
buy a domain on GoDaddy.com
(as we went over in class)
sign up for the monthly subscription on 4ormat
we will attach the domain name to your site together. in the meantime, continue to build your site. nothing will be lost when we change the domain.

We’ll look at your first round of bios + discuss proper image sizing for the your portfolio items. Please bring your PRINTED bio to class. We’ll workshop them together, and depending on how time works out with all of these pieces, I may take them home with me as well.

Howework for Monday

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Homework
1. Take your first stab at documenting your work properly. Bring 3 to 5 new images of your work to class Monday. We will critique your style and technique, and then you will go back and redo//continue with the rest of your work.

2. Loot at the three platforms I introduced in class Wednesday. WordPress.com, Squarespace.com, and 4ormat.com. Make sample sites and play around. See which one feels intuitive to you.

3. Answer the following questions in writing. Print and bring to class.
What do you want to use your site for?

How much maintenance are you up for?

How often will you upload new work?

Do you want a blog?

Do you want to be able to add sub-project pages at some point?

How much control over the design of the site do you want? Color? Type? Layout? Gradients? Illustrations? Logos?

What will your URL be?

Do you envision becoming more engaged with your website at some point?

Homework Over Break

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I hope you are all enjoying your break so far. We are going to dive right into the next (and most likely last) project right when we get back from break. We have a photographer coming to do demos on documenting your work for your website. We will work around the school, and shoot in a variety of ways. If you have a camera and tripod please make sure to bring them. We will be shooting during the demo. We will work together and share. I will bring mine to share with you as well.

1. Find samples of three ways of photographing artwork. Host these examples on a Pinterest board, a blog, etc.

2. Send me the link before Sunday, March 10 at 5pm.

3. List out all the pieces of artwork you’d like to include on your Portfolio website.

4. Collect 3 images you would like to document for your portfolio. Bring them to class on Monday.

5. Bring a camera + tripod if you have it or can borrow it to class on Monday. We’ll work together and share. (of course you can be in charge of your own equipment during this process)

Samples of photographing artwork:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78572430/percocet-pillow?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78918042/oxy-pillow?

http://longstockingdesign.com/LongstockingDesign_Publishing.html

I double-checked the links, but if WordPress confuses them please copy the link text from this page and paste into a browser.

Final Proposal Details

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For Wednesday, I want to see a final printed + bound proposal including the following:

…………………………………..

TITLE PAGE

PROPOSAL CONTENTS HEADERS (with descriptions//content following each)
1. Description of Work
2.Goals
3. Target Audience
4. Survey, pasted from the Survey Monkey or Google Forms view
5. Survey Results
6. Media Outlets Used
7. Sample Posts
-Language (actual wording) and sample imagery that you’ll use in FB, Tumblr, etc posts.
-you may want to do a screen grab of sample posts from FB—include imagery and wording, as well as what you choose for your thumbnail image on links etc. be specific.
8. Timeline
-how often will you post? if you are working towards a specific date, will you post more often as that date approaches? will your language change as you get more excited?

9. Potential extra sections
-Resources
-what else?

…………………………………..

You will be asked to present the proposal to the class on Wednesday March 6. You need to have a digital version on hand to enable you to present off of the projector, along with your printed//bound copy. You will hand the printed copy in and email the digital version directly to me. We will be doing a presentation exercise as well. Please come prepared to speak clearly and concisely. No likes, ums, or kind of’s allowed.

Both the Fashion Show and Printmaking groups should come with a second bound copy to present to your respective “clients.” Though you will give that copy directly to that client, I want to see it in your hands on Wednesday.

Your Proposals

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I don’t have your proposals ready for today, so please stop by tomorrow morning. I will post them outside my door.
If you are not in Portland on Friday’s for some reason, please let me know. I can work on a couple at lunch today.
Thanks!

Ted Talks

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The Ted Talks I’d like you to watch before Wednesday are at the following link: http://www.ted.com/playlists/26/our_digital_lives.html

Please watch these two:
2. Alexis Ohanian: How to make a splash in social media
5. Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world

On Weds, Alex Steed will be coming to talk to us. We will be meeting in the lab in the Malkovitch wing, where we heard Sean Wilkinson talk. Please be 100% on time. If you are late for class you will be marked as absent. It is unacceptable to walk in late during a presentation by a special guest.

Please prepare questions for Alex in advance. You can see current projects of his here:
http://bourbonportlandbeerpolitics.bangordailynews.com/
http://www.facebook.com/KnackFactory?fref=ts

(We have been having trouble with links on WordPress here, so please copy the above links and paste into a new window.)

Class Tomorrow

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I had asked that you all post the research you are doing about similar promotional campaigns that have been successful to the comments of the last blog post as part of your homework for tomorrow. In addition, I will be looking for you to present them in class to share with us how the campaign is similar to yours, and how you will be taking tips from it.

The fashion group will be meeting with Erin Hutton again right at the beginning of class. I will touch base with them and be right into the lab. Please be ready to work right at noon.

Homework for Wed Feb 20

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For Wednesday, I’d like to see a revision of your written pieces about your goals and your target audience. Revise the content (based on my notes and our discussion) and the writing itself both. This will be a piece of a professional proposal that will be shown to a client (be that the print dept, Erin Hutton, or me as your teacher). 

Identify a list of media outlets that your target audience could use. Develop a survey containing questions about your target audience’s media usage. Keep it short and to the point, and make sure to ask for demographic information about the survey taker. Age, gender, geography (use approx. miles from MECA), profession, interests will be important key elements to keep track of when gathering info on peoples’ media usage. 

Show the survey to me in class, along with a list of ten people to whom you will send it to start. These ten should be in your target audience, or should have close ties to that audience. We will be asking those ten people to reach out to five others in their same circle to share the survey. 

Please read the following website pages to gain more info on what we are doing, and on how some think about promoting artists. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2012/jan/12/arts-culture-marketing-plan

http://www.artmarketingstrategy.com/artists-should-follow-the-8020-rule-to-succeed.html

We’ll discuss the second article on Wednesday. I am curious how you feel about this, and if you think it’s realistic or not. Have an opinion, and come ready to share it.