STEPHANIE DO
ENGAGING A NEW CHARITABLE GENERATION THROUGH TAILORED USER EXPERIENCES
Growing up, service was always something I could participate in. I collected and organized canned goods for the winter food drive, entertained the elderly at nursing homes, and passed out sandwiches to the homeless in a park. My experiences while at the University of South Carolina have given me the skills and opportunity to shift from a participant to an agent of change. Thus, I found myself breaking from routines to create better ways of supporting missions, recording information, and communicating. These experiences have taught me the importance of creating content with the user in mind.
Nonprofits are mission-driven organizations operating on limited funds. Those who devote their career to nonprofit work are overworked due to budget constraints despite an increasing workload. I witness this same scenario while volunteering with Cocky’s Reading Express (CRE). Volunteers for CRE travel to Title I schools throughout South Carolina to read to children and express the importance of reading. Each child receives a free book and a sticker after promising Cocky to read each day. Donations made to CRE go towards the mission, leaving many tasks to be completed using typical software found on a college student’s laptop and ingenuity. Often, I was beckoned to help with issues in Excel spreadsheets such as one displayed in Figure 1. I noticed totals were added manually, and information was rekeyed on several lines. Seeing these spreadsheets encouraged me to leverage technology to allow individuals with varying skill levels to record, manage, and transfer information more efficiently.
Figure 1. Example of the spreadsheet used previously in CRE. All values were manual entered each time. Totals were calculated using a calculator and keyed in the spreadsheet.
My ITEC 265: Computer Applications in Business II course taught me to how to create databases using Microsoft Access. We were divided into groups to create a database for a fictional organization. Those moments with the Excel sheets encouraged me to push my group to design a database that allows CRE staff members to record and manage information through navigation menus. Specific fields in tables store and format information based on the selected data type. A criteria allowed a field to display items relevant to the expression keyed. Expressions were used to calculate and display the value in a field based on specified conditions, fields, and operators. Reports, such as work history and service event data, were generated based on fields selected.
A video featuring concepts and functions used in the ITEC 265 group project. I was responsible for the coding of the entire database. My group members applied the color scheme and images to reflect CRE branding.
I applied these concepts from ITEC 265 to the Excel spreadsheet in Figure 2. Several fields with specific datatypes, such as dates and currency, were formatted for consistency. Shaded cells populated based on a criterion to discourage extraneous information. Totals for specified columns were calculated using formulas inspired by expressions learned in class. Pivot tables created report-like documents with selected information organized by dates or schools. These changes to the CRE budget spreadsheet made it more intuitive and easier for anyone to understand. Automation using formulas and formatting rules left less room for user error. Users, regardless of technical background, can record and share trip information quickly using this spreadsheet. In fact, this document has been used to manage trips related to two grants.
Figure 2. Image of current Excel spreadsheet being used to manage corporate donations with numbers and names changed to maintain privacy. Click on the image to download a copy of the of the budget sheet.
Tailored content creation is not limited to internal use. Over the years, I noticed a growing number of student organizations and nonprofits forming at the university and in Columbia. All these organizations compete for finite resources such as labor, membership, and donations. First impressions make a difference, especially when competitors are vying for support. In this era, representation on the internet is necessary to compete for such resources. Thus, websites should appear to satisfy the information needs of all potential users to gain and maintain support.
I practiced creating websites for organizations in SLIS 480: HTML, CSS, and Responsive Web Design and ITEC 362: Web-Based Support Systems. Responsive web design utilizes Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to automatically adjust the website to display properly on desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. I applied these concepts in class projects for the Information Science Student Association (ISSA). You can view one of the websites here.*
As president of the student-ran nonprofit, Carolina Rotaract, I was tasked with recruiting new members to help sustain the organization’s service projects. Previously, Garnet Gate or the group’s Facebook page connected Carolina Rotaract to members and the community. These platforms limited the type and amount of information anyone can access, and designs were limited to what these platforms allowed. The web design concepts from SLIS 480 and ITEC 362 aided in the creation of CarolinaRotaract.org. This new website includes content to inform nonmembers quickly and easily. It also includes resources to empower members. Online access via mobile devices is essential to inform and promote the organization in this era. Thus, the mobile version of this site designed for ease of use. Many students told me the design of the site compelled them to visit or join Rotaract, despite the plethora of organizations available.
As you may have noticed on the two example websites, how we convey a message affects the outcome. The design of the ISSA website may compel fewer people to act than the Carolina Rotaract website. The vehicle of the message is just as important as the design of the message content. There are no magic formulas to encourage all types of people to respond in the same manner. Therefore, message design logic and aesthetic design should be tailored to specific audiences and situations to encourage action.
SLIS 420: Communication and Information Transfer taught three different message design logics. Expressive messages are worded as what is on a person’s mind. It is sender focused and concerned with self-expression. Thus, it neglects the receiver and may invoke a negative reaction. An example of an expressive message is telling someone to “stop standing around and pass the books.” The second type of message design is conventional. These messages are tailored according to social and conventional norms, approaching communication as a cooperative rules-based game. I encourage CRE volunteers to work more efficiently through a conventional message such as, “would you please pass the materials quickly so the students may return to class.” A rhetorical design utilizes negotiation to redefine the situation. I first realized the power of expressive messages when an event director criticized Carolina Rotaract for not replacing bags quickly and telling us to get out there and work. He spoke frankly and offensively without considering the fact we volunteered despite the lack of supplies. His explicate message has resulted in a hesitancy for the organization to volunteer in the future. Rotaract may have returned the following year if he has worded his request differently, to motivate student volunteers, by either compromising or turning the challenge into a game.
At first, it was challenging to create something new due to my lack of artistic ability. Through my MART 210: Digital Media Arts class, I developed technical skills to help organizations convey messages. Even more, I learned to use existing media to create my message. Practice creating mood boards with Adobe Photoshop taught me how to use the magic wand tool to copy existing content and apply it to a new design. Layers allowed me to incorporate many elements to form a complete graphic. I learned the art of arranging written text to improve effectiveness. The typography lesson stressed the value of readability so the audience can easily read the text. Tracking, also known as letter-spacing, can affect readability by changing the spacing between letters to be uniform, tighter, looser. Establishing a hierarchy can guide readers to different sections of text by using different levels of emphasis. For example, a person may be compelled to read the capitalized and bolded title, followed by the smaller, bolded subtitle. These skills and concepts were used to change CRE’s communications from typed Microsoft Word documents, such as the depicted in Figure 3, to the compelling graphics similar to Figure 4. The magic wand allowed me to use free clip art graphics to create a bookshelf design. The use of hierarchy emphasizes the date and location of the event, and tracking allows for the Cocky’s Reading Express title to fit within designated space.
Figure 3. A copy of the original family literacy night flyer.
Figure 4. New literacy night flyers incorporating concepts learned from MART 210.
The community service pathway allowed me to apply concepts and skills from several courses to create tailored content that helped several nonprofits achieve their mission. The new budget sheets enable staff members to record spending accurately and present it more elegantly to encourage continued support from donors. Carolina Rotaract’s website connects visitors to the organization and members to resources housed in the members' section, thus enabling the organization to encourage collaboration and participation. Lessons from my graphic designs for CRE trip dates have promoted, and potentially recruited, volunteers.
I hope to continue to support CRE as a potential graduate student by creating even more content, such as annotated web pages and interactive infographics. In the future, I intend to continue service work by helping nonprofits tailor their work process to improve productivity and by constructing messages that appeal to their audience. Hopefully, this knowledge may also allow me to stand above my peers when I create content in my career.
ADDITIONAL ARTIFACTS
PROGRESSION OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
FROM MART 210 TO COCKY'S READING EXPRESS
Photoshop concepts were first applied to create a mood board for MART 210.
Graphic designed to show statistics related to trips funded by the SCE&G grant
This is a continuation of the concert themed trip list. This design was inspired by Muse's 2018-2019 tour posters.
General graphic with statistics related to all Cocky's Reading Express trips.
I was asked to create Word document with trip dates listed. Instead, I designed a graphic based on concert flyers found around campus.
*I worked on the ISSA website with a partner. She wrote the descriptions found on the homepage, Leadership, Opportunities, and Campus Resource pages. She also created the contact form. I wrote the remaining code, including the layout, menu, top of page button, tables, links, and responsive design changes.