After completing this class, I've learned a lot in terms of the amount of problem solving that is involved in the field of design and visual communication. From this project particularly, I've conducted a lot of research and field observations that aided me in arriving toward my final solution. It certainly wasn't an easy task, and it required constant consultations from professionals, references to literary sources, and gathering information online and through a survey.
Although my work in DAI 505 has been completed, that doesn't mark the end of this project. In fact, we're still in the early stages, although we've gotten past the preliminary steps of identifying what we need to do to address the issue. But all the other more technical concerns such as time, budget, and design constraints need to be considered as well.
Conclusion
I've concluded that in order to effectively outreach to target audiences about the need to fill mission-critical classifications toward the operation of the water and wastewater industry, we need to identify the behavioral patterns of job seekers and the kind of values they hold onto in terms what they consider to be an "ideal" job. Job security, salary level, and challenging and rewarding work are all examples of what individuals are looking for on a general basis. Also another thing to point out is HOW job seekers look for jobs. Many of them prefer visiting the websites of potential employers, direct contact with employers, or personal networks/referrals. Many people also go online to browse job databases as well. Through BAYWORK's collaboration with career centers in educational institutions, presentations, and involvement in job fairs, these methods are ways in which the organization can reach out to students directly. Prototypes produced include a brochure and poster, both physical materials in print format that can be used for these purposes to direct interested individuals to the website to find out more information.
A prototype for a website was produced which features Web 2.0 technological tools and social networking links, all popular trends for information access today. It is important to present content in such a way that it is engaging and immersive, and that can be accomplished through photos, videos, and other interactive elements. But it is also important to keep a website's presentation clean, simple, and easy to navigate through - in other words, user-friendly. In order to promote a website's visibility, search engine marketing and social media advertisements are recommended as well, depending upon the budget allotted. And as I mentioned, brochures are to be distributed via events and posters to be hung up around schools, providing general information about water industry jobs. They will also provide a link to the website itself.
Finally, people may have misconceptions about the water industry and/or the jobs associated with it. For example, they may think it's "dirty work for low pay" or they may underestimate the operational challenges that are involved in working within the industry. It's important that we help them achieve a more accurate perception of the industry as well as emphasize the benefits and advantages of working as a water industry staff member.
All these considerations need to be worked into the content of the prototypes, and the way that we design and present that material is crucial to whether people will choose to have information go in one ear and out the other, or be self-initiated in active pursuit of learning more.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
A More Detailed Progress Update
Interview with Design Professor
I interviewed a design professor at school and asked him questions particularly about website development, presentation style, and marketing tactics as it is relevant to the BAYWORK objective. According to my research and findings, the internet is a very effective tool and resource to use in information outreach, and many of the questions I asked him revolved around these few topics. One of the key points he mentioned and a central theme to remember throughout this project is to keep your target audience in mind. As we are focusing particularly on high school and college students, a significant factor would attribute to what resources and materials we would use to engage the viewer, particularly through the content and in organizing the structure of the website. One of the important things he mentioned was the fact that since we are working to recruit candidates on several different mission-critical classifications of the water industry, it may be necessary that we think of an approach to integrate these different areas of focus within our website to create a unifying presentation that would appeal to all types of individuals with various backgrounds and preferences. Apparently, we still have different audiences within the same demographic.
That would then rely heavily on a content driven website with the adequate resources and materials of outreach for everyone so it would fulfill our purpose of appealing to a variety of individuals within the demographic. Creating suitable content is therefore crucial. Design-wise, some further study could be done to determine how the website should be structured in such a way that it's user and navigational friendly for those who want to quickly access the information that is relevant to them. For instance, engineering is one of the mission-critical classifications in the water industry that needs to be filled by potential and qualified candidates. A position like that would more so appeal to individuals with a science background than those looking for a vocational position such as a machinist which requires manual training to master (this is what I'm assuming for the moment). How then can we develop a website that integrates all these different interests of these individuals and plop them all into one site?
Interview with Communications Specialist
I recently talked to a communications specialist working at the SFPUC. This time, our topic of focus revolved particularly around integrating Web 2.0 technology with the website. She pointed out a variety of content we could include such as site interactivity, videos, photo slideshows, and of the like. Facebook and Twitter are popular social media applications that can serve as informational hubs and would eventually lead people to find out more information about water industry careers. The use of such applications could contribute to SEO, search engine optimization, a method that would increase visibility to a website and help it to establish a stronger online presence on the internet. She mentioned meta-tags, keywords embedded within the coding of a website that would allow the site to be accessed through search engines according to the keywords entered. In this case, to increase our website visibility, it is recommended that we use as many relevant tags as we can. She also suggested increasing our site visibility through smart phone applications. Nowadays, technology has enabled us to surf the web on our phones, and smart phones are no exception to students and our current generation who are constantly relying on our iPhones, Blackberries, and Droids for news, entertainment, and immediate information access to all sorts of things.
The following are some things I've considered while conducting research and developing a plan for the website:
a) Keywords
Keywords are a crucial component of getting the word out there in relaying information. Since working on the survey, I have discovered that there are some common preferences of individuals in regard to attributes of a website that they find engaging. There is also a general consensus of what people thought were important aspects of a job or career, most prominently "opportunities for professional and career development," "challenging and interesting work," "job security," and "flexibility in work hours/locations." These are attributes we need to HIGHLIGHT in our website - within our content, photos, and videos that we use - if we were to establish an appeal to our audience and display to them what are important aspects of the water industry they should know. Salary level for each position would also be important to include.
Other resources such as job profiles and worker testimonials would allow viewers to learn more about the day-to-day activities involved in a particular position. Anything that individuals would be able to relate to and associate with would induce more interest on their part.
b) Educational Resources
There are a variety of educational resources and links to other water industry sites and career/job databases. As I've observed from my research, some of the effective websites out there provide links to external sites that would be both relevant and beneficial for viewers in order for them to find out more information and to do further research on their own if they choose to.
The interactive wastewater treatment map that I was referring to in our last meeting is this one here. Instead of using straightforward text content to provide an overview of the water treatment process, the information is presented in a visual, interactive manner with a text description beside each animated image. A page like this may be a good resource to link externally to from our own website: http://www.wef.org/flash/gowiththeflow_english/index.htm
c) Government/public or private sector?
I think this is something worthy to mention within our website. Water industry careers are part of the government sector, so to include a section about government based occupations and the benefits that arise from working within that industry is essential. It is also a way to establish the sense that the work that water industry professionals perform are helpful contributions to the local community and environment, and workers are entitled to a wide range of benefits. We can also provide external links to official government-endorsed sites that contain information about employee benefits involved in working for the city, state, and federal sectors. With our current economic recession and a competitive job market, an effective method would be to stress the abundant supply and availability of these positions to job-seekers and to emphasize the demand for the water industry to recruit new qualified candidates.
I interviewed a design professor at school and asked him questions particularly about website development, presentation style, and marketing tactics as it is relevant to the BAYWORK objective. According to my research and findings, the internet is a very effective tool and resource to use in information outreach, and many of the questions I asked him revolved around these few topics. One of the key points he mentioned and a central theme to remember throughout this project is to keep your target audience in mind. As we are focusing particularly on high school and college students, a significant factor would attribute to what resources and materials we would use to engage the viewer, particularly through the content and in organizing the structure of the website. One of the important things he mentioned was the fact that since we are working to recruit candidates on several different mission-critical classifications of the water industry, it may be necessary that we think of an approach to integrate these different areas of focus within our website to create a unifying presentation that would appeal to all types of individuals with various backgrounds and preferences. Apparently, we still have different audiences within the same demographic.
That would then rely heavily on a content driven website with the adequate resources and materials of outreach for everyone so it would fulfill our purpose of appealing to a variety of individuals within the demographic. Creating suitable content is therefore crucial. Design-wise, some further study could be done to determine how the website should be structured in such a way that it's user and navigational friendly for those who want to quickly access the information that is relevant to them. For instance, engineering is one of the mission-critical classifications in the water industry that needs to be filled by potential and qualified candidates. A position like that would more so appeal to individuals with a science background than those looking for a vocational position such as a machinist which requires manual training to master (this is what I'm assuming for the moment). How then can we develop a website that integrates all these different interests of these individuals and plop them all into one site?
Interview with Communications Specialist
I recently talked to a communications specialist working at the SFPUC. This time, our topic of focus revolved particularly around integrating Web 2.0 technology with the website. She pointed out a variety of content we could include such as site interactivity, videos, photo slideshows, and of the like. Facebook and Twitter are popular social media applications that can serve as informational hubs and would eventually lead people to find out more information about water industry careers. The use of such applications could contribute to SEO, search engine optimization, a method that would increase visibility to a website and help it to establish a stronger online presence on the internet. She mentioned meta-tags, keywords embedded within the coding of a website that would allow the site to be accessed through search engines according to the keywords entered. In this case, to increase our website visibility, it is recommended that we use as many relevant tags as we can. She also suggested increasing our site visibility through smart phone applications. Nowadays, technology has enabled us to surf the web on our phones, and smart phones are no exception to students and our current generation who are constantly relying on our iPhones, Blackberries, and Droids for news, entertainment, and immediate information access to all sorts of things.
The following are some things I've considered while conducting research and developing a plan for the website:
a) Keywords
Keywords are a crucial component of getting the word out there in relaying information. Since working on the survey, I have discovered that there are some common preferences of individuals in regard to attributes of a website that they find engaging. There is also a general consensus of what people thought were important aspects of a job or career, most prominently "opportunities for professional and career development," "challenging and interesting work," "job security," and "flexibility in work hours/locations." These are attributes we need to HIGHLIGHT in our website - within our content, photos, and videos that we use - if we were to establish an appeal to our audience and display to them what are important aspects of the water industry they should know. Salary level for each position would also be important to include.
Other resources such as job profiles and worker testimonials would allow viewers to learn more about the day-to-day activities involved in a particular position. Anything that individuals would be able to relate to and associate with would induce more interest on their part.
b) Educational Resources
There are a variety of educational resources and links to other water industry sites and career/job databases. As I've observed from my research, some of the effective websites out there provide links to external sites that would be both relevant and beneficial for viewers in order for them to find out more information and to do further research on their own if they choose to.
The interactive wastewater treatment map that I was referring to in our last meeting is this one here. Instead of using straightforward text content to provide an overview of the water treatment process, the information is presented in a visual, interactive manner with a text description beside each animated image. A page like this may be a good resource to link externally to from our own website: http://www.wef.org/flash/
c) Government/public or private sector?
I think this is something worthy to mention within our website. Water industry careers are part of the government sector, so to include a section about government based occupations and the benefits that arise from working within that industry is essential. It is also a way to establish the sense that the work that water industry professionals perform are helpful contributions to the local community and environment, and workers are entitled to a wide range of benefits. We can also provide external links to official government-endorsed sites that contain information about employee benefits involved in working for the city, state, and federal sectors. With our current economic recession and a competitive job market, an effective method would be to stress the abundant supply and availability of these positions to job-seekers and to emphasize the demand for the water industry to recruit new qualified candidates.
Water Industry Careers Survey
This is a link to my survey. I've gotten 30+ responses and am still trying to gather more if possible.
Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NF8BSFN
Summary: The purpose of this survey is to obtain information on the values, perceptions, learning styles, and job-hunting preferences of respondents in order to determine how to design outreach materials that will be effective in providing useful information on water industry careers.
Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NF8BSFN
Summary: The purpose of this survey is to obtain information on the values, perceptions, learning styles, and job-hunting preferences of respondents in order to determine how to design outreach materials that will be effective in providing useful information on water industry careers.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Brief Progress Update
I've done some research, and a few of the topmost activities I've identified among youth are the following:
1. Web 2.0 technology - including interactivity on websites, smart phone applications, and social networking
2. Social networking (related to web 2.0) - facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.
3. Word of mouth - government sponsored community fairs, talking with industry professionals, socializing with friends and family.
4. Reading - print media
So the ultimate question would be: How would we approach this problem in order to identify a solution? I believe a sub-problem to this would be what kind of marketing tactics we could use, as this correlates directly with design and visual communication.
I believe that there's plenty of marketing tactics involved with information technology. Unfortunately, I've never taken marketing classes. But there are some people I could talk to who are more knowledgeable about that and can help me in my research - one of whom would be a communications specialist in the area of visual outreach and is one of my panel experts.
Another sub-problem (besides the design/marketing aspect of it) I've also discussed previously with SFPUC is, what kind of content should be included in our deliverables that would not only inform the youth about jobs in the water industry, but engage them to take initiative to learn more information and be proactive in their search for such jobs? Other questions include: What jobs would attract them in general? High wages, sense of purpose in their work, many benefits? With that in consideration, what then would attract them to jobs specifically in the water industry? Would emphasizing the importance of being involved in "being green" and contributing to preservation efforts of the environment help? What kinds of stereotypes, preconceived notions, or misconceptions do students have about the water industry?
This is the bulk of my research at this point, and with the results of my survey, I should have clearer idea and more statistics to work with.
1. Web 2.0 technology - including interactivity on websites, smart phone applications, and social networking
2. Social networking (related to web 2.0) - facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.
3. Word of mouth - government sponsored community fairs, talking with industry professionals, socializing with friends and family.
4. Reading - print media
So the ultimate question would be: How would we approach this problem in order to identify a solution? I believe a sub-problem to this would be what kind of marketing tactics we could use, as this correlates directly with design and visual communication.
I believe that there's plenty of marketing tactics involved with information technology. Unfortunately, I've never taken marketing classes. But there are some people I could talk to who are more knowledgeable about that and can help me in my research - one of whom would be a communications specialist in the area of visual outreach and is one of my panel experts.
Another sub-problem (besides the design/marketing aspect of it) I've also discussed previously with SFPUC is, what kind of content should be included in our deliverables that would not only inform the youth about jobs in the water industry, but engage them to take initiative to learn more information and be proactive in their search for such jobs? Other questions include: What jobs would attract them in general? High wages, sense of purpose in their work, many benefits? With that in consideration, what then would attract them to jobs specifically in the water industry? Would emphasizing the importance of being involved in "being green" and contributing to preservation efforts of the environment help? What kinds of stereotypes, preconceived notions, or misconceptions do students have about the water industry?
This is the bulk of my research at this point, and with the results of my survey, I should have clearer idea and more statistics to work with.
Draft Survey Questions
(to be finalized)
What is your current level of education?
1. Middle school/Junior high
2. Some high school
3. High school graduate or completion of GED
4. Some college (not yet finished)
5. Two-year college degree (A.A./A.S.)
6. Four-year college degree (B.S./B.A.)
7. Some graduate work (not yet finished)
8. Graduate degree (Masters)
9. Advanced graduate degree (Ph.D.)
What is your current employment status?
1. Employed full time
2. Employed part time
3. Unemployed/looking
4. Student
5. Retired
6. Homemaker
What is/are your preferred method(s) of learning? multiple answers
1. Internet
2. Books
3. Educational lectures
4. Television/videos
5. Word of mouth/community fairs
6. Other
What form of electronic media do you use most for information access?
1. Internet
2. Television
3. Podcast
4. Radio
5. Smart phone applications
6. Other
Rate from 1-5 (5 being most important) what you find fulfilling in a job/career.
1. Challenging and rewarding work
2. Opportunities to advance
3. Positions of high status
4. Helping others/community contribution
5. Stable, growing field of work
6. Job security
7. Wage/salary
8. Benefits and perks
What job search method do you mostly use on a regular basis?
1. Career fairs
2. Social networking (Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace, etc.)
3. Job databases (Craigslist, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc.)
4. Personal contacts/referrals
5. Job agencies
7. Classified ads
6. Other
What do you consider the most engaging aspect of a website? Rate each of the following from 1-5 (5 being most important).
1. Interactive, dynamic content (i.e. Flash)
2. Blogs
3. Videos
4. Photos, images, and slideshows
5. User interface and navigation
6. Design and presentation
7. Social bookmarking/tagging
8. Community forum
What do you consider are significant aspects of working in the water industry? Rate from 1-5 (5 being the most important)
1. Personal satisfaction and/or sense of purpose
2. Making a difference in the community
3. Environmental conservation and "going green"
4. Flexibility and a wide range of roles
5. Opportunities for training and education
Rate these water industry positions from 1-5 (5 being most important) according to how much they appeal to you.
1. Environmental specialist
2. Engineer
3. Electrician
4. Water or wastewater treatment operator
5. Manager/executive officer
Based on your own perception of the water industry, please explain why you would or would not consider working as a water industry employee. open ended question
What is your current level of education?
1. Middle school/Junior high
2. Some high school
3. High school graduate or completion of GED
4. Some college (not yet finished)
5. Two-year college degree (A.A./A.S.)
6. Four-year college degree (B.S./B.A.)
7. Some graduate work (not yet finished)
8. Graduate degree (Masters)
9. Advanced graduate degree (Ph.D.)
What is your current employment status?
1. Employed full time
2. Employed part time
3. Unemployed/looking
4. Student
5. Retired
6. Homemaker
What is/are your preferred method(s) of learning? multiple answers
1. Internet
2. Books
3. Educational lectures
4. Television/videos
5. Word of mouth/community fairs
6. Other
What form of electronic media do you use most for information access?
1. Internet
2. Television
3. Podcast
4. Radio
5. Smart phone applications
6. Other
Rate from 1-5 (5 being most important) what you find fulfilling in a job/career.
1. Challenging and rewarding work
2. Opportunities to advance
3. Positions of high status
4. Helping others/community contribution
5. Stable, growing field of work
6. Job security
7. Wage/salary
8. Benefits and perks
What job search method do you mostly use on a regular basis?
1. Career fairs
2. Social networking (Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace, etc.)
3. Job databases (Craigslist, Monster, Careerbuilder, etc.)
4. Personal contacts/referrals
5. Job agencies
7. Classified ads
6. Other
What do you consider the most engaging aspect of a website? Rate each of the following from 1-5 (5 being most important).
1. Interactive, dynamic content (i.e. Flash)
2. Blogs
3. Videos
4. Photos, images, and slideshows
5. User interface and navigation
6. Design and presentation
7. Social bookmarking/tagging
8. Community forum
What do you consider are significant aspects of working in the water industry? Rate from 1-5 (5 being the most important)
1. Personal satisfaction and/or sense of purpose
2. Making a difference in the community
3. Environmental conservation and "going green"
4. Flexibility and a wide range of roles
5. Opportunities for training and education
Rate these water industry positions from 1-5 (5 being most important) according to how much they appeal to you.
1. Environmental specialist
2. Engineer
3. Electrician
4. Water or wastewater treatment operator
5. Manager/executive officer
Based on your own perception of the water industry, please explain why you would or would not consider working as a water industry employee. open ended question
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Finalized Statements
Problem Statement:
The water and wastewater utilities are facing major and impeding retirements by the baby boomer generation, leaving a void that needs to be filled with qualified candidates able to handle mission-critical positions.Purpose Statement:
The purpose of this study was to research and develop effective visual resources to support water and wastewater utilities in candidate recruitment and outreach efforts.
Monday, October 4, 2010
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