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Give your project a job description
The key to a successful project is understanding it. Know the work you want it to accomplish and the goals you want it to achieve. As you answer the questions below, you will clarify the purpose and logistics of your project. That clear vision will keep the team on track as the publication or website evolves. Your PSB advisor will help you to explore any of these issues.
The Plan-Your-Project Guide
Goal
- What is the ultimate goal of the piece? To inform, educate, publicize, recruit, foster goodwill, increase attendance, solicit funds?
- How can this product work for you?
- What is the desired response? Do you want the reader to apply, send money, telephone, email, respond to a survey?
Content
- What are the key messages you'd like to convey? What do you want to tell the world through this piece?
- How should the information be organized to maximize the impact of those messages and achieve the goals you've outlined?
- Have you included contact information: name, phone, email, location, web address?
- Should you add dates or deadlines?
Audience
- Whom are you addressing? Whom do you wish to reach—the MIT community or an external audience? Students, faculty, alumni, staff, corporate partners, press?
- Keeping your audience in mind, what should be the tone of the publication? Friendly, formal, informational?
Format
- What is the most effective format for communicating your message? Brochure, postcard, folder with inserts, poster, newsletter, website?
- What are the most effective visuals for your project? Color photography, black-and-white images, illustrations, simple two-color graphics?
- What are the maintenance implications for your format?
Schedule
- Is the timeline you have in mind realistic in terms of staff commitment?
- When do the readers need your information?
- Have you planned enough time for meetings, developing and refining drafts, proofreading, printing, usability testing, programming?
- When and how often do you intend to publish? How long will your publication be current? When should it be updated?
- When is the best time to release this project?
Budget
- Have you budgeted for all of the necessary services? Have you taken into consideration costs for editorial, design, photography, printing, mailing, HTML coding, for example? How about maintenance costs for website updating?
- Are you prepared to generate a requisition for the cost of the project?
Roles
- Who will oversee the publication from your office?
- Who will be the project manager to keep track of the details and the schedule?
- Who will create the messages and provide content? Who will be responsible for writing, editing, proofreading, and supplying the final copy?
- Who are the key stakeholders? Who will have to sign off on this project?
- Are there other resources for you within MIT?
- Have you contacted a PSB advisor?
Delivery
- Where can you reach the audience for this project?
- Will you buy mailing lists? Order mailing lists on campus?
- Do you have permission to use the MIT nonprofit indicia?
- How and where is your publication being distributed? Campus mail? U.S. mail: first class or bulk rate? Online: on Athena or another web server?
- Are there other resources for you within MIT?
- Do you need to poster the Infinite Corridor or department offices?
Now you're ready to learn about the process of taking a project from start to finish.
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