mid capstone syllabus - SP 11

syllabus and manual for the Cincinnati State m|i|d capstone classesVersion 43

| capstone |

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| contents |

| success |Words of wisdom from Beth Webster, 2007 m|i|d graduate.

| syllabus |Answers to your questions about the class.

| milestones |All assignments for the class.

| samples |Examples you can use as models.

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All trademarks used in this essay are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.

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| success || by beth webster |

Capstone Project class is a culmination of everything you’ve learned at Cincinnati State in the past 2-3 years. You will be asked to do better work than you’ve ever done. I’m not going to pretend that I loved it, but I will admit that I learned a lot. The best advice I could give you is the following sentence: Just Keep Swimming.

For many of us, Capstone will be the most difficult thing we’ve ever done, but it’s very important to always keep reality in sight. It’s only a 9 week class. Despite what it may seem, the nine weeks are just that – only nine weeks long. During those nine weeks, however, you’ll spend a great deal of time working on the project. Most of the time I worked around 60 hours a week; the last week I logged 94.5 hours. I had to call into work, hurt friends’ feelings, and more than once I slept at school. I got a serious sinus infection, my car broke down, one of my best friends got married, and I got dumped two weeks into the term but I survived it.

Capstone is like boot camp: the drill sergeant’s goal is not to kill you but to push you to your highest levels. Several former Capstone survivors gave me great advice; some of the advice is being passed on from them and some of it is from my own experience. I hope it helps. | |

Capstone is stressful enough. There are lots of things you can do and buy before the term begins, just to make your life a little easier.

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| shopping |Get the things you’ll need early so that you’re not trying to find a place that sells mat board at 11pm the night before a presentation. Plus if you spend a little money now, your wallet won’t hurt as much when you finally get into the class. The following is a shopping list for the class:

Coffee maker and accessories.•Spray mount (Super 77 made by 3M is the best I’ve ever used; •

it never clogs or goops).Two or three X-acto knives (so that two or three people can •

help with mounting all the stuff for your presentations).a TON of blades for the X-acto knives. •Metal yard stick for cutting big boards.•Large pad of newsprint and some tape. This is essential for •

team brainstorming. Tape two or three pieces to the wall and share your ideas. Then leave them up so you can refer back to them.

*hint: use water based markers to write on them; Sharpie leaks through and stains the wall. Whoops. About 6 sheets of mat board. If you watch sales at Hobby •

Lobby you can get them half off for about $4. If you have 4-6 people on your team and everyone on your team does this, you’ll have more than enough mat board.

Package of CDs, labels, and sleeves. Pam will provide you • with some CDs, but you’ll need more. Every time you do a presentation (once a week at least) you’ll have to give each teacher a CD that’s been professionally labeled.

Portable hard drive or flash drive. Your office is networked, • but they’re great for passing stuff back and forth between laptops and backing up your work. Everyone on my team had one and they saved our team in the end because the

computers in the office wouldn’t burn DVDs and we had to transfer all our data to another location on those flash drives.

Tissues. If you don’t end up crying, someone else on your • team will.

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You should be prepared to put money towards stock photog-raphy. You can find it cheap, but you’re going to end up buying a few pictures at least.

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| office |Your office is your home away from home and, in my case, may some nights be your home. Make it yours. If you don’t feel comfortable there, you won’t be able to create. Great stuff to have in your office includes:

Coffee maker and accessories.•Mini fridge.•Cozy jacket or sweatshirt (it gets cold in there!).•Snack foods that didn’t begin their lives in a vending machine.•Pillow and blanket.•

The offices are painted in a drab grey-green color; they’re cold and most of them are windowless. It’s all but impossible to get posters to stay up on the wall without putting holes in them, but try to fill the space with things that will entertain you and spark creativity. Photos of friends and family you won’t get to see in those nine weeks, toys, maybe even a fake plant. Pam will show up randomly with swag like fun pencils, colorful office supplies and bubbles, and that can really make your whole day.

Most importantly, on the first day of class your team will be asked to choose an office. Once the class is over and you have your office keys, steal the couch or one of the blue benches from the hallway. Even if you never stay the night at school, they’re great for quick naps, brainstorming sessions, or making out with a random team member. (I’m totally lying about that last part; don’t do that.)

| brainstorm |Also, before the term ever starts you should start sketching generic logos that could be altered to fit a team name. The first couple of weeks in the term your team will have to name them-selves and come up with a branding scheme for your team. DO NOT argue about it. DO NOT stress over it. DO NOT get your feelings hurt because your name wasn’t chosen. Pick a name the first day you meet. The next class, hammer out the logo colors and concept. This is not a company you’ll be with for the rest of your life, this is a nine week class; don’t waste your time on the team name and logo.

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Once class begins, the ride is like nothing Kings Island (or whatever they’re calling it this year) could begin to replicate. Some things can be controlled. Some can’t.

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| habits |First things first: back up your data. It is a well known fact that some people don’t make it through Capstone. It is also true that many of them don’t leave the class feeling sympathetic to the others; I’ve heard more than one story of students taking all their files and stranding the remaining team members with the job of recreating what they took with them.

As soon as you have a team logo, and a CD label, and a letterhead and so on, put them on the office Data Share drive as well as an external hard drive and the hard drive of at least one of the office computers. Anything you use during presentations should be in multiple locations so that everyone can use it.

Second, many people have laptops and design programs at home and the temptation is to let everyone work away from the office all the time. I advise against this for two reasons. The first is that if you’re never together you’re not really sharing ideas. Get together in the office a couple of times a week and share what you’ve been working on. Your team members will really be able to shed light on things that are and are not working

When you’re trying to brand a company you really need to make sure you’re all headed in the same direction. You cannot get that kind of feedback through emails. You will wake up in the morning to find 38 new emails in your inbox and you will skip, skim, and trash emails daily that might have had great advice but there are simply too many to get through them all.

The second reason to work at school is that if everyone’s always at home, their work isn’t at the school and if they run late for a presentation or something horrible happens you’re going to walk into a presentation without all the items you need.

My team did not do this, but I wish we had. Designate an office computer and an external hard drive as the official backups and make people back their stuff up on them twice a week. You might even ask everyone to sign and date a sheet so that everyone remembers to do it. Do not underestimate the importance of backing your stuff up and getting copies of everyone else’s work!

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| health |Capstone class is only offered during Spring and Early Fall. By coincidence, these are both terms when the weather is changing and illness is rampant. You do not want to get sick, so take care of yourself, and take a good multi-vitamin. I know two people who got kidney stones (caused by caffeine) during their Capstone term, so rotate off pop and coffee whenever possible. The teachers will tell you to get plenty of sleep and I’m going to tell you that sometimes that’s not possible. But when it is, do get your 8 hours. And of course, eat fruits and veggies.

I also advise taking breaks. Every few hours get up and walk around, do some yoga, play a little hallway baseball, or read a few pages of a book that’s not school related. A few websites that helped me maintain sanity include Pandora.com (music), YouTube.com (videos), and Homestarrunner.com (just plain funny). A friend of mine who took the class before me gave me the following advice and I didn’t really follow it, but I can see now that I should have. Work hard 6 days a week and take one day off. You will feel pressure from your team to submit work 7 days a week. If you work hard and manage your time wisely, you have every right to take a day to yourself. Let your team know you won’t be working and that they’ll hear from you on the day following. You can be sure your managers won’t be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on Capstone, and even God took a day off. You should too.

| instructors |All four of the teachers have great resources available to them but they will wait for you to ask (most times) before they offer it up. Pam has a TON of books and magazines to help you get ideas, research companies, and discover the typical information found on the business card of the company president vs. the information you would see on middle management’s business card. Jason and David will give you endless feedback if you show up after their classes or in their offices with your ideas in hand rather than relying on emails. Dave will always know someone somewhere who could help your team out if you need equipment, locations or talent. And while Dave can wither you with an enraged tirade about the level of professional-ism he expects from your team he also gives the best pep talks ever.

Don’t be afraid to ASK for what you need, and if you don’t know what you need, talk to the managers about the problems you’re having and one of them will tell you what you need. Do not be too proud to beg for help.

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| specifics |Early in the class, you’ll be introduced to your client, and you’ll get to interview him/her. At the time, you’ll probably be focused on understanding what their company does, how they want to be portrayed, whether the company is run in a very formal way or is it a playful atmosphere, and what colors they really hate. There are some business related questions that should get asked, too, that young designers might omit. Some questions I wished I’d asked include:

- How often would you like to get updates on the project?- When we have questions for you would you prefer a phone call or email?- If we can’t find good free stock photography for your brochures/website would you be willing (or able) to buy the rights to use professional stock photos? (note: This isn’t a “first meeting with the client” question, but should be in the mix sooner rather than later.)

| anchors |The teachers will tell you on the first day that your team has the right to ask that someone on your team get pink slipped, or fired. For this to happen, everyone on the team must write an official letter of complaint about the offending team member. This will sound very mean and very extreme. You will be afraid to lose even one team member because you have so much work to get done.

Hear me out on this one. If a person on your team has proven that he/she is not willing to work as hard as the rest of you, you will be much better off if you get rid of them. The teachers are not in the office with you everyday. It may take them much longer to realize how much work that person is weaseling out of. It’s possible that they may never realize it at all. Some people are really sneaky. You have to have this class to graduate; you have to be able to rely on your team members to help you get a passing grade so that you can graduate. We are talking about the direction of the rest of your life hanging in the balance of this one class. Do not hinder yourself with someone you have to drag along; cut them loose.

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| resources |Did you know fonts are copyrighted? I did not know that. It makes sense but I’d never thought about it. In all the classes you take at CState, it’s never really discussed that all those photos and fonts you’re using in your class projects are the property of someone else. I spent a huge amount of time searching for quality photos that wouldn’t cost me $300 dollars to use.

INSPIRATIONHow magazinePrint magazineCMYK magazine

FONTSwhatthefont.comdafont.comfontgarden.com1001freefonts.comFontfreak.comFontdiner.com

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHYwww.veer.com www.flickr.comwww.gettyimages.com www.corbis.comwww.jupiterimages.comwww.istockphoto.comwww.sxc.hu

LEAVE BEHIND ITEMSBranders.com - this is an awesome site that allows you to upload your logo in an eps file and it will “apply” your logo to hundreds of different items and it lets you save a picture of it. All for free and I didn’t get a lot of junk email from them either.

Orientaltradingcompany.com - great company for items to give away, but I don’t remember if they personalize any products.

PRINTING COMPANIESI ended up getting most of my quotes from Hamilton Graphics. They were really helpful, very quick to respond to phone calls, and sent me a bunch of samples of stuff they could die cut for us. They have con-tact information on their website. Dov Graphics is another company that has been good to Cincinnati State students. They even do diecuts and foil embossing.

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Printingforless.com is an inexpensive online printing company. I don’t know much about them.

48hourprint.com is very quick, and not very expensive.

4by6.com is an online printing company that does high-quality work, for a reasonable price. Both David Hoctor and adjunct James Westbrooks have used them to print their own business cards.

TRADESHOW BOOTHSAmerican-image.com

LEGAL FORMSPam and Dave can also tell you where you can find legal forms on line.

Beth Webster is a 2007 graduate of Cincinnati State’s Graphic Design program. The preceding essay is primarily her writing, though it was supplemented with advice from a few other graduates of the program. She and the others wish you luck with the class, and in the future.

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| syllabus |

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| basics |Course numbers: IT 5228 (AVP), IT 5457 (MWEB), IT 5571 (GRD)Course time: TR 1:00 - 6:00 pmCourse location: ATLC 330 and Project Rooms

Course Instructors:All Instructors [email protected] Caudill (GRD) 569.1777 [email protected] Ecker (TC) 569.1722 [email protected] Hoctor (MWEB) 569.4961 [email protected] Killen (AVP) 569.4960 [email protected]

Course Textbook: DK Essential Managers: Project Management• , Peter Hobbs (DK Publishing, 2009). ISBN 978-0-7566-4199-3DK Essential Managers: Presenting• , Aileen Pincus (DK Publishing, 2008) ISBN 978-0-7566-3706-4

Note 1: When looking for these books in the Cincinnati State book-store, it’s possible that all books may have been placed only on the bookshelf for IT 5228.Note 2: Please complete reading of both books by Class Day 6.

Course Blackboard Site:MID Capstone Project. (Select MYCSTATE from the Cincinnati State website.) We may or may not use Blackboard this term. If we do, this is where to find it. Course Prerequisites:

Completion of all degree requirements, including co-op, at a •level of C or higher, or will complete all requirements no later than the term following the Capstone Project course.Consent of Advisor for your degree.•

Double Majors:Students who plan to earn more than one MID degree must successful-ly complete a separate Capstone Project course for each degree, during separate terms. Students are not permitted to simultaneously enroll in two Capstone Project courses.

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Materials (must be brought to every class meeting):This course manual•Note-taking materials / Sketchbooks•CD-RWs, Thumb Drives, other digital storage media•Other materials may be required; be sure to pay attention to •instructor requests

Course Objectives:Give each student numerous opportunities to demonstrate •the knowledge and skills gained throughout the degree program, by planning, producing, and delivering professional products that effectively meet a specified client’s needs.Give each student numerous opportunities to demonstrate •technical, team, and interpersonal skills, to deliver outstanding products and presentations, and to maintain a professional demeanor while meeting project deadlines.

Course Structure:Each student is a member of a large organization (the class) •and also a member of two smaller groups within that organi-zation (your project team completing specified work for a client and your department of those seeking the same degree). The course instructors are the “senior management team” for the organization.Each student has a primary instructor (the advisor for your •major) but is equally accountable to all other members of the instructor team.Instructors assign students to their project teams and •designate a student on each team to serve as liaison to the client. Instructors also assign each team to a designated client and/or •project.Project teams may be rearranged or reconfigured at various •times during the course.While every effort should be made throughout the course •to meet the needs of clients at the highest possible level of effort and quality, your final accountability is to your course instructors.

Participation:This course requires you to deliver a large amount of material in a short amount of time. We expect you to devote time and energy to the course during scheduled class time, and also for a minimum of 15 hours a week outside of scheduled class time. Most students who have completed this course successfully recommend that you plan to spend significantly more than 15 hours a week on outside-of-class activities.

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We expect you to come to class prepared, remembering that many others depend on you to meet your individual deadlines and to complete your individual work assignments. It will be impossible to complete the course successfully if you do not work consistently throughout the term and stay focused on your team’s deliverables.

| guidelines |Attendance:

Attendance at all class sessions is absolutely required. •Absence and tardiness will be penalized.•

- One absence; drop one letter grade.- Two absences; drop two letter grades.- Three absences; you will be administratively removed from the course.

If an absence is unavoidable, please notify the instructor •for your major, and your project team members, as early as possible before the scheduled class meeting. In case of an emergency, if possible please notify the •instructor for your major within 24 hours of your absence.Each late arrival (any time after 1:00) will result in a •reduction of the final course grade.Five late arrivals will result in you being administratively •removed from the course.Unapproved early departure is also unacceptable and will •result in a reduction of the final course grade.Journal and log submissions (described below) are also part •of the attendance grade. Failure to meet deadlines will be factored into your attendance record.

Team Meetings:All team members are expected to attend all team meetings. Meetings are to be held during scheduled course time, and should include instructors. Teams may also schedule additional meetings as needed outside of class time.

Team Milestones:The course contains several Milestones which require delivery of various items to course instructors and/or clients. Each Milestone requires team members to collaborate to prepare high quality deliv-erables (products and documentation).

Most Milestones also require a presentation in which all team members participate. Some presentations will be formal (stand-up oral presentation) and others will be less formal (round-table discussion or individual discussion with instructors). It is expected

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that for each Milestone presentation, students will demonstrate professionalism in content, format, and behavior.

See the Milestones section of this manual (p.18) for more information.

Meetings with Major Instructor:Each student is expected to meet regularly with the instructor for their major. Additional information will be provided.

| professionalism |Demonstrate an attitude of profesisonalism at all times.•Demonstrate significant working knowledge of all technical •tools and skills covered in your major. Contribute meaningful and productive ideas, examples, •opinions, observations, questions, and conclusions during class discussions and team meetings.Demonstrate consideration and respect for the ideas and •opinions of other course participants (including instructors and clients), even when you disagree (which you may - remembering that professional demeanor is expected).Take an active, responsible, and creative approach to •carrying out course activities.Demonstrate initiative in conducting research when •necessary (including reviewing resources provided in classes completed prior to the Capstone). Do not rely on instructors to answer every question that may arise, especially questions concerning technical skills and/or industry standards.Demonstrate initiative and commitment in making •all effort needed to accomplish team goals for client deliverables—which may include using technical skills that are not the primary skill-set of your major.Ask for clarification whenever you need it. Rather than •making assumptions about “what the instructors and/or client wants,” you should ask questions instead. (But note the previous point about seeking answers to your own questions.)Comply with the Cincinnati State “Student Code of •Conduct” and other policies and procedures included in the College Catalog. Note in particular the information about plagiarism. If you have any questions about the definition of plagiarism and how it applies to work done for “real world” clients, ask for clarification.Comply with Capstone course policies and procedures.•

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| grading |Each student’s grade for this course is determined collaboratively by all course instructors, with significant input from the instructor for the student’s major. Information considered includes milestone deliverable products and documentation, presentations, participation in team meetings, responsiveness to multiple forms of instructor feedback, journals and activity logs, exam results, and attendance. Peer and client feedback also are taken into consideration.

Meeting the expectations described below is considered “the bare minimum,” and will earn a passing grade of “C.” The instructors’ shared views of the extent to which you exceed the basic criteria will contribute to receiving a higher grade.

If, at any time, you need clarification of the evaluation criteria and standards, ask the instructors!

Grades for this course measure your effectiveness in producing professional-quality deliverables that demonstrate your best individual technical and creative work, while contributing to a team that provides creative and effective solutions to client’s needs.

General criteria applied to grading of deliverables are:All products should demonstrate thorough research-based •audience analysis and audience targeting.All products should demonstrate appropriate application of •aesthetic choices and design principles.All products should demonstrate consistency in branding and •“look and feel.”All products should demonstrate best efforts to create unique, •original materials that effectively serve client’s needs.All products should demonstrate excellence in applying •professional standards for written and visual content (which may require modification of client-supplied resources).All products should demonstrate best efforts to respond to all •forms of feedback provided by instructors.All products should demonstrate outstanding ability to select •and apply the most appropriate tools and skills.

Other grading criteria include:Demonstrating an attitude of professionalism and “showing •up ready to work” at all times.Meeting all expectations described in this course manual.•Meeting individual and team deadlines for all course •milestones and deliverables (including journals and activity logs).

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Demonstrating professional-level skills and techniques in •preparing and presenting deliverables.Interacting effectively with team members and contributing •productively to team processes and products.Demonstrating commitment to achieving team goals, and •contributing to the achievement of team goals in as many ways as possible.Demonstrating professional communication and •collaboration skills with clients, your team, and instructors.Demonstrating the ability to critically examine, assess, and •synthesize key needs of your client.Seeking out and responding effectively to the views and •concerns of your client.Seeking out views and concerns of all course instructors, •receiving feedback from instructors with professionalism, and effectively responding to and acting upon views and concerns of instructors.Demonstrating self-motivation and initiative.•Taking professionally-appropriate risks; that is, attempting to •creatively and responsibly “push the boundaries” of possible solutions to problems, rather than relying on simple and familiar answers.Demonstrating a positive attitude at all times toward clients, •instructors, and team members.Facing all challenges in a professional and positive manner.•

Exam:An exam on course reading assignments and lecture material will be given at the time noted on the course Calendar.

Milestones:Requirements and guidelines for each Milestone are provided in writing in this manual. Each Milestone requires submission of high quality deliverables as specified. (Some requirements may apply only to students in a specific major.) Most Milestones also require a spoken presentation, using a specified formal or informal approach.

The team will be provided with CDs so that each instructor can receive copies of all deliverable materials.

Final Presentation:The Final Presentation requires effective presentation of high-quality deliverables to the client and to the instructors.

Additional requirements and guidelines are provided elsewhere in this course manual. Final Presentation materials will not be returned, so make copies for yourself.

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| reports |Weekly Progress Reports (Activity Log and Journal Entry):Every Tuesday, no later than 1:00 pm, each student is required to provide four printed copies of a Progress Report (minimum 2 pages) that contains your Activity Log and Journal Entry.

Your Activity Log should give an accurate and detailed record •of your “billable hours,” your out-of-pocket expenses related to the course, and specific contributions you made during the previous week.Your Journal Entry should provide personal introspection and •reflection about the course activities of the previous week. Both the quality and quantity of the entries are important. Journal entries should show your ongoing self-assessment •and insights about topics such as problems encountered and resolved, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Journal entries may be informal in style and tone, but this writing should meet minimum standards for craftsmanship in professional communication: correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure.

Your first Progress Report should cover the time from the first day of the course until Monday of the following week. Progress Reports not submitted by 1:00 pm Tuesday will be considered late.

Progress Reports that are late/missing will incur the same grading penalties as the absence/lateness penalties described previously.

You can view a sample Activity Log and sample Journal in the “sam-ples” section of this manual.

| communication |All communication in this course is business communication. Professionalism and good craftsmanship are expected at all times.

The guidelines below address specific forms of communication that may be used frequently during the course.

File naming standards: Each team must establish and consistently apply standards for clear and concise identification of individual and team work products. At minimum, the file naming convention must include:- Name of individual, team, client, and/or product. (as applicable)- Version number(s)

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Always use lowercase text with underscores as separators.

Examples:jones_redwagonlogo5.pdfcatalyst_brochure3_v7.pdfsmith_sbu_folder4_v4.docx

email subject linesAll email sent from students to instructors must include a subject line that clarifies the purpose of the communication. Items that generally should be included are:

the word “Capstone” as the first word in the subject line•the student’s last name•topic (or milestone number, when applicable)•version number (when applicable)•

Subject line contents may be modified as needed to provide clarity. However, sending a message with a subject line is a breach of profes-sionalism.

Seeking feedback from instructors: Each team should designate a portion of the team wiki for displaying materials in need of instructor review. As a supplement or an alternative, teams may establish other easily accessible web display spaces, using resources such as Flickr, vimeo, etc.

All related materials (for instance, a set of sketches for logos) •should appear on the same page. The page should be labeled using file naming standards described above.Each item on the page (for instance, each sketch) should be •given a letter or number.

When the team has new material ready for instructors to review, the liaison should send a message to all instructors (using the address [email protected]) with a link to the materials posted for review.

“New materials” means that substantive changes have been made since the last prior request for feedback. It is not appropriate to seek feedback every time a small “tweak” is made. (However, individual instructors may establish their own more rapid feedback cycles for some work produced by students.)

DO NOT SEND FILES AS ATTACHMENTS to email messages, with the exception of .doc and .docx files no larger than 249K.

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Video scripts, storyboard, and other pre-production materials should be submitted for review using the guidelines above. Running audio and video should be submitted using guidelines established by Dave Killen.

Other email/feedback considerations: In general, whenever a student sends a message to instructors seeking feedback on work products and/or feedback on creative questions, all instructors should be in-cluded (by using the email address [email protected]) and all team members should be included. This approach facilitates quick response and sharing of information.

When a student seeks feedback on a technical or logistical question, the recipients may be limited to the instructor(s) with relevant exper-tise and the other students working on that specific problem.

USE COMMON SENSE in deciding who/how many should be included in messages, but if you are in doubt, send to all instructors and team members.

Feedback turn-around times:For messages received by 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, •instructors will attempt to respond within 24 hours.For messages received Saturday or Sunday, instructors will •attempt to respond no later than 8 a.m. the following Tuesday.If some instructors are not able to reply to a request for •feedback, students should proceed, using the feedback that has been received. However, you are always responsible for getting feedback on your work from the instructor for your major.

| removal |The majority of students who enroll in the Capstone course complete it successfully on the first attempt. However, in some instances students may be removed from the course.

“Pink slipping” by teamA team may request that a team member be administratively removed from the course, by writing a memorandum to the instructors, signed by all team members, that states the reasons that warrant removal of a team member. Any available documentation of these concerns (email, meeting notes, etc.) should be attached. Action must be timely.

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Instructors will meet with the affected student to inform him/her of team concerns, and will give the affected student an opportunity to respond. The decision of the course instructors in all such cases will be final.

No “pink slip” requests will be processed after the sixth week of the course.

Course Probation and/or Removal by instructors Instructors review student performance, using formal and informal assessment methods, throughout the Capstone course. If a student is not making satisfactory progress, action will be taken.

A student who is performing at a substandard level (less than “C” level work) at the time of the first instructor review will be placed on course probation. This review will occur no later than the fourth week of the course.

A student who is performing at a substandard level (less than “C” level work) at the time of the second instructor review will be admin-istratively removed from the course. This review will occur no later

than the seventh week of the course.| access |Students enrolled in the MID Capstone course have special privileges and resources that are not available to all Cincinnati State students. Please ensure that future students will retain these privileges by demonstrating responsible, professional behavior at all times.

Each student will gain access to the Project Rooms using (1) your Surge card and (2) your room key. In addition, if you expect to use the Project Room outside of standard business hours, you must have (3) your “white card” signed by a course instructor.

If your Surge card does not open the “swipe card” door to the Project Rooms, inform your Team Manager immediately and include your student ID number.

Rules for Project Rooms:Do not prop open the Surge card door. Ever.•Keep track of your room key.•Keep your team room doors locked whenever the room is •empty.Keep your team room doors • unlocked during class time on Tuesdays and Thursdays.Do not cover up the windows on the room doors.•

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Do not mar or make holes in the walls, floor, ceiling, or •furniture.Make sure you know what furniture started in your room… •so you can return the room to its original configuration when the course is over.If you add appliances to the room (printers, coffee maker, •mini-fridge, etc.) be sure you are operating these items safely.Remember that clients and other College visitors may view •your room when you aren’t there… please maintain an or-derly and business-like workspace.Remember that other students, College staff, and guests may •be using spaces adjacent to your Project Room when you are there… please maintain an orderly, business-like, and reason-ably quiet environment.Remember: if you wouldn’t do it in ATLC 330, you shouldn’t •do it in the Project Rooms, either.

| caveat |The instructors reserve the right to modify or adjust the syllabus and/or course requirements at any time throughout the term. Appropriate notice will be given whenever possible.

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| deliverables | Organization and Branding of Final DeliverablesFor all milestone deliverables, unless otherwise specified in the mile-stone guidelines, the packaging/labeling of materials should include:

Team Name•Client Name•Milestones Number and/or Topic Name•Date•Version Number (if applicable)•Run Time (if applicable)•

All materials delivered to instructors and to clients should demonstrate professionalism and high levels of craftsmanship.

All items listed below should be prepared in duplicate: one set for the client; one set for instructors. Only one copy of the final client binder and disks is required for instructors; however, you should prepare four CDs (one for each instructor) that contain copies of all final print products and the final website.

Packaging of final deliverables may use one binder, multiple binders, or multiple separately-bound items. For any packaging approach your team implements, ensure that all materials can be easily understood and used by clients. Incorporate guides for interpreting and locating products, such as table of contents, list of product file names, “read me” files, etc.

Packaging of final deliverables should incorporate the Cincinnati State name and/or logo prominently. Remember that in the long term, your work is valuable promotional material for the College and the MID Department.

You may incorporate “credits” with team members’ names/roles whenever appropriate. Consider adding an “about this site” page to the website and/or incorporating team credits on the back of a DVD case. Consult with instructors for other appropriate uses of credits.

Final Deliverable 1: Client Guide to ProductsIn a binder or using other suitable packaging, provide documentation that will allow the client to:

review a list of all products the team is delivering (with illustra-•tions of these products whenever feasible).easily locate the files for each product included on CDs and/or •DVDs. The team must provide:

all files needed for professional production of each print •

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product (and, if applicable, alternative file formats for client use).all files needed to implement the website.•masters for all audio and video products (see Final Deliverable •4: Media Production Binder for additional information).

easily implement print production and/or website activation. •Instructional documentation and/or “read me” files must be incorporated when needed.view a copy of the PowerPoint or Keynote slides (or other presen-•tation media) used during the team’s final presentation.

Final Deliverable 2: Brand Standards ManualAccording to branding expert Tony Spath, brand identity is “the sum of all facts that can be used, in the minds of various audiences, to distinguish a given entity from all others.” A Brand Standards Manual is the record of decisions made concerning the way an organization’s “facts” are to be presented and used.

A Brand Standards Manual always provides all rules governing use of an organization’s visual identity system, and may provide rules for other elements of brand identity as well. A comprehensive Brand Standards Manual provides clear, easy-to-use information on how to present the organization’s brand in all media, including but not limited to print, Web, video, email and voice mail signatures, vehicles, signs, uniforms, and promotional “give-away” items.

Due with Milestone 5: Comprehensive outline of final Manual contents.Due with Milestone 6: Draft copy of Manual (at least 75% complete).Due with Milestone 7A: Draft copy of Manual (100% complete).

Final Deliverable 3: Production Cost Report (Print & Web media; other products if applicable): Provide for the client your recommendations for producing all deliverable products, along with associated costs. Use a consistent professional format for providing all production/implementation information and cost data. “Screen dumps” of Web pages are NOT professional documentation.

This report should include (as applicable):Samples of paper/cardstock for each print deliverable. Include •cost and full contact information for recommended vendors.Summary of recommended printing options for each deliv-•erable, in recommended quantities and at varying levels of production quality. Include cost and full contact information

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for recommended vendors.Web domain name registration and hosting information, •including cost and full contact information for recommended vendors.Costs and full contact information for recommended vendors •of items such as apparel, signs, promotional take-aways, etc.

Due with Milestone 5: Comprehensive outline of final report contents.Due with Milestone 6: Draft copy of report (99%).Due with Milestone 7-A: Draft copy of report (100%, including responses to instructor-requested revisions).

Final Deliverable 4: Media Production BinderThe Media Production Binder provides the historical record and legal documentation for all audio, video, and motion media products delivered to the client.

The Production Binder should include (for client and for instructors):Master and Duplicate disks containing files for all produced •products.Disk cases and disk labels, as needed, branded consistently •and at appropriate quality level for client’s needs.Final produced scripts. Scripts should provide an exact •transcript of the produced product, with complete information for actors, voice talent, music, etc.)Release forms and/or rights documentation for all talent, •locations, music, and still photography. (Originals in client binder; copies in instructor binder.)Resources, costs, and full contact information for deployment •of audio and video products (e.g., disk duplication, TV ad costs, etc.)

The Instructor binder should include the above, and:Copy platforms showing results of related research for each •product.Storyboards for produced products.•Renders or detailed comps/drawings of key graphic •treatments for produced products.Production log and schedule. •

Due with Milestone 5: See Milestone 5 guidelines.Due with Milestone 6: See Milestone 6 guidelines.Due with Milestone 7-A: 100% complete binder.

Final Deliverable 5: Web Usability Assessment ReportUsability testing of the client’s website is a team responsibility. The

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team must complete at least two of the usability assessment methods listed below, and must prepare a professional-quality report for the client that summarizes all learning and improvements made as a result of these assessments.

Only one report is required; not separate reports for each assessment method. This report should be comprehensive and should be written using language that will be meaningful and understandable to the client.

Option 1:Conduct Card Sort Exercises (with at least 10 participants who represent target audience(s)) to develop final navigation structure for site. Card sorts may be conducted with 2 to 5 participants at a time. Must be completed no later than Milestone 5.

Documentation of this step includes:a. List of card deck entries (30 to 100 cards).b. Participant recruitment plan, identifying desired demo-graphic/psychographic characteristics.c. Participant consent form and “pre-test survey” (to establish similarity of participants to target audience).d. Chart of results.e. Narrative assessment of results and how results were applied to site improvement.

Option 2:Conduct Prototype Testing (with at least 10 participants who represent target audience(s)) to assess look and feel and final top-level navigation structure for site.

Must be completed no later than Milestone 5.

Documentation of this step includes:a. Development of prototype pages (can be paper or screen based).b. Statement of test goals.c. Participant recruitment plan, identifying desired demo-graphic/ psychographic characteristics.d. Participant consent form and “pre-test survey” (to establish similarity of participants to target audience).e. Participant post-test survey (optional).f. Charts/graphs of results.g. Narrative assessment of results and how results were ap-plied to site improvement.

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Option 3:Conduct Formal Testing of working site (with at least 10 participants who represent target audience(s)) to assess look and feel, effectiveness of working navigation, and other specific goals determined by the team.

Must begin prior to Milestone 6 and must be completed no later than 48 hours before Milestone 7A.

Documentation of this step includes:a. Statement of test goals and measurement criteria.b. Participant recruitment plan, identifying desired demo-graphic/psychographic characteristics.c. Participant consent form and “pre-test survey” (to establish similarity of participants to target audience).d. Participant post-test survey.e. Charts/graphs of results.f. Narrative assessment of results and how results were applied to site improvement.

Due with Milestone 7A: 100% complete Usability Testing report.

Final Deliverable 6: Display Materials and Client “Take-Aways”: For Milestone 7-B, each team is expected to prepare a display •board containing (at minimum) one copy of each print deliverable and a high-quality screen print of the website homepage. Display boards used for the Final Presentation are to remain •with instructors, not given to clients.Any other materials requested on final CD by individual •instructors.

Deadlines for Final DeliverablesAll final deliverables are due to instructors during Milestone 7A presentation – Class Day 16 - _______________

All requested changes must be completed and archive materials (iden-tical copy of all materials to be delivered to clients) should be turned in to instructors 48 hours before Milestone 7B – Class Day 17. No exceptions and no extensions will be granted.

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| calendar |Week 1Class Day 1 - _______________

Course, participant, and client introductions•Milestone 1A: Establish team name and identity mark - due •no later than 9 pm via wiki posting.Milestone 1B0: Report on initial questions for client - due via •wiki posting by 6 pm tomorrowMilestone 1C: Team’s compiled questions for client – due via •wiki posting by noon Class Day 2 Read• Project Management pgs. 1-37Read • Presentations pgs. 1-37Begin preparations for Milestones 2 and 3•

Class Day 2 - _______________Client introductions and interviews (starting promptly at •3:00 pm, ATLC 330)Milestone 2: Client Meeting Report - due to instructors via •wiki posting no later than noon tomorrow (Friday). Due to Client (with prior instructor approval) via email no later than noon the following business day (Monday).

Week 2Class Day 3 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 1 due today at 1 pm•Team meetings and activities / Management review•Read • Project Management pgs. 38-69Read • Presentations pgs. 38-69

Class Day 4 - _______________Department meetings (students in the same major) / •Management review Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Week 3Class Day 5 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 2 due today at 1 pm •Present Milestone 3: Client Research and Insights •Presentation (formal presentation)

Class Day 6 - _______________Team meetings & activities / Management review •Exam on reading•

Week 4Class Day 7 - _______________

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Individual Journal and Activity Log 3 due today at 1 pm•Team meetings & activities / Management review •

Class Day 8 - _______________Present Milestone 4A to instructors: Design Plan for Client •(formal presentation)

Week 5Class Day 9 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 4 due today at 1 pm•Mgmt review/obtain signoff/permission to present to client•

Class Day 10 - _______________Present Milestone 4B Design Plan to client and obtain signoff •(formal presentation)Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Week 6Class Day 11 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 5 due today at 1 pm •Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Class Day 12 - _______________Present Milestone 5: Midterm (50%) Critique - 50% day for •all deliverables for a “C” (informal presentation)Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Week 7Class Day 13 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 6 due today at 1 pm •Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Class Day 14 - _______________Present Milestone 6: 75% Critique: working models of all •deliverables for a “C” (informal presentation)Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Week 8Class Day 15 - _______________

Individual Journal and Activity Log 7 due today at 1 pm •Team meetings & activities / Management review•

Class Day 16 - _______________Present Milestone 7A: Final Critique: 100% of deliverables •completed; usability tests completed (formal presentation)

Week 9Class Day 17 - _______________

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Individual Journal and Activity Log 8 due today at 1 pm•Team meetings & activities•

Class Day 18 - _______________Milestone 7B: Final Presentation: Formal presentation of all •deliverables to clients and instructors

Turn in Final Self/Peer/Course evaluations and Room Key

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| one |Title: Preparation for Initial Client MeetingDue Dates (Post on Team wiki within course Blackboard site):

Part a: No later than 9:00 p.m., Class Day One.•Part b: 6:00 p.m., Wednesday of Week 1•Part c: noon, Class Day Two.•

| a |Team Identity Using information generated today, select a team name and team logo/identity mark. Post the final selections on your team’s wiki site.

| b |Client Interview Questions (Individual): Prepare a prioritized list of at least 10 questions you want to ask your client.

Write substantive questions that will give your team a clear •and complete understanding of your client’s business needs, and will allow your team to make effective and efficient progress toward meeting those needs. Do NOT include question about potential deliverables, such •as “Do you want a website with a Flash intro?” or “Do you need new business cards?” Your questions should focus on gaining information about your client’s business needs and business challenges, as well as helping you determine your cli-ent’s design-related concerns and preferences.

Provide complete and accurate citations for all resources used. AT MINIMUM, a citation must include the author, the title, the publisher, and the publication date. In addition, for a web resource the citation must include the date the information was viewed.

Each member of the team must prepare his/her own list of questions, displaying the order in which questions will be asked.

Report Format:Assemble your questions in an MS Word document and post the document on the team wiki no later than 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the day after Class Day One. Follow file-naming guidelines discussed in the “communication” section of this manual.

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| c |Team Plan for Client Interview: Using face-to-face meeting, team wiki email, phone, or other means, prepare a well-organized plan for interviewing your client (on Class Day 2), including a prioritized list of at least 10 questions your team wants ask your client.

Prepare one professionally formatted MS Word document with the team interview plan and list of questions, displaying the order in which questions will be asked.

Include complete and accurate citations for any resources used.

Post the team interview plan and questions on the team wiki no later than noon on Thursday, Class Day 2.

Interviewing:As you prepare to interview your client, remember:

- You need to understand your client’s business/organizational goals- You need in-depth understanding of the audiences your client is trying to reach, and the messages your client is trying to convey- You need to understand your client’s competitive environment (evennon-profits have competition)- Don’t talk about technology implementation/production details at the first meeting.- Don’t speak in jargon!- During the first meeting, listen more than you talk.

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| two |Title: Client Meeting ReportDue Dates:

Draft due (to Management) - Post the draft Meeting Report •and cover memo on the team wiki by noon Friday, the day after Class Day 2.Final to be sent to client (after Management approval) no •later than noon Monday, the day before Class Day 3.

Milestone Objective: Send to course instructors and to the client a complete and coherent written summary of the client needs that have been identified so far. The summary should provide well organized “minutes of the meeting” for the client to review.

Deliverables: Deliverables should demonstrate professionalism in writing and formatting business correspondence.

You can view a sample client meeting report in the “samples” section of this manual.

Deliverables are:Cover memo – a brief email message telling the client the •Meeting Report is attached.Meeting Report MS Word file - which will be sent to your •client as an attachment to the cover memo. You may include other attachments if needed.

Meeting Report Suggested Contents: Thank the client for the work opportunity.

Briefly describe the client organization, including their purpose and audience(s) served.

Briefly summarize your team’s conclusions about your client’s business goals for the project. This should be a “big picture” conceptual statement that tells how the client will benefit from having the kinds of materials your team could provide. It should NOT be a list of the products your team might deliver.

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Briefly describe your team’s understanding of potential deliverables your client wants; that is, the products that your team might possibly deliver as part of this project. Include a brief statement of the purpose for each potential deliverable. If potential deliverables will be directed to different audiences, briefly describe the primary audience for each deliverable.

(NOTE: this list is NOT a promise of what you will provide—it’s a summary of what you could possibly provide, and why. Your team will be expected to engage in future creative brainstorming that will expand this list.)

If your client said he/she would provide information or resources, recap what these resources are, and when you expect them to be delivered to your team.

If necessary, add any other questions or concerns your team has developed that your client needs to clarify and/or provide more information about.

If applicable, briefly describe additional project-related research that your team expects to conduct.

In a professional manner, clearly state a suggested timeline for your client to deliver materials and/or respond to your team’s concerns.

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| three |Title: Client Research and Insights PresentationDue Date: Formal Presentation – Class Day 5, beginning at 3:00

Milestone Objectives:Show your team’s ability to conduct focused research and •“creative ideation” and persuasively present meaningful infor-mation and insights related to your client. Show your team’s ability to persuasively present team identity •materials that are creative, coherent, and thematically unified (i.e., “branded”).Show your individual ability to perform at top level.•“Wow us” with your creativity and level of commitment to •your client.

Milestone Tasks:As a team, prepare and deliver an effective and bold presentation (maximum 30 minutes). You will be speaking to all other Capstone students and instructors, in Rm ATLC 330. Your team’s presentation should include these elements:

Introduce your team members, display your team’s “identity •materials,” and explain the rationale for these materials. This presentation should take no more than 15% of the total time.

Team identity should include a name, a logo or logotype, •a tagline and/or mission statement. Identity should be displayed through business essen-•tials and presentation aids including a business card template that can be used by all team members, and a PowerPoint and/or Keynote template.

Introduce your client and explain your initial •insights about the client’s mission, audiences served, organizational needs that your team will address, and competitive challenges. Show evidence of extensive knowledge •gained through focused research efforts by all team members. This research should use all available sources of information (in addition to direct contact with the client) and should go well beyond merely viewing existing client materials. The research must be fully documented. As a result of the research, the team should demonstrate comprehensive understanding of:

your client’s product or service•your client’s mission•your client’s target audience(s)•

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your client’s operational and competitive environment •(recognizing that competition may include cultural and/or environmental attitudes toward the client’s product or service)

Use an “idea board” to show your research and your insights •about the client’s mission, audiences, needs, and challenges.

Milestone Deliverables:Prepare appropriate supporting materials and “leave-behinds” to enhance and assist audience understanding of your presentation. At minimum, prepare professionally-packaged printed and electronic (on CD and/or DVD) copies of team identity materials, and and appropriate summary of your team’s research related to the client’s mission, audience, needs, and challenges.

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| four |Title: Design Plan for ClientDue Dates:

Part a - Presentation to Management/Dress Rehearsal for Client •Presentation - Class Day 8 (sign off by Class Day 9)Part b - Presentation to Client - Class Day 10 (sign off by Class •Day 11)

Milestone Objectives: Demonstrate the team’s ability to deliver an effective, well-planned and well-executed “pitch” to your client. Your pitch (persuasive presentation) should convince the client that your team:

has thoroughly investigated your client’s needs•has a deep understanding of the client organization mission •and target audience(s)has the ability to deliver effective and appropriate materials •within the time available.

Provide for the client to review three to five complete visual identity systems (a.k.a. “branding plans”). For each branding plan, provide samples of a variety of specific deliverables.

Execute a well-organized presentation providing numerous •recommended deliverables for print, web, and other multimedia applications.Impress the client with your creativity, your commitment, •your professionalism, your enthusiasm, and your teamwork.Demonstrate the team’s ability to support the pitch •with appropriate professional-quality visual aids and documentation, including “take-aways” for the client. “Ask for the sale” by clarifying the choices/decisions to be •made by the client, and the timeframe for completing these decisions.

Presentation Format and Content:25 minutes per team. (Stay on time!)•All team members should speak.•

Locations:The “four-a” presentation will take place in ATLC 330 •(arranged with conference room seating) or in a conference room. All students will attend all presentations. Instructors will give immediate feedback.The “four-b” presentation will take place in a conference •room (ATLC 435 or 404), or in the team’s office. Each team will meet only with its client representative(s) and one or more instructors.

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A sample email invitation to the Client is in the “samples” •section of this manual.

Style & Content:A pitch is a well planned and thoroughly rehearsed persuasive business presentation, delivered in a conference room setting.

The presentation topics (and their order) will be determined •by the team.Give your client choices!•Select and use appropriate presentation media.•Be prepared to effectively answer questions asked by instruc-•tors and clients.

Deliverables for Client: Provide visuals to support client understanding and decision-making. Visuals may include, but are not limited to, such items as:

multimedia displays•CD of images and materials•storyboards, concept boards, or idea boards•

“Design Plan Proposal” document:This should be a professional document, formatted, packaged, and “branded” to represent the team and Cincinnati State. Be sure to include:

Team information (may use as document cover and/or title •page):

- Name- Logo/logotype- Tagline and/or mission statement

Client information: •- Organization name- Client representative(s) name & contact information- Brief description of organization mission and goals (in relation to this project).- Brief description of target audience(s) for proposed deliverables. (If some deliverables will target specific audiences, clarify as needed.) Research-based personas may be incorporated.

List (may include visuals) of all proposed visual identity •systems (a.k.a. “branding plans”) for client, with brief explanation or rationale for each.List of all recommended products to be delivered to client •(with explanation of purpose, if needed). NOTE: all listed products should be suitable for delivery no matter which branding plan is selected by the client.Client sign-off form (to be signed by client representative •and returned to instructors by the date listed on the course

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calendar). Sample forms are in the “samples” section of this manual.Well-organized and professionally-formatted list of citations •for all research conducted and resources used by the team (books, articles, websites, interviews, etc.). NOTE: A print-out of source materials is NOT the same as a bibliographic citation.

Comprehensive Deliverables for Instructors: Due with “four-a” and “four-b” presentations: CD containing •digital copies of all materials turned in and/or used in presentation. (One for each instructor)Due with “four-a” presentation: Draft of Design Plan •Proposal document. (One for each instructor; in a binder or folder, but final packaging for client not required.)Due with “four-b” presentation: One copy of Design Plan •Proposal, exactly as delivered to client.

Technical/Major-specific Deliverables for instructors:Note: all materials below are due with “four-a” presentation, format-ted as readable pages that easily fit into the Design Plan Proposal binder/folder, unless the instructor for your major requests a different format. When multiple team members contribute items, clearly iden-tify each individual’s contributions.

MS Word document containing all content already developed •and/or provided by client (for any deliverable), or description of anticipated content to be provided by client.If team is creating original content (for print and/or web •deliverable), description of planned content, and needed research or resources.Evidence of word associations, sketches, and professional-•quality roughs supporting final branding plans. Graphics Components List for all deliverables (logos, images, •illustrations, color swatches, motion graphics, etc.). Website final flow chart with complete site structure •description. Description of software/hardware restrictions & limitations •affecting website. Evidence of appropriate use of Web design standards and •guidelines from textbooks and/or sites including:

- Jakob Nielson (http://www.useit.com) - P. Lynch & S. Horton, Web Style Guide (http://www.webstyleguide.com)- Usability.gov (http://usability.gov/pdfs/guidelines.html)- WC3 guidelines for Web Content Accessibility. (http://w3c.org/WAI/Resources)

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Audio/Video/Multimedia information and work samples listed below (as applicable).

Production calendar•Initial shot list for consideration•Locations for consideration•Copy platforms for TV and radio 30s, 60s, and long-form videos•First-draft concepts/treatments for 2 or more radio and/or TV •spotsFirst-draft treatment and script outline for long-form•Rough storyboards for all treatments•Assessment of delivery requirements & option (web, DVD, VHS, •broadcast, etc.)Other deliverables based on client needs•

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| five |Title: 50% Day

Due Date: Conference room presentation – Class Day 12

Milestone Objectives: Present to the course instructors, in a conference room •setting, a well-organized “work-in-progress” report on all products you are working on for your client. Show evidence of significant and meaningful progress in •developing your client deliverables into professional-quality finished products.Persuade instructors that as a team and as individual •contributors, you are well on the way to accomplishing the work you have promised to complete for your client.

Presentation Format and Content:Maximum 25 minutes per team. Stick to the time limit, and •effectively manage the use of time.All team members should speak. Each team member may •discuss the work he/she is specifically responsible for, or the team can organize the presentation using some other structure.Instructors will meet with each team in your office (or •possibly in ATLC 435). Think about how best to display all work in progress (print, Web, and other media) in an organized and effective way. Show us what you’re doing for your client.•Tell us what you have done since the last Milestone that •advances your project toward effective completion.Briefly account for challenges encountered, but stay positive. •“Sell us” on what you have done so far, and tell us where you •are headed. Don’t attempt, to talk about every item listed below (you •won’t have time). However, items not discussed should be accounted for in your CD documentation.Be prepared to answer questions from instructors. •

All instructors will give immediate feedback to all teams.

If any item in these instructions needs clarification, send a message to all instructors. If you discuss items in face-to-face conversation with one instructor, please document the clarification.

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Deliverables: Provide a CD for each instructor that contains digital copies of all materials displayed or otherwise ready for instructor feedback, and all other materials listed below (as applicable).

Web site for client must be viewable online. (Provide link to all instructors.) Put site pages on CD as backup.

When necessary, provide materials as actual-size sample products and/or readable pages that easily fit into a binder/folder (unless the instructor for your major requests a different format). When multiple team members contribute items, clearly identify each indi-vidual’s contributions.

Specific components of deliverables are described below and in the “deliverables” section of this book.

Grading criteria for all deliverables:All products should demonstrate awareness of and attention to all criteria included in the “Grading” section of the course Syllabus.

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Audio/Video Milestone 5: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Finished script(s), or script reflecting client requests/changes.•Production log and schedule.•Still photography, including rights documentation. •Music search results.•Narration/voice-over selections and costs.•Renders or detailed comps/drawings of key graphic •treatments.Updated copy platform(s) with target market / demographic •information supporting your concepts.

Print and Motion Graphics Milestone 5: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Full color prints of all print deliverables (full scale when •appropriate). Matting is not required, but all examples should be high •quality.Final images should be in place, where available (placeholders •should be kept to a minimum).Greeked-in text should be used if final text is not completed. •

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Headline text should be finished, and in place.Relatively simple print deliverables such as business cards, •stationery, and envelopes should be nearing final form, with need for only minimal tweaking. These items should be printed in full color. Copies of the client’s logo should be printed in full color and •black-and-white versions, in various sizes, from largest size that will fit on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch page, to smallest allowable size, per your brand standards.

All Web and video graphics should be presented. While these items may not be completely finished, they should be at least 75% done, since AVP team members need to do things to them after GRD team members are done.

Updated plan for completing original text for print deliverables, including:

Approximate percentage of content completed.•Source of needed content (client or team-generated).•Timeline for obtaining/completing content.•

Comprehensive outline/table of contents for Brand Standards Manual (see “deliverables” guidelines).

Comprehensive outline/table of contents for Production Cost Report (see “deliverables” guidelines).

Web Milestone 5: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Complete site structure (all pages built), with working links, •and including all available final content or appropriately sized place-holders where final content is unavailable. Site assessment criteria will include:Necessary research completed and documented (Note: This •research may be included in previous team documentation, but most recent updates should be included with this mile-stone.)

- Promotional (product/service) or Informational research.- Competition analysis.- Target audience (complete demographics including those pertaining to Web).

Site goal.•Domain name registration (including cost). •Hosting information (including cost).•

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Complete site framework createdAesthetically successful site branded appropriately to other •deliverables.Template(s) for all pages created with appropriate tools.•Framework for all pages built with working navigation, •created with appropriate tools.Placeholders for all planned for content including greeked-in •text (lorem ipsum) where necessary.Updated plan for completing site content, including:•Approximate percentage of content completed.•Source of needed content (client or team-generated).•Timeline for obtaining/completing content. •

Layout/UsabilityConsistent and intuitive navigation.•Appropriate functional color palette.•Legible copy. •Fit home page in 800x600 window unless targeting specific •audience (770 x 440 viewable). Secondary pages should fit 800 width but may go below the fold.

Graphics and/or placeholdersAppropriate selection/use of tools. •Appropriate balance of quality vs. file size according to target •audience, using appropriate tools.Aesthetically successful integration with site and other •branded materials.

HTMLClean, formatted code created with appropriate tools.•Most up-to-date conventions used (e.g. alt tags, CSS, file- •naming, etc.).QA tested for bugs.•

Evidence of progress in usability assessment (see “deliverables” guide-lines).

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| six |Title: 75% DayDue Date: Conference room presentation – Class Day 14

Milestone Objectives: Present to the course instructors, in a conference room •setting, a well-organized “work-in-progress” report on all products you are working on for your client. Show evidence of significant and meaningful progress in •developing your client deliverables into professional-quality finished products.Persuade instructors that as a team and as individuals, you •are well on the way to accomplishing the work you have promised to complete for your client.

Presentation Format and Content:Maximum 25 minutes per team. Stick to the time limit, and •effectively manage the use of time.All team members should speak. Each team member may •discuss the work he/she is specifically responsible for, or the team can organize the presentation using some other structure.Instructors will meet with each team in your office (or •possibly in ATLC 435). Think about how best to display all work in progress (print, Web, and other media) in an organized and effective way. Tell us what you have done since the last Milestone that •advances your project toward effective completion.Briefly account for challenges encountered, but stay positive. •Show us and “sell us on” what you have done so far, and tell •us where you are headed. Don’t attempt, to talk about every item listed below (you •won’t have time). However, items not discussed should be accounted for in your CD documentation.Be prepared to answer questions from instructors. •

All instructors will give immediate feedback to all teams.

If any item in these instructions needs clarification, send a message to all instructors. If you discuss items in face-to-face conversation with one instructor, please document the clarification.

Deliverables: Provide a CD for each instructor that contains digital copies of all materials displayed or otherwise ready for instructor feedback, and all other materials listed below (as applicable).

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| milestones |

Web site for client must be viewable online. (Provide link to all instructors.) Put site pages on CD as backup.

When necessary, provide materials as actual-size sample products and/or readable pages that easily fit into a binder/folder (unless the instructor for your major requests a different format). When multiple team members contribute items, clearly identify each individual’s contributions.

Specific components of deliverables are described below and in the “deliverables” section of this book.

Grading criteria for all deliverables:All products should demonstrate awareness of and attention to all criteria included in the “Grading” section of the course Syllabus.

| specifics |

Audio/Video Milestone 6: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Prepare a polished rough cut, with narration and any other •necessary audio included (this includes music, natural sound breaks, sound effects, and interview sound). This piece should have almost all scripted elements included and should show editing style and pacing.All changes should be made to the script to reflect actual edit •or testimonial VTX (as needed).All graphic elements (Illustrator and Photoshop comps) and •all titles should be included in the rough cut. The rough cut should demonstrate editing finesse and •technique (using Avid, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and any other necessary software).Prepare a report that documents all remaining production •needs (and if necessary, update cost information to be provided to client). “Screen dumps” of Web pages are NOT acceptable as documentation for the client.If not already completed, define and document client needs •for format of final master tape of video work (e.g., VHS tape, CD, DVD, etc.)Video rough cuts should be output to discussed broadcast/ •non-broadcast standards. VHS and/or DVD should be delivered to D. Killen. If a compressed .mov file is used for your team presentation, it should be delivered to all instruc-tors on the team CDs.

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| milestones |

Print and Motion Graphics Milestone 6: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Full color prints of all print deliverables (full scale when •appropriate).Matting is not required, but all examples should be high •quality.Final images should be in place (No more placeholders.)•Final text should be in place, with only minor tweaking •necessary. For all text (client-provided or original), indicate plan for final editorial review and incorporation of editorial feedback.Relatively simple print •deliverables such as business cards, stationery, and envelopes should be in final form, with need for only minimal tweaking (if any). These items should be printed in full color, and, if possible, on samples of the various paper/envelope choices you are recommending to your client.Copies of the client’s logo should be printed in full color and •black-and-white version, in various sizes, from largest size that will fit on an 8 1/2 x 11 inch page, to smallest feasible size (size used on a business card). You may display the same materials used on 50% day if no changes were necessary.All Web and video graphics should be presented on screen. •These items should be completely finished. Draft of Brand Standards Manual, at 75% level (see “Deliv-•erables” guidelines).Draft of Production Cost Report, at 99% level (see “Delivera-•bles” guidelines).

Web Milestone 6: Present high-quality work samples and related documentation, including (as applicable):

Complete site structure (all pages built), with working links, •and including final content or placeholder content. Site as-sessment criteria will include:Necessary research completed and documented (incorporated •with team materials when applicable and update as needed). “Screen dumps” of web pages are NOT acceptable documen-tation for the client.Promotional (product/service) or Informational research.•Competition analysis.•

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| milestones |

Target audience (complete demographics including those •pertaining to Web).Site goal.•Domain name, registration, and cost.•Hosting information and cost.•Complete site framework created•

- Aesthetically successful site branded appropriately to other deliverables.- Template(s) for all pages created with appropriate tools.- Framework for all pages built with working navigation, created with appropriate tools.- All content for all pages must be complete (but may still be revised). For all text (client-provided or original), indicate plan for final editorial review and incorporation of editorial feedback.

Layout/UsabilityConsistent and intuitive navigation.•Appropriate functional color palette.•Legible copy.•Fit in 800x600 window unless targeting specific audience •(770 x 440 viewable). Secondary pages should fit 800 width but may go below the fold.

Graphics and VideoAppropriate balance of quality vs. file size according to target •audience, using appropriate tools.Aesthetically successful integration with site and other •branded materials.

HTMLClean, formatted code created with appropriate tools.•Most up-to-date conventions used (e.g. alt tags, CSS, file- •naming, etc.).QA tested for bugs.•

Evidence of progress in usability assessment (see “deliverables” guidelines).

Draft of Production Cost Report at 99% level (see “deliverables” guidelines).

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| milestones |

| seven |

Title: Final Project Presentations

Due Dates:Milestone 7A – Final Critique - Class Day 16Milestone 7B – Final Presentation - Class Day 18

The Final Project Presentation (Milestone 7B) requires effective dis-play and discussion of high-quality deliverables (print, Web, audio, video, and/or other multimedia products) to an audience of project clients, course instructors, and guests. The Final Project Presentation is a business event; appropriate attire and demeanor is expected. This Presentation will take place in the ATLC Auditorium.

The Final Critique (Milestone 7A) is a rehearsal for the Final Presen-tation, and will be conducted in the ATLC Auditorium.

It is assumed that some “tweaking” of deliverables may occur after the Final Critique, but products should be essentially completed (with the possible exception of some post-production of non-print deliverables).

All deliverables must be completed by Class Day 17, 48 hours prior to Milestone 7B. Failure to bring client materials to the required level of quality by Class Day 17 will result in failure.

The Auditorium will be available during some class time and at other times for additional rehearsal. Availability will be announced in class. Permission for additional use of the Auditorium must be requested via the Student Activities Office.

The media delivery system in the Auditorium is similar to the “smart podium” in room ATLC 330.

The order for the Final Presentations will be determined in consul-tation with clients, who are expected to attend the entire event. A reception for students, clients, and friends will take place immediately after the Final Presentation.

All team members will be graded on the following criteria:

Quality of Presentation in both Milestones 7A and 7BTeam uses time effectively (no more than 25 minutes for •team presentation; up to 10 additional minutes to respond to instructor and/or client questions/comments. (Instructors will

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| milestones |

not give oral feedback after the Final Presentations.)In a professional and persuasive manner, team explains why •the high-quality deliverables created for your client are the best possible solutions to your client’s needs that could be developed and produced in the allotted time frame. Team effectively displays and explains its accomplishments •and achievements to client, using appropriate media (PowerPoint, Keynote, Director, or Flash required). Team uses other display techniques (easel displays, individual handouts, etc.) as appropriate to enhance effectiveness of presentation. All team members are exceptionally well prepared to be •effective individual speakers and to assist in and contribute to the effectiveness of the team’s overall presentation. Team presentation displays effective integration of individual •accomplishments. You should look and sound like a team, not like a collection of individuals. Team is prepared to respond effectively and professionally to •client’s questions.

Quality of Deliverables to Client (applies to Milestones “seven-a”and “seven-b”)

All products should demonstrate thorough research-based •audience analysis and appropriate research-based audience targeting. All products should demonstrate appropriate application of •aesthetic choices and design principles. All products should demonstrate consistent branding and •“look and feel.” All products should demonstrate best efforts to create unique •and original products that effectively serve client’s needs.All products should demonstrate excellence in applying •professional standards for written and visual content.All products should demonstrate best efforts to respond to •feedback provided by instructors (including comments given in class, in conferences, during Milestone reviews, and in response to the course requirement to frequently and actively seek instructor feedback on work-in-progress).All products should demonstrate appropriate use of tools and •skills associated with the applicable major(s). As appropriate, products should include credits •acknowledging source materials and/or Cincinnati State College “authorship.” (Consult with your major-specific advisor for more information.)

Quality of DocumentationReview the “deliverables” section of this manual for •information on materials that should accompany Milestones

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| milestones |

“seven-a”and “seven-b” (for delivery to client and/or instructors).Note that all requested changes to deliverables must be •completed for instructor review no later than 48 hours prior to the Final Presentation.All documentation must be complete, accurate, and usable. •

In addition to team criteria above, students will be graded on the criteria applicable to their major and/or project responsibilities:

Audio/Video Production Script/Usability/Message Delivery

Visual message (video, audio, and graphics) follows the •wording of the finalized script and shots match the words.Products successfully communicate the agreed-upon message •and ideas requested by the client.

Creativity Video “look” and pacing is appropriate for the defined •message and target audience.Sequencing and visual storytelling is apparent to all viewers.•Shot flow and transition choices are consistent and do not •distract from the message.Coherent, unique, compelling images are used to describe/ •explain/sell the client’s service. Client was offered multiple options and was aware of all limitations.

Technicality Video meets all basic professional quality standards: Proper •focus, exposure, framing, blocking, composition, clean/intel-ligible audio, adequate lighting, glitch-free editing, effective compositing/layering, safe title and action zone elements and clean output for all delivery methods.Appropriate music selections.•Effective sound design including mix, narration and SFX. •Professional presentation of deliverables, including •coordination with other team members and elements.Clean, glitch-free output of all deliverables (VHS, DVD, •QuickTime, AVI, MPEG files and other delivery methods).

Graphic Design Layout/Usability

Easy to follow layout; visual hierarchy following focal points •and accents.Successfully provided a solution to the client’s problem.•Successfully implements basic design principles•

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| milestones |

Creativity Unique and original work, lack of clichés, or too-often-seen •solutions.Graphics are appropriate to the mood and feel of the piece.•The problem was approached from many angles before •completing client deliverable.

Technicality Correct use of file types, resolution, etc.•Professional, unified presentation of deliverables; demonstra-•tion of craftsmanship. Black matt board with clean cuts. Well-centered images, etc. Appropriate use of media to make pieces visible to entire audience.Client was skillfully assisted in understanding how each deliv-•erable enhances their brand and/or project goals.Brand Standards Manual is complete, accurate, and usable.•All text content in deliverables is mechanically, grammatically, •and syntactically correct.

Multimedia & Web Design Layout/Usability

Implementation of unique/original/creative design •solutions that best serve client’s needs while following instructors’guidance.Intuitive, consistent navigation that has passed UI testing and •instructor review Aesthetically formatted, target-audience-appropriate copy that •presents information clearly and logically. All text content in deliverables is mechanically, grammatically, •and syntactically correct. Appropriate use of Web design standards and guidelines from •textbooks and/or sites including:

- Jakob Nielson (www.useit.com)- P. Lynch & S. Horton, Web Style Guide (www.webstyleguide.com), - Usability.gov (www.usability.gov/pdfs/guidelines.html).

Designed “above the fold” wherever possible (limited •vertical scrolling, no horizontal scrolling when viewed at 800x600 resolution).Logos, key messages, and other primary focal points are •displayed prominently.Works across platforms and browsers (documentation of •testing required). IE and Netscape Navigator must be used for testing. Other browsers may be used if appropriate for the intended audience.Download time of 30 seconds or less over a standard dial-up •modem connecting at a minimum of 28.8 kbps. Exceptions may exist based on target audience.

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Site must adhere to WC3 guidelines for Web Content •Accessibility. Visit http://w3c.org/WAI/Resources for more information.

Code Appropriate use of tools.•QA-tested for bugs and formatting. •Clean, well-formatted code. •Alt tags and image names used for all images. •Correct and efficient use of CSS and other scripting •languages. Images must be preloaded.•

Files Appropriate file sizes (audience consideration when •determining quality vs. file size).Appropriately named and organized files (lowercase, no •spacing and/or characters, underscores, appropriately named folders, etc.).

Usability test report Report is complete (includes relevant test materials and test •results). Report clearly and fully explains information gained through •iterative testing.Report clarifies how information gained through testing has •been or should be used (as applicable) to improve products and/or to enhance client’s ability to meet desired goals.

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| samples |

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Sample Activity Log/Timesheetm | i | d Capstone Course

Date Description of Billable Work Hours Expenses3/4 Team meeting; discuss Milestone 3 deliverables 3.5 3/5 Team meeting – discuss brochure design and

contentWeb research – seeking ideas for designCreated 3 sample layouts for brochureSend samples to team and instructors via email

1.5

1.5

3.0

.253/6 Discuss sample layouts with Caudill & Hoctor

Team meeting; discuss Milestone 3 deliverablesRevise layoutsSend new layouts to team and instructors via email

1.0

2.02.0

.253/7 Team meeting; discuss Milestone 3 deliverables;

brainstorm additional ideas2.0

3/8 Revise brochure layoutsSend new layouts to team and instructors via emailPrint color copies of layouts

2.0.25.5

$10.00 – color printing at Kinko’s

3/9 Review e-mail feedback on layoutsRevise layoutsPrint color copies of revisions

0.5

2.00.25

3/10 Team meeting – review plans for presentation $6.00 – color printing at Kinko’s

TOTAL BILLABLE HOURS & EXPENSES 28 $16.00

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Sample Journalm | i | d Capstone Course

Name: __________________________ Week: 3/4/08 to 3/10/08

Team: __________________________ Client: __________________________

AARRGGHHH. Too much information is being thrown at me at one time. I am getting great advice, but it’s frustrating to get so much advice and to feel like I have to respond to all of it. I want the feedback and advice, but I can only fix one problem at a time. Plus, sometimes it’s not easy for me to ask for help if I think I can do a job better myself.

I can now see that I spent last week worrying about one thing when I really should have been focusing on something else. Last week, I didn’t feel like I had a clear sense of direction. Now I feel like I have momentum going, and after talking to instructors this week, I have a better understanding of what I need to concentrate on for the next Milestone.

I’m happy to say that our PowerPoint template for our presentations has been redone. This was a task I was responsible for last week that got a lot of criticism during the review process. Last week I didn’t pay a lot of attention to this task—I just picked out a standard PowerPoint template that had the same colors as our team logo, and filled it in with our team content. Then I found myself presenting to a bunch of people who (of course) thought it wasn’t good enough to use a standard PowerPoint template. Even I have to admit now that the template I picked was ugly, but I didn’t pay attention to that—it was the content that mattered to me. I should have consulted with others, or even asked someone else on the team to handle this. This week, I handed off the job to another designer, and I think what we will be showing this week will go over better. It’s more business-like and it’s a better match for the rest of our team identity.

We are going to meet early in the day before our next presentation (not waiting until 30 minutes before class, like last week) so I’m hoping this presentation goes more smoothly. I don’t think that’s asking for much because a presentation by trained monkeys would probably go more smoothly than our last one.

The biggest challenge in this past week was the sheer amount of work. Meetings are going more smoothly, though, and the group has been getting along just fine. I had some great ideas for the next Milestone and I’m eager to get feedback when we present.

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Sample email “cover memo” for Client Meeting Reportm | i | d Capstone Class

To: ClientEmailNameFrom: LiaisonEmailNameDate: April 22, 2007Subject: Cincinnati State Project Meeting ReportAttachment: MeetingReport_TeamName

Dear Ms. Client,

Thank you for meeting with us yesterday to discuss your project needs. Attached is a summary of our discussion. If you find any errors or if we left out any important information, please let me know.

You’ll see that our report includes some follow-up questions also. We hope you’ll be able to respond to these questions in the next few days.

We’re looking forward to working with you, and providing great solutions to your organization’s marketing and information needs.

Sincerely,

Liaison NameTeam NameLiaison Contact Info (email and phone)

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Sample Client Meeting Reportm | i | d Capstone Couse

Team Name Cincinnati State Technical and Community College ATLC 471/472 3520 Central Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45223 April 22, 2007

Ms. First Client, President Mr. Second Client, General ManagerClient Organization Name1111 Client Ave., Suite 111Cincinnati, Ohio 452xx

Dear Ms. Client and Mr. Client,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with us yesterday. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Client Organization, and we are eager to help you achieve your goals.

Following is a summary of key points from our meeting. Please let us know if you find any errors or misinterpre-tations in these notes.

Company BackgroundClient Organization is an electronics supplier for commercial businesses. You sell, install and service fire •alarm systems, security and access control systems, and CCTV and surveillance equipment. The majority of your clients are based in Cincinnati, although some of your work comes from other parts of •Ohio and Indiana. Eventually you would like to become licensed in Kentucky as well.Much of your business has been obtained through word-of-mouth referrals because of your excellent •reputation for honesty, reliability, and superior customer service. Your client contacts include a wide range of people within organizations, ranging from the company •president to the director of purchasing to the head of maintenance.

Company Marketing NeedsYou want us to create company identity materials and promotional materials that will help your company •become better known and gain more clients. You want a marketing package that will include a logo, slogan, print materials such as business cards, letterhead, and brochures, and total redesign of your current website. The new logo and slogan should represent a company that is quality-focused as well as dependable and •affordable. You want a slogan that is both memorable and unique. •The new look and feel conveyed by the logo and slogan should be used consistently on other materials. •Business cards, letterhead, and other printed materials should include your current email address and website •URL. You would like us to develop brochures to replace the printed handout you have used in the past. Since you •often work in partnership with electrical contractors, you are interested in having a brochure that could be

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mailed or handed out to this target audience. You are interested in eventually being able to sell products and services to customers through your website and •would like us to investigate and make recommendations about this option. You would also like to know how to make your site appear at the top of the search results when potential customers search for possible providers of your products and services.

Follow-up Steps and QuestionsYou liked our suggestion of using customer testimonials in your marketing materials, and Mr. Client said he •would gather testimonials from past customers. It would be very helpful if we could receive this information by May 5.After our meeting, our team came up with some additional questions that would help us better understand your •business:

When speaking with customers or potential customers, what types of questions do you receive? For example, •does a company president ask different questions than a purchasing manager or maintenance supervisor? If so, what are the different questions?What specific types of work have you done for each of your past or current clients?•Can you explain in more detail about your guarantees? Ms. Client referred to 1-year warrantees and 30-day •warrantees. Are those for equipment, service, or both? Is there anything unique about the warrantees or guarantees offered by your organization that is different from what your competitors would offer?

Please let us know this week what you think would be the best way to answer these questions: e-mail, a phone call, or another meeting. For now, you can reach us by email at (liaison email) or by phone at (liaison phone no.).

We would like to thank you again for giving us the opportunity to create a distinctive and memorable identity for Client Organization. We enjoyed meeting with both of you, and we look forward to a successful venture.

Sincerely,

Liaison name Team Name Liaison Contact Info (email and phone)

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Sample Client Sign-Off Form #1m | i | d Capstone Class

TEAM NAME/LOGO HERE

[Client organization name] hereby gives approval to Cincinnati State MID Capstone Project Team [team name] to produce the materials described below, as described in the Design Plan Proposal presented on (presentation date) and/or as modified according to comments below.

Deliverable Name/Description: Comments:(Add detail as needed to clarify specifications and parameters of each deliverable)Logo (Branding Theme #_) Tagline (Theme #)Business Card (Theme or Version #)Letterhead (Theme or Version #)Folder (Theme or Version #)Brochure (Theme or Version #)Long Form Video (Treatment #)PSA (Treatment #)etcetcetc

--------------------------------------------- Date __________________________Signature of Client representative

--------------------------------------------- Date __________________________Signature of Team representative

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Sample Client Sign-Off Form #2m | i | d Capstone Class

Client Response to Design Plan ProposalCincinnati State MID Capstone Project[Team Name & Logo]

Client Name: Client Representative: Design Plan Proposal Date: Project Completion Date:

Deliverables (checkmark indicates the option selected). Add comments as needed to clarify selected option.

ColorsGreen and Purple•Green and Beige•Green and Burgundy•

LogoDesign Concept 1 - Regal•Design Concept 2 - Modern•Design Concept 3 - Minimalist•

Website ThemeTheme 1 - Blue Buddies•Theme 2 - Peeking Puppy•Theme 3 - Best Friends•

Video – 8-minute video that will serve as a tool for soliciting financial support and recruiting volunteers. Treatment 1 - The Mission•Treatment 2 - The Journey•

Brochure(s)Design Concept 1 – 8 ½ x 11 tri-fold•Design Concept 2 – 8 ½ x 11 bi-fold•Design Concept 3 – “mini” brochure•Content Concept 1 – Informative: Services Provided•Content Concept 2 – Promotional: Recruit Volunteers•Content Concept 3 – Promotional: Solicit Donations•

Business Cards – Standard size using the selected logo.

Letterhead – 8 1/2 x 11 using the selected logo.

Envelopes – Standard business size, incorporating selected logo and letterhead design

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Poster(s)Concept 1 – Promote services offered [preferred size: ______________]Concept 2 – Promote special event [preferred size: ______________] Direct Mail Letter – 1 – 2 page letter addressed to past volunteers who have not been active recently. Purpose is to thank past volunteers for their efforts and ask them to help again.

News Release Template

Newsletter Template

Press KitNews release templateLetter from executive directorFolder

Client Comments

_______________________________________________________________________

Approved by: _________________________________ Date: _____________ (Client Representative)

Approved by: _________________________________ Date: _____________ (Team Representative)

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Client Invitation to Milestone 4 Presentationm | i | d Capstone Class

Dear [Client name],

We’d like to invite you to meet with us on the Cincinnati State campus on Thursday, May 15, between 3 and 6 p.m. We’ll be presenting our ideas for [organization name] identity and promotional and informational materials.

We’ll need about 45 minutes for the presentation, so if there’s a block of time between 3 and 6 that is better for you, please let us know as soon as possible. If meeting on May 15 presents a problem for you, please let us know.

We’re eager to show you the ideas we’ve been working on, and look forward to meeting with you next week.

Sincerely,

[liaison name], Liaison[team name]emailphone

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| forms |

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| keycard |

I acknowledge receiving one key to Project Rooms ____________ in the Advanced Technology and Learning Center.

I will:Return the key to a course instructor on the final day of class.•Ensure that the key is not used by anyone other than members of my Capstone Project •student team.Ensure that the key is not duplicated.•Follow all course guidelines as stated in the Syllabus and related instructions.•

I acknowledge that failure to meet the above conditions will result in a course grade of “F” and other possible sanctions described in the College’s Student Code of Conduct.

I further acknowledge that loss of this key will require me to pay a replacement fee of $100.00, as well as other possible sanctions.

Student Printed Name ___________________________________

Student Signature ______________________________________

Key issued by: _________________________________________

Date _______________________