Cork-Board.Me

Evie Liao

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Table o f Co nt ent s

Contents

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

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Foreword

09

01

The Issue

10

02 03

Background Research

The Project

32

A. Market Analysis B. Target Audience C. Visual Inspirations

The Solution Final Deliverables

80

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Table o f Co nt ent s

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

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FOREWORD After a traditional four-year university for my undergraduate studies, art school has been quite a change. Instead of taking classes from other departments, most of the classes are restricted according to one’s major. In a way, it feels like high school again where you meet and interact with the same group of people from enrollment to graduation. It is an amazing experience being in the same environment, knowing your classmates all speak the same artistic language. However, meeting new friends from other department is hard.

Years of studying in the graphic design department have made me realize one important thing—that design is always evolving. As a designer, we constantly need to learn new skills to keep up with the current design trends. A lot of the time, those skills are mostly self-learned outside of class curriculums. This impression hit me the hardest during my senior year portfolio class where we were asked to be multi-disciplinary designers in order to show our best works.

I realized that swapping creative skills is a promising idea that can benefit a lot of art students.

Unlike traditional colleges, art school provides an ideal environment for up-and-coming artists to meet and collaborate on projects together. Bartering skills and collaborative projects help create more creative artwork and help strengthen campus community bonding among creative peers.

As a result, for my thesis project, I hope to use my graphic design skills to create a campus skill-swapping network designed for AAU students as a pilot program for other art schools.

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Chap t er O ne

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Ba c kg roun d Re se a rc h

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

CHAPTER ONE The Issue

Background Research

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Chap t er O ne

Ba c kg roun d Re se a rc h

IT STARTS With a Bartering System

B a r路 t er [noun]

Bartering is an old method of exchange. It is an evolving system that has

the act of exchanging goods or services without using money

been used for centuries. People exchanged services and goods for other services and goods in return. Before money was invented, bartering was a common medium for people to acquire tradable commodities. Due to a lack

B a r路 t er [verb]

of money, bartering was especially popular during the Great Depression. It

to exchange in trade, as one commodity for another; trade

allowed people to get goods and clothing when they needed to and they were allowed to create accounts with businesses.

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

According to the Association of Advertising Agencies, eight out of ten corporations engage in bartering.

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Ba c kg roun d Re se a rc h

IT EVOLVES To Reinvent Sharing through Technology

Below are two Industrial Barter Groups in the United States

In t ern a t i onal Re c i p r oc al Tra d e A s s o c i at i on

Today, bartering has made a new comeback through the use of technology.

As the internet prospers, bartering grew from local to global. With the presence of an online marketplace, the value of trade items can now be easily negotiated by both the offerer and the seeker. Rather than being limited to one-on-one trading, modern bartering networks open up possibilities to trade with more than one business. It resolves the problems and disadvantages of

Na t io n al A s s oc i at i on o f Tra d e E xc h ange

traditional barter setups and makes it more accessible to everyone.

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Chap t er O ne

Ba c kg roun d Re se a rc h

LOOKING BACK A Walk-through of Bartering in History

Bartering was first introduced

In the Middle Ages, Europeans

On March 10, the United

by Mesopotamian tribes and

traveled around the globe to

States’ first paper money was

was adopted by Phoenicians.

barter crafts in exchange for

issued. The denominations

silks and perfumes.

were $5, $10, and $20.

1 6 00 0 BC

1 89 4– 62 0 B C

1301–1500

15 0 0–16 0 0

186 2

Babylonians developed an

During the colonial period,

improved bartering system.

European immigrants exchanged

Goods were exchanged for

musket balls, deer skins, and

food, weapons, and spices.

wheat with the Indians.

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During the Great Depression

The advance of the internet

It is estimated that over

in the 1930s, the barter system

helped the growth of bartering

450,000 businesses in the

was especially famous as a way

and further encouraged barter

United States were involved

of obtaining daily commodities.

entrepreneurs to start their

in barter exchange activities

own businesses.

2 1930

3 1940

199 0

20 0 8

Local barter exchange prospered

According to the International

and small businesses bartered

Reciprocal Trade Association,

with each other to create more

more than 450,000 businesses

business opportunities.

transacted $10 billion globally.

20 10

1

Commodities Exchange

> 19 3 0

2

Most Famous Period

19 0 0 - 20 0 5

3

Rise of the internet

< 20 0 5

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

He who wants to barter, usually knows what is best for him. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; African Proverb

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Trust

I need â&#x20AC;Ś Seeker

HOW DOES A MODERN BARTER NETWORK WORK? Online platforms make swapping more accessible.

The barter system works quite simply. One person has something of some value, like a skill or an object, but needs something else. They find someone who has it and offer an approximately equal trade. If the two parties can come to terms, they can both get what they need without transferring money. The advances of the internet allow people to barter anything with people around the world. This flow chart demonstrates how swap works, where both parties in the exchange benefit.

Trade Dollars

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Goods

Services

Negotiation

Online Marketplace

Offerer I have â&#x20AC;Ś

Goods

Services

Barter Matching

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SHARING REINVENTED The Rise of Collaborative Consumerism Collaborative consumerism is a movement in which participants share access to products or services, rather than individual ownership. It is a new socio-economic model that changes the way people consume. Collective sharing creates values out of the shared resources and opens new ways to balance personal interests with the good of the community.

1

2

4

3

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belief in community

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1. A renewed belief in the importance of community Traditionally, “community” is defined as a geographically circumscribed entity. Nowadays, virtual communities are widely dispersed through the globe and such communities emerge based on trust and shared interests.

peer-to-peer social networks

2. A torrent of peer-to-peer social networks and real-time technologies The advance of technology enables a quicker and easier way for people to communicate.

Various social networking sites offer accountable platforms for people to meet, interact, and participate on popular subjects.

environmental concerns

3. Pressing unresolved environmental concerns The idea of a commonly-shared earth provides a new venue for addressing public concerns on environmental issues. It advocates the idea of reusing common goods in an effort to preserve our precious land.

4. A global recession fundamentally shocked consumer behaviors

global recession

Despite the recession ending in 2009, budgeting is still on the menu for a lot of consumers.

Results from Information Resources, Inc.’s (IRI) Q2 2013 MarketPulse™ survey indicate that consumers have settled into the “new normal” of conservative purchasing behaviors and attitudes. They are now learning to live without expensive products.

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Miscellaneous

Skills

MEET A COMMUNITY OF COLLABORATIVE PIONEERS Businesses of Consumerism Because the shade of economic recession still remains, consumers today search for alternative consumption models that emphasize usefulness over ownership, community over selfishness, and sustainability over novelty. A number of new businesses have emerged to serve this new market, exploiting the internet to generate networks of shared interests. Their missions are to simplify the logistics of collective use.

Books Writing

Health Fitness

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Clothing Accessories Gifts

Arts Crafts

Kids

Co-ops General Community

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5% <1%

Trade both goods and services

43% 25% Allow local trade

Less than 50 search results

Not working

<1%

Trade both goods and services

The above data are based on 20 existing online bartering websites.

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CURRENT BARTER NETWORKS DESIGNED FOR ART/DESIGN Art is like a drop in the ocean of the barter population.

Despite a huge popularity of bartering networks and collaborative-consumer platforms, the bartering market remains limited to art and design. In a survey of 20 existing bartering websites, less than 5% are art and design related. In seeing this dilemma, a small number of artist-founded communities have aimed to help the art community by offering swapping platforms for creatives to meet, interact, or even collaborate on projects. Below are some existing examples of online swapping networks created for art- and design-related subjects.

OurGoods is a bartering network for independent artists in New York city. On OurGoods, an artist can discover all of the resources he or she needs to complete his project outside of the cash economy. OurGoods aims to increase networking among artists.

Trade School is a branch of the OurGood bartering community.

Trade School starts with the idea of â&#x20AC;&#x153;bartering for instruction.â&#x20AC;? It started with a storefront in the lower east side of New York, offering courses on various subjects. In exchange for instruction, teachers received bartered items as their pay.

ArtBarter is a platform for free exchanges between artists and the public. First launched in 2009, the network re-examines current systems of exchange, encouraging the trade of art for goods and services rather than money. Periodically, ArtBarter hosts bartering events around the major cites of the globe to encourage collaboration between the artists and to provide a venue for the public to see and trade their artwork.

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Re se a rc h

The Early St age

NEED

SKILLS

CHANNEL

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WHY DO ART STUDENTS NEED BARTERING? Most students have little financial support

Bartering + Art Students = Win Win A student-based bartering network can function just as well as any other existing bartering community. It embodies two key aspects for a successful swapping network: groups of highly motivated individuals who need resources and a platform to act as a facilitator that runs on an honor system. This would be really helpful for art schools where students from different disciplines can share their skills in a mutual, respectful community. Creating a school-based

The desirable resources for students often overlap

Currently, there has not been a bartering network solely designed for art students

bartering network model enables other art schools to apply the same model to their own systems. I believe a student-based, skill-swapping network has a great deal of potential.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

A barter network is most successful when a group of individuals who all need the same resources are gathered together to share them, and students are one of them.

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Th e P roje c t

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CHAPTER TWO The Project

A. Market Analysis B. Target Audience C. Visual Inspiration

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

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RESEARCH In early stage of the research process, I planned to examine and explore as much as I could in order to find some key insights that are beneficial for this project.

The purpose of the research was to find out more about the topic and its related issues. In order to give a more comprehensive study of the project, I divided the research into three focus areas: Market, Audience, and Visual Research. Each area provided insights into better understanding the background of the project. Meanwhile, I also worked on idea development and visual research. Eventually, I hope to use my observations and findings to establish the infrastructure for this thesis project.

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Who are my competitors?

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MARKET ANALYSIS IIn order to create an accessible and user-friendly platform that will help art students swap, I also studied current bartering networks and collaborative consumerism platforms.

The aim is to see how those networks function and find insights for my own project inspiration.

A Overview of Current Businesses

Share

Trust

People

A huge amount of attention has been put on sharing and collaboration. Platforms that are constructed for the wisdom of the crowds become far more important than the heroes we currently worship. As social interacting skills change, we are developing a new social intelligence of changing thought patterns and subsequent behaviors. A new form of trust-based rating system is emerging and will become more important in the new economy.

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Online Observations In order to gain better knowledge and understanding of how a bartering network operates, I decided to sign up for a wide variety of bartering networks for experiment.

In searching for bartering websites that have similar natures to my project, I discovered a number of interesting sites which I have never heard of. Trying out different swapping platforms was fun. At the same time, I also studied how these websites are designed, how they attract peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, what language they use, and most importantly, what their selling pointswere. This experience provided me with a great deal of insights.

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Th e P roje c t

CO-OPS AND COMMUNITIES

TaskRabbit is an online and mobile marketplace that connects neighbors to get things done. Fully vetted, entrepreneuriallyminded professionals contribute their time and skills to help busy people find extra time to do the things they love.

KickStarter is an independent company that helps bring creative projects to life. They believe their community helps make for a better world by helping support new projects. Building a community of backers around an idea is an amazing way to make something new.

Poshmark is a mobile marketplace for women to buy and sell clothes from their closets with each other. More than just a platform for shopping, it aims to create a community where users can share their love for fashion.

Based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world. With a growing community of users, Airbnb created a way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

MakeupAlley was launched by a group of beauty consumers to connect over beauty products or read and write beauty reviews. It was designed to provide information on the latest prestigious beauty products, and share advice amongst members of the site.

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Zipcar is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest car sharing and car club service. It provides an alternative to traditional car rentals or ownership.

Zipcar supports a member-driven user experience with its team of hands-on car sharing enthusiasts.

Founded in Texas, Crowdtilt is a new way for people to pool funds for activities and causes. Over 200,000 groups have raised funds for their causes. This crowdsourcing company advocates doing things together as a group.

One of the many services popping up that helps busy Airbnb hosts is Homejoy which connects home owners with certified professional home cleaners in their area. Homejoy is now based in San Francisco, CA, and serves over 30 markets in the United States and Canada.

First in the pet-sharing venue, DogVacay connects pet owners with trusted and insured pet sitters across America. There are over 10,999 pet sitters in their network available to contact. It is a community where dog lovers can link with one another.

Launching off the back of the enterprise carpooling platform Zimride in 2012, Lyft connects passengers with background-checked local drivers. Lyft is now available for rides originating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle , Chicago, Boston, San Diego, etc.

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ART AND DESIGN

OurGoods is an online bartering network for independent artists i n N e w Yo r k C i t y . O n O u r G o o d s , a r t i s t s c a n f i n d a l l o f t h e resources they need to complete their projects. OurGoods aims to increases networking and collaboration among artists.

ArtBarter is a platform for free exchange between artists and the public. Launched in 2009, the network re-examines current system of exchange, encouraging the trade of art for goods and services rather than money.

Etsy is a marketplace where people around the world connect to buy and sell unique goods. Our mission is to re-imagine commerce in ways that build a more fulfilling and lasting world. The goods on Etsy range from handmade, vintage items to craft supplies.

Launched in 2008 by Roth Eisenberg, CreativeMorning is as an ongoing, accessible event for New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative community. The concept is simple: breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning once a month. Every event is free of charge and open to anyone.

Darby Smart is a DIY site that offers crafting kits with materials and instructions. At Darby Smart, leading designers launch simple DIY projects based on the latest fashion and home trends. It promotes the idea of creating a unique personal style instead of buying one.

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SKILLS

Skillshare is a community where you can learn anything from anyone. People offer classes to others based on any type of skill, from baking cupcakes to raising startup capital. Its mission is to make education accessible to every single person.

Treehouse is an online school that brings affordable technology education to people everywhere. Treehouse uses short videos, quizzes and badges to help subscribers learn various topics like web design, development and iOS development.

EDUCATION AND STUDENTS

Trade School is a sub-branch of OurGoods’ bartering community. It starts with the idea of “bartering for instruction.” It began with a storefront in the lower east side of New York, offering courses on various subjects. Teachers received bartered items for pay.

First launched at Iowa State University in 2005, Chegg is an online textbook rental company. It offers its services to more than 6,400 universities and community colleges across the country. Chegg lets students rent as many textbooks as they like.

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NETWORK ANALYSIS High Project Position

Skill Level Low

Community Sharing

High

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IIn order to find a brand positioning for my thesis project, I compared a list of art-, design- and skill-related networks.

I found that most of the platforms fell between medium to high skill levels and community sharing.

After looking through and examining the existing bartering networks, I believe that there is a huge potential for creating a platform for art students. A lot of art projects require highly trained artistic skills, and acquiring such skills is very important during up-and- coming artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; early years. Despite the prevalence of the internet, the local art community is still restricted by geographic boundaries. As a result, creating a community-driven, efficient platform that promotes skill sharing is especially crucial.

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02

Who does it speak to?

Th e P roje c t

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TARGET AUDIENCE Since the goal is to create a pilot program using the Academy of Art University as an example, my target audience will be focused on visual communication students (Graphic design, Photography, Illustration and New Media). I chose these four majors for their similarity and the high possibility that their skill sets will overlap.

The Academy of Artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Student Community

Students

Swap

Skills

As a graphic design student, I have noticed that there are a lot of inter-department channels where students can speak up or ask for help. There are departmental yahoo groups and websites which showcases previous studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; works and real-time design topics. Because social networks have become popular communication tools, departmental Facebook groups also let students find other places to connect with fellow students and instructors. Despite the many resources, it is hard to find a comprehensive place to look for information. It is even harder if you are trying to reach out to another department with a different system.

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Questionnaire In order to better understand my target audience, I designed several versions of surveys which focus on both the target audiences themselves and their ideal bartering networks.

Though my first round of surveys was conducted online, I wound up surveying most of my audience in person. This allowed me to discover useful information and enabled me to learn new facts about students from other majors. Most importantly, I had the chance to look into all of the different majors. I was able to see how students completed their projects and what skills they needed to do so.

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Phrase one survey

Phrase one survey

What aspect of barter you dislike the most?

What is your major?

Response

Response

Do not know where to barter

27.3%

18

Graphic Design

Hard to find desirable items

27.3%

18

Photography

Items are used, not brand new

12.1%

8

Fine Arts

18.2%

12

15.2%

10

Percent

Cost time / also hard to find barter

partner

All of the above

Phrase one survey

Count

11

answered question

66

skipped question

9

How do you picture the site to be organized? (Number your priority)

According to your Major

By Item/ Skills

By Buy / Sell / Barter

2

3

4

5

6

Fashion merchandising

14.3%

6.3%

4.8%

6.3%

37.9%

28.8%

7.6%

3.0%

3.0%

(25)

(19)

19.7%

18.8%

20.3%

(12)

3.3% (2)

9.7% (6)

4.9% (3)

(9)

(13)

(4)

(5)

(3)

(2)

(13)

12.5% (8)

25.0%

2.18

3.23

(6)

(6)

(14)

(12)

(24)

17.7%

21.0%

16.1%

27.4%

8.1%

11.5%

1 of 1 (7)

21.3%

(10)

18.0%

(5)

(17)

Acting to see? (Please number your priorit

4.73

60

Industrial design

Interior Architecture and design

1

3.58 2

3 62

Music production and sound

23.0% 52.2%

21.3%

64

Multimedia Communications

(2)

(13)

66

Advertising Printmaking

What10.0% features would you40.0% like 3.3% 23.3% 20.0%

(11)

63 Illustration

Animations and Visual Effects

9.4%

(9)

(16)

2.16

(2)

14.1%

Count

Painting and drawing

(4)

Phrase one survey

Response

Average

(11)

Phrase one survey

Phrase (11) oneRating survey system (13) (13)

(14) (35)

Design for visual media

7.5%

4.08

(5)

answered question

11.9% 61

(8) 75

Would you prefer to barter online 6.5% or in person?

Why?8.1% 8.1%

Bookmark listing

skipped(4) question(5)

What method of transaction do you prefer?

Response Percent

+ cash to item/skills

Game design

Rating

17.5%

By medium

Combination of trade item/skills

Fashion design

(32)

By price

Exchange item/skills to cash

Motion pictures and televisions

50.8%

By seller

Trade item/skills to item/skills

Sculpture Web design and New Media

Other (please specify)

1

Architecture

14.9%

Online Wish-list

Response Count

In person 11

On/off switch for active and non10.8% 74.3%

8

active user

(13)

24.2%

6.1%

(16)

(4)

6.5%

9.7%

6.5%

18.5%

12.3%

18.5%

(4)

(6)

(4)

55

View listing in gallery and listing answered question

19.7%

(5) 0

74

mode

(12)

(8)

(12)

4

5

6

4.5%

13.4%

4.5%

21.0%

17.7%

9.7%

(3)

(13)

(3)

(9) 1 of 2

(11)

Response

9.1% (6)

Percent

13.6% (9)

(6)

Re

C

12.1

62.2% 51.4%

(8)

4.8% 9.7% Other (please specify)14.5 (3)

(9)

(6)

answered question

21.5% (14)

6.2%

13.8

skipped question

(4)

(9)

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56%

75%

56% of the art students preferred to pay through Paylpal as their first monetary choice.

75% of the students wanted see a platform that combined money and swap transactions.

40% of the art students were most interested in

40%

sharing skills across the different majors over other factors like saving money, building connections, and reducing search times.

62%

85%

52%

62% of the students preferred to swap online.

85% of the students thought the network should be organized according to majors.

52% of the students wanted to see a design rating system used in the platform.

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What should it feel like?t

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VISUAL INSPIRATIONS The aesthetics of the overall design not only have to speak to the audience, but also have to be self-explanatory in the given context. Since the target audience is focused on four majors, I will look into a color coding system for reference.

Artistic Aesthetics

Graphics

Major

Color

Visual research truly thelps me find the direction of my design scheme. To reflect the artistic environment, I will use a vivid color palette to represent the spirit of creative students. Also, a systematic, visual design will be applied to clarify and create a hierarchy for the bartering information. Since the core of this project takes place on campus, the imagery style should have to emulate the atmosphere of workshops, classroom and students.

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What should it look like?

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PRELIMINARY DEVELOPMENT Both the initial conception as well as the visual exploration provide perspective solutions that help me easily denfine the context of this thesis project.

Idea Formation

Students

Channel

Swap

After gathering all my findings and insights, I realized that developing a marketplace where students can swap online is a potential solution. Such a platform would not only provide instant connections, but would also engage creative individuals in a community setting. The key is to provide an easy, friendly, trustworthy and a collaborative environment for the students to swap skills. Many components designed at this stage will work towards building infrastructure for the final design solution.

“

Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.

— Steve Jobs

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C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Fi nal Execut i o n

[ Thesis Objective ]

[ Strategy ]

[ Tactic ]

Providing a venue for visual communication students to swap their creative skills.

Establish an active campus bartering network.

Creating and designing the Cork-Board.Me App.

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

69

53%

WHY AN APP?

Own a Smartphone

Mobility and accessibility are the keys.

Technological advances offer new channels of communicating in the realm of bartering. More than half of college students own a smartphone, and 90% of these students feel smartphones

85%

have made their lives easier. As a result, I believe an app will be an ideal platform for students to connect and swap. They can access the information wherever they go and monitor the process in the palm of their hands.

Use it for Multitasking

82% Use it for School Tasks

The numbers above indicate strong

connections

college

students

between and

their

smartphones, according to statistics from an article in Yahooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business to Community Board.

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

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71

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

73

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

75

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

77

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

Creative Swapp

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

79

ping on Campus

Swap Creatively

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Swap Creativity With Peers

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Outsource Campus Creativity

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Swap Your Artistic Skills

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Swap Your Artistic Skills

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Swap Your Artistic Skills

Share Your Artistic Skills

ping on Campus

Share Your Artistic Skills

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

03

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

CHAPTER THREE The Solution

Final Deliverables

81

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

IDENTITY T-pin (A symbol for the pins art students use to hang up their work)

CorkBoard (A symbol for the school bulletin board)

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Signature Mark

83

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

85

Icon Mark

Word Mark

Web Mark

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

THE TYPEFACE Playful yet web-friendly is the key.

Choosing a suitable typeface that has humanistic qualities, yet also speaks to the students, is crucial. Since the final deliverable will be an app, I want to find a typeface that is not only user-friendly, but also applicable for web usage. After studying numerous typefaces, I chose Proxima Nova for my only typeface throughout the book and app. The rounded version of Proxima Nova (Proxima Nova Soft) gives a fresh, yet vivid, look to the academic vibe I was looking for. The rounded version also has a stronger presences for reading on mobiles.

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

a

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Proxima Nova Regular

a

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Proxima Nova Bold

a

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 Proxima Nova Soft Bold

87

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

ICONOGRAPHY SYSTEM Systematic Icons are created to demonstrate categories.

Different sets of icons are used in the design of the app. One set is for the main functions of the app: My corkboard, Post, Browse, and Message. These four icons allow users to quickly switch from one page to another. Another important set is the major icons that reflect all four majors of visual communications: Graphic Design, Photography, Illustration and New Media.

While these two sets provide a foundation for the app, the icons on the right are also used throughout the design of the app.

My Corkboard

Post

Browse

Message

Graphic Design

Photography

Illustration

New Media

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

$

89

$

$

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

COLOR SYSTEM A color-coded design makes classification understandable.

The primary color palette is used for the overall design of the app. Yellow (No. 1) sets the overall mood for the app. The two greys (No. 2 and 3) give context and depth to the app.

In the secondary color palette, four colors are used to differentiate majors: Graphic Design (No. 4), Illustration (No. 5), Photography (No. 6), and New Media (No. 7). Dark blue (No. 8) represents the hyperlinks used throughout the app. Black (No.9 ) is used for the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s text.

Primary Color 1

2

3

HEX #D7B018

HEX #D1D2D4

HEX #58585B

R

215

R

209

R

88

G

176

G

210

G

88

B

24

B

212

B

91

C

7

C

0

C

0

M

22

M

0

M

0

Y

100

Y

0

Y

0

K

10

K

20

K

80

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

91

Secondary Color 4

5

6

HEX #ED1C24

HEX #EC008B

HEX #F05A28

R

237

R

236

R

240

G

28

G

0

G

90

B

36

B

139

B

40

C

0

C

0

C

0

M

100

M

100

M

80

Y

100

Y

0

Y

95

K

0

K

0

K

0

7

8

9

HEX #27A9E1

HEX #24408E

HEX #231F20

R

39

R

36

R

35

G

169

G

64

G

31

B

225

B

142

B

32

C

70

C

100

C

0

M

15

M

90

M

0

Y

0

Y

10

Y

0

K

0

K

0

K

100

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Cork-Board

Cork-Board.me App A platform for art students to swap their creative skills.

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

93

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

APP FLOW CHART App Initiation

Main Menu

D e sig n S ol ution

Edit Profile

My Corkboard

Active

GD T-pin List

Bookmark

PH T-pin List

Following

ILL T-pin List

History

WNM T-pin List

Feedback

Filter

Post A T-pin

Select Major

Describe T-pin

Browse

T-pin List

Contact

Select Due Date

Make Offer

T-pinner Page

Contact

Follow

Share

Message

Message List

Chatroom

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

95

Payment

Wait for response from the other T-pinner Offer Accepted

Create Agreement

Step One

Counter Offer

Step Two

Offer Declined

Step Three

Wait

Make Payment

PayPal

Wait

Payment Accepted No Payment Done

Email

Message

FAQ

Rate

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

My Pinboard Deborah L

Graphic Design

$

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap Edit Profile

Active

4

2 GD Bookmark Following History Feedback

PH

ILL

WNM

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

97

MY PINBOARD FUNCTION Quickly access your personal corkboard summary My Pinboard function lets you see the summary of your pinzboard page. You can edit your profile, see your active T-pin listings, find your bookmarked T-pins, see previous T-pin history, and browse favorite T-pinners. Each category is arranged by major: Graphic design (GD), Illustration (ILL), Photography (PH), and Web and New Media (WNM).

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Active

D e sig n S ol ution

Feedback

My Pinboard Karen C.

95% (5 Reviews)

Illustration

PH

ILL

WNM $

2

0

Neutral

Negative

Edit Profile Live Shooting

Active

GD

04/04/14

Definitely recommending you.

2

2

1

Poster Design

Finish by May 8, 2014 Graphic Design

5 Positive

(2)

Logo Design

Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

PH

ILL

WNM

Photo Print

03/13/14

Love your work! Thanks!

Bookmark Following History Feedback

Need Photographer Thank you for the help!

02/05/14

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Profile

Following

T-pin Wanted

Deborah L

Logo Design

Graphic Design

$

by Dan K. (5,

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

) GD

$

Finish by Mon 05/26 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Name

Deborah L

Email

DeborahL@gmail.com

Password

*********

I’m a Photography student who is looking for someone to help me with my personal logo. Personally, I am willing to pay or swap photography.

Payment Methods Go to PayPal

Swap

POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

04/28/14

05/09/14

…

…

More Options

I Agree

$

Complete

(3/4, ) PayPal, Swap

Jonathan $

Task Status

About Me

ILL

Kate

Description

Personal Information

PH

Photography

Edit Picture

Paypal

99

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

Peter $

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Post T-pin

Post a T-pin Need specific help for your project, but not sure who to go to? Post it!

Get Started

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

10 1

POST FUNCTION Post your wanted T-pins in simple steps right away The post function lets students post their wanted T-pins. By following the guidelines and filling out the template form provided by the app, students can easily get their T-pins listed on CorkBoard.me and start their project quests. The form contains all the essential questions that students will need to clarify before they post.

Post T-pin

Post T-pin

How would you like to pay?

Select the major of this T-pin

$

I want to pay by: GD

PH

ILL

WNM

I can payâ&#x20AC;Ś

What is this T-pin about?

Describe in 2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 words Share some more details

Post

When do you need this pin finished?

04/15/2014

11:00 AM

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Browse Board What are you looking for?

Logo Design

by Dan K. (5,

$

)

Finish by May 26 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Need Illustrations

by Sara D. (2,

$

Finish by April 24 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Coding help

by Sam Y. (7,

$

)

)

Finish by June 17 Accepts PayPal, Swap

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

10 3

BROWSE FUNCTION Glance through the corkboardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current posts The browse function allows you to look through the corkboard easily.

You can offer to do a skill swap or you can seek help from others. Each of the profile images on the T-pin list is color-coded according to major.

The list also provides general information, such as the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expected due date and payment method. For more details regarding the T-pin or the T-pinner, just click into the list.

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Browse Board

Browse Board

you looking for?

T-pin Wanted

What are you looking for?

Seek Illustration

by John L. (2,

D e sig n S ol ution

Need illustrations

Select a major

by Sara D. (2,

)

$

$

Finish by April 13 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Poster Design

by Jen M. (5,

$

GD

by Sam Y. (7,

$

I’m a new media student who is looking for someone that can draw illustrated figures for my school project. I am willing to either pay or swap web-related tutorials.

WNM

Payment Task Status

PRICE (HR) $0

)

Finish by June 17 Accepts PayPal, Swap

PH

ILL

SWAP

Coding help

Finish by April 24 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Description

)

Finish by May 20 Accepts PayPal, Swap

)

POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

03/18/14

…

…

…

$50

T-pin Duration

Contact

DAYS 1

27

Make Offer

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

T-pin Wanted

About T-pinner

About T-pinner

Conversations

T-pin History

Dan K.

Photography

$

Kate

(4/5, ) PayPal, Swap Follow

10 5

Contact

GD

Any style preference?

3

2 PH

ILL

WNM

Nathan

Reviews

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a similar pin

95% (4 Reviews) Live Shooting

04/04/14

John How many revisions?

Definitely recommending you..

Share with a friend

About Me Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a photography student who enjoys stilllife shooting and wedding photography.

I am currently in my senior year at AAU. Check out my website at Denkada.com.

Photo Print

03/13/14

Love your work! Thanks!

Need Photographer

02/05/14

Email Message

Thank you for the help!

Cancel

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Message Need Illustrations Finish by April 24, 2014 Illustration Hand drawing

Today

1

Today

Finish by May 30, 2014 Illustration Book Layout

Yesterday

Finish by June 14, 2014 Graphic Design

1

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

10 7

MESSAGE FUNCTION Efficient and easy communication with other T-pinners The message function lets you talk to the T-pinner you are interested in. Once a message is sent, the other T-pinner will see the notice from his end and reply back to you. In the chat room, you can talk to each T-pinner one by one about your wanted T-pins. Once you feel you are ready to make an offer, just simply submit it with the button at the bottom of the chat room.

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Chat Room

Message Logo Design Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design Need Postcards

D e sig n S ol ution

Today

1

Today

Finish by May 30, 2014

Deborah

5:45PM

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine! Do you have some references for the style you like? That way I can design it according to your preferences. Thanks.

Graphic Design

Dan Book Layout

Yesterday

Finish by June 14, 2014 Graphic Design

3:28PM

Yes. I want to use the logo for my business card. I have a specific style I like though.

Deborah

1:24PM

Hey there! I saw your posting for logo design. Are you using the logo for personal use?

Make Offer 1

1

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Counter Offer

Logo Design Offers $100

Deborah L $

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

More Options

Submit

How much would you like to counter with for this offer?

Offers

Accept

Deborah L

Counter Offer

Type your comment

View Conversations Counter Offer Decline Offer

Cancel

10 9

$100.00

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Confirm Offer

Offer Confirmed!

After the offer is confirmed, we provide an agreement template for your T-pin.

Get Started

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

111

Create an Agreement

Agreement

Agreement

AGREEMENT TYPE

YOU

SCOPE OF WORK

Which major are you?

Are you the offerer or the seeker for this T-pin?

I’m the offerer

Graphic Design

Photography

Illustration

New Media

Agreement SCOPE OF WORK

What’s the final deadline for completing the work?

Describe what the designer will do. Also include any milestones. (For example: “Design a business card…”)

I’m the seeker

Review Agreement As always, please read carefully before signing. The questions you answered focus on key terms, but the agreement may include others.

Sign

Edit

Select a date

Review Agreement Payment Dan will pay Deborah a fixed fee of $90 which will include up to two rounds of revisions, provided that such revisions do not require work exceeding the scope of the work as described above.

Objective Dan Kada is hiring Deborah Leah to do a logo design. The following sets forth the agreement between these two parties and binds them both to its terms.

SIGN NOW DEBORAH LEAH April 8, 2014 SIGN NOW

Scope of Work Deborah Leah will do the following for Dan: Logo design for a school project.

The final deadline is May 26th, 2014.

DAN KADA

Confirm Agreement

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

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113

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

SCENARIO No.1 An offerer wants to be paid through PayPal.

Deborah

T-pin Wanted

Age: 25

Logo Design

Graphic Design

by Dan K. (5,

Deborah is a graphic design student. She

$

)

Finish by May 26 Accepts PayPal, Swap

found Dan’s T-pin which indicated that he is looking for a graphic design student to help him out with his logo design. Deborah contacted Dan and made an offer of $100. Dan counter-offered with $90 and Deborah accepted.

After accepting the offer, she made an agreement and sent it to Dan for his signature. Once Deborah received Dan’s signed agreement, she began the project.

Description I’m a photography student looking for someone to help me with my personal logo. I am willing to either pay you or swap photography.

Task Status POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

04/28/14

…

…

…

After Deborah completed the project, she sent a notice to Dan. Later, Dan received the completion notice and proceeded to send the payment through PayPal. After Deborah confirmed received payment was received, she then left positive feedback for Dan.

Contact

Make Offer

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Make Offer

Chat Room Deborah

5:45PM

That’s fine! Do you have some references for the style you like? That way I can design it according to your preferences. Thanks.

Dan

Logo Design

Submit

How would you like to pay for this pin?

Offers $100.00

Deborah L

Offers Logo Design

by Deborah L.

$

$90.00

Counter Offer

3:28PM

Enter amount

Yes. I want to use the logo for my business card. I have a specific style I like though.

Deborah

115

More Options

Accept

Type your comment

1:24PM

Hey there! I saw your posting for logo design. Are you using the logo for personal use?

Make Offer 1

Confirm Offer

1

Create an Agreement

Agreement

AGREEMENT TYPE

YOU

Which major are you?

Are you the offerer or the seeker of this T-pin?

I’m the offerer

Offer Confirmed!

Graphic Design

Photography

Illustration

New Media

After the offer is confirmed, we will provide an agreement template for your T-pin.

Get Started

I’m the seeker

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Review Agreement

D e sig n S ol ution

Agreement

Agreement Signed

Completed

Congratulations!

Payment Dan will pay Deborah a fixed fee of $90 which includes up to two rounds of revisions, provided that such revisions do not require work exceeding the scope of the work as described above.

SIGN NOW DEBORAH LEAH April 8, 2014

Agreement sent. Wait for the reply.

The agreement that you sent to the other T-pinner has been signed and the project is officially a go!

Review Agreement

SIGN NOW DAN KADA

Confirm Agreement 1

My Pinboard

Active

T-pin Wanted

Deborah L

Logo Design

Graphic Design

$

by Dan K. (5,

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

GD

PH

ILL

Pending Edit Profile

4

2 GD Bookmark Following

(2) Logo Design Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design

Active

PH

Poster Design

ILL

WNM

Finish by May 8, 2014 Graphic Design

$

Finish by Mon 05/26 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Descriptions I’m a Photography student who is looking for someone to help me with my personal logo. Personally, I am willing to pay or swap photography.

Task Status POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

04/28/14

05/09/14

…

…

History Feedback

)

WNM

More Options

Complete

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Rate T-pinner Logo Design Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design

It was great working with you.

Hope you like my works!

Leave Feedback

117

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

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119

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

SCENARIO No.2 A seeker who wants to pay through PayPal.

Dan

Post T-pin

Age: 23 Photography

Dan is a photography student. He wants to find a graphic design student to help him out with a logo design for his personal use. After he posted the T-pin, he was contacted by Deborah. She made an offer of $100. Dan counter-offered $90 instead and Deborah accepted.

After the offer was accepted, Dan got an agreement document from Deborah. He signed the agreement and sent it back to Deborah. After Deborah received the signed agreement, she started working on the project. After she completed the logo design, Dan received a completion notice.

He was then transferred to PayPal to pay for the T-pin. After his payment went through, he send a notice to Deborah and left feedback.

Post a T-pin Do you need help for your project, but you are not sure who can help you? Post it!

Get Started

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Select the major of this T-pin

PH

ILL

Message

Post T-pin

Post T-pin

GD

12 1

WNM

How would you like to pay?

Logo Design

I want to pay by:

Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design

$

Need Postcards

I can offer…

Today

1

Today

Finish by May 30, 2014

What is this T-pin about?

Graphic Design

Describe in 2–5 words Book Layout

Provide some more details

Yesterday

Finish by June 14, 2014 Graphic Design

Post

When do you need this pin completed?

04/15/2014

11:00 AM

1

Chat Room Deborah

5:45PM

That’s fine! Do you have some references for the style you like? That way I can design it according to your preferences. Thanks.

Dan

Counter Offer

Logo Design Offers $100

Deborah L $

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

More Options

Accept

How much would you like to counter with for this offer?

Offers Deborah L

3:28PM

Counter Offer

Yes. I want to use the logo for my business card. I have a specific style I like though.

Type your comment Deborah

1:24PM

Hey there! I saw your posting for logo design. Are you using the logo for personal use?

View Conversations Counter Offer Decline Offer

Make Offer 1

Cancel

Submit

$100.00

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Agreement

D e sig n S ol ution

Review Agreement As always, please read carefully before signing. The questions you answered focus on key terms, but the agreement may include others.

Sign

Edit

Review Agreement Payment Dan will pay Deborah a fixed fee of $90 which will include up to two rounds of revisions, provided that such revisions do not require work that exceeds the scope of the work as described above.

Objective

Review You have just received a new agreement.

Dan Kada is hiring Deborah Leah to do a logo design. The following sets forth the agreement between these two parties and binds them both to its terms.

DEBORAH LEAH April 8, 2014

Review Agreement

SIGN NOW

Scope of Work Deborah Leah will do the following for Dan: Logo design for personal use. The final deadline is May 26th, 2014.

DAN KADA

Confirm Agreement

1

Confirm Payment

Payment

$ $ Go to PayPal

Payment Received

Congrats! Your T-pin has been completed by your T-pinner. Give him/her a reward by completing your payment.

This is to confirm that your payment has been received by the other T-pinner.

Leave Feedback

Pay

At the speed of want.

1

Millions of customers use us for one simple reason: itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simple. Just an email and password will get you through to checkout before you can reach for your wallet.

Back to Home

1

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Rate T-pinner Logo Design Finish by May 26, 2014 Graphic Design

It was great working with you.

Thank you very much.

Leave Feedback

12 3

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

12 5

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

SCENARIO No.3 An offerer wants to be paid by swapping skills.

Karen

T-pin Wanted

Age: 27

Need illustrations

Illustration

by Sara D. (2,

Karen is an illustration student. She found

$

)

Finish by April 24 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Sara’s T-pin seeking illustrated figures.

Karen contacted Sara and made an offer of swapping four hours of web coding tutorials. But Sara counter-offered three hours instead. Karen accepted the offer and sent an agreement to Sara for her signature. After Karen received Sara’s signed agreement, she then began the project.

After Karen completed illustrating the figures, she sent a notice to Sara. When Sara

Description I’m a new media student is looking for someone who can draw illustrated figures for my school project. I am willing to either pay or swap web-related tutorials.

Task Status POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

03/18/14

…

…

…

received the project completion notice, she sent an appointment to Karen for her coding tutorials as payment. Once the swaps were done by both parties, Karen left positive feedback for Sara.

Contact

Make Offer

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Make Offer

Chat Room Karen C.

4:21PM

That’s fine! Do you have some references for the style you like? That way I can design them according to your preferences.

Sara D.

How would you like to pay for this pin?

Offers 4 hrs

Karen C. Need Illustration

by Karen C.

Type your comment

$

I can draw illustrated figures in exchange for 4 hours of web tutorials. Any interest?

3 hrs

Counter Offer

Yes. I need illustrated figures for some animation project that I am currently making.

Karen C.

Need Illustration

Submit

Offers

3:05PM

12 7

I’d love to teach you some web tutorials in exchange. However, I would prefer 3 hours instead.

1:14PM

More Option

Hey there! I saw your posting asking for illustrations. Do you still need them? Thanks.

Accept

Make Offer 1

Confirm Offer

1

Create an Agreement

Agreement

AGREEMENT TYPE

YOU

Which major are you?

Are you the offerer or the seeker of this T-pin?

I’m the offerer

Offer Confirmed!

Graphic Design

Photography

Illustration

New Media

After the offer is confirmed, we will later provide an agreement for your T-pin.

Get Started

I’m the seeker

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Review Agreement

D e sig n S ol ution

Agreement

Agreement Signed

Completed

Congratulations!

The agreement has been sent. Please wait for the reply.

The agreement that you sent to the other T-pinner has been signed and the project is officially a go!

Payment Sara will swap four hours of web coding tutorials with Karen. This T-pin includes up to two rounds of revisions, provided that such revisions do not require any work exceeding the scope of work as described above.

SIGN NOW KAREN COLEMAN March 19, 2014 SIGN NOW

Review Agreement

SARA DAVID

Confirm Agreement 1

My Pinboard

Active

T-pin Wanted

Karen C.

Need illustrations

Illustration

$

by Sara D. (2,

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

GD

PH

ILL

Pending Edit Profile

(2) Need Illustrations Finish by April 24, 2014

Active

Illustration

2

2 GD Bookmark Following

PH

Poster Design

ILL

WNM

Finish by May 8, 2014 Graphic Design

$

Finish by April 24 Accepts PayPal, Swap

Description I’m a new media student trying to find someone who can draw illustrated figures for my school project. I am willing to either pay or swap web-related tutorials.

Task Status POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

03/18/14

03/20/14

…

…

History Feedback

)

WNM

Contact

Complete

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Rate T-pinner Need Illustrations Finish by April 24, 2014 Illustration

It was great working with you. I hope you liked my work!

Leave Feedback

12 9

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

13 1

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

SCENARIO No.4 A seeker wants to pay by swapping skills.

Sara

Post T-pin

Age: 19 New Media

Sara is a new media student. She wants to find an illustration student to draw illustrated figures for her animation project. After she posted the T-pin, she was contacted by Karen with an offer of four hours web coding tutorials. Sara counteroffered with three hours and the offer was

Post a T-pin

accepted. Sara got an agreement contract from Karen. She signed the agreement and sent it back to Karen.

After a few days of working, Sara received the T-pin completion notice from Karen.

Sara made an appointment with Karen for her coding tutorials as payment. Once the swaps were done by both parties, Sara left positive feedback for Karen.

Do you need help for your project, but you are not sure who can help you? Post it!

Get Started

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Select the major of this T-pin

PH

ILL

Message

Post T-pin

Post T-pin

GD

13 3

WNM

How would you like to pay?

Need Illustrations

I want to pay by:

Finish by April 24, 2014 Illustration

$

Hand drawing

I can offer…

Today

1

Today

Finish by May 30, 2014

What is this T-pin about?

Illustration

Describe in 2–5 words Book Layout

Provide some more details

Yesterday

Finish by June 14, 2014 Graphic Design

Post

When do you need this pin completed?

04/15/2014

11:00 AM

1

Karen C.

4:21PM

That’s fine! Do you have some references for the style you like? That way I can design them according to your preferences.

Sara D.

4 hrs

Karen C.

I can draw illustrated figures for 4 hours of web tutorials in exchange. Any interest?

3:05PM

Submit

How much would you like to counter with for this offer?

Offers

More Option

Accept

Yes. I need some illustrated figures for an animation project that I am currently working on.

Karen C.

Counter Offer

Need Illustrations

Chat Room

Offers Karen C.

4 hrs

I can draw illustrated figures for 4 hours of web tutorials in exchange. Any interest?

Counter Offer

1:14PM

Hey there! I saw your posting for illustrations. Do you still need them? Thanks.

View Conversations Counter Offer

Type your comment

Decline Offer Make Offer 1

Cancel

1

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Agreement

D e sig n S ol ution

Review Agreement As always, please read carefully before signing. The questions you answered focus on key terms, but the agreement may include others.

Sign

Edit

Review Agreement Payment Sara will swap four hours of web coding tutorials with Karen. This T-pin includes up to two rounds of revisions, provided that such revisions do not require work that exceeds the scope of the work as described above.

Objective

Review You have just received a new agreement.

Sara David is hiring Karen Coleman to do illustrated figures. The following sets forth the agreement between these two parties and binds them both to its terms.

KAREN COLEMAN March 19, 2014

Review Agreement

SIGN NOW

Scope of Work Karen will do the following for Sara: a set of three illustrated drawings for a school project. The deadline is April 24th, 2014.

SARA DAVID

Confirm Agreement

1

Payment

Swap Payment

Confirm Payment

To: name or email Need Illustrations Finish by April 24, 2014

$

Illustration

Hello Karen! Thanks for your work. When do you want to start your web tutorials? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set a date!

Swap Your Payment Congrats! Your T-pin has been completed by your T-pinner. Give him/her a reward by swapping your payment.

Swap

1

$ Payment Received This is to confirm that your payment has been received by the other T-pinner.

Send

Leave Feedback

Cancel

Back to Home

1

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

Rate T-pinner Need Illustrations Finish by April 24, 2014 Illustration

It was great working with you.

Thank you very much.

Leave Feedback

13 5

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

13 7

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Website The website serves as a promotion and support platform for the Cork-Board.me app. It introduces the idea of campus peer sharing and explains what the app is about. Students can learn how to use the Cork-Board.me app through a step-by-step tutorial before downloading it. Once students downloads the app, they can also access their swap progress in detail. The websiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design helps create a systematic and seamless experience for the app users.

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

ABOUT

FEATURE

Swap your creative skills with your peer Get the help you need for your school project in a quick and easy way.

Download for iphone

Introducing

Cork-Board.me Designed for AAU visual communication students, Cork-Board.me is a friendly mobile app where you can swap creative skills with your peers.

SIGN IN

13 9

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

First sign up and create your profil assigned with a specific i Browse Board What are you looking for?

T-pinner

My Pinboard

Logo Design

by Dan K. (5,

ILL

$

Karen C.

)

Illustration

Finish by May 26 Accepts PayPal, Swap

$

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap

Graphic Design

Photography

Edit Profile

95% (4 Reviews)

Need Illustrations

by Sara D. (2,

Active

)

oting

! I Definitely rec

$

Finish by April 24 Accepts PayPal, Swap

int

r works! Thanks

2

2

1 GD

PH

ILL

Start your swap adve

WNM

Start with

Bookmark

Coding help

by Sam Y. (7,

Following

)

History Feedback

otographer

ou for the help! $

Finish by June 17 Accepts PayPal, Swap

My Pinboard Deborah L

Graphic Design

$

(2/2, ) PayPal, Swap Edit Profile

Active

4

2 GD Bookmark Following

PH

ILL

WNM

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

le. Each major is color-coded and icon for easy reconition.

14 1

See what others are saying about Cork-Bo

From your peer Kate

Illustration

New Media

enture in a few steps

the tools

MY PINBOARD My Pinboard lets you see the summary of your corkboard page. You can edit your profile, see your active T-pin lists, find your bookmark, and much more.

Age:26 Graphic Design

I wish we had this kind of app when I first got into the school.

It would have made my project a lot easier.

I look forward to Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to mee other majors.

Ariel Age:25 Illustration

It is a cool idea to bring people together to work on projects.

I am really ex about this pro

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

D e sig n S ol ution

Posters These posters’ designs will promote the idea of peer sharing. I created two sets of poster designs to help promote Cork-Board. me. One design works in a pair of two posterswith one portraying the seeker and the other portraying the offerer. Showing them in pairs provides viewers with an easy understanding of Cork-Board. me’s core message which is. The other poster design gives a detailed overview of the app’s features including images of what the users see while using the app.

Ready

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

y, Set, Swap!

Ready, Set, Swap!

T-pin Wanted

Browse Board What are you looking for?

Need illustrations

by Sara D. (2,

Logo Design

by Dan K. (5,

) $

$

Finish by May 26 Accept Paypal, Swap

Need Illustrations

by Sara D. (2,

$

14 3

)

Finish by April 24 Accept Paypal, Swap

)

Finish by April 24 Accept Paypal, Swap

Descriptions I’m a new media student who is looking for someone that can draw illustrated figures for my school project. I am willing to either pay or swap web-related tutorials.

Task Status POSTED

ASSIGNED

COMPLETED

CLOSED

03/18/14

…

…

…

Book Layout

by John C. (5,

$

)

Finish by April 28 Accept Paypal, Swap

Cork-Board.me is an friendly mobile app that allows you to get help from yourcreative peers. Join today and start swapping.

Contact

Make Offer

Cork-Board.me is an friendly mobile app that allows you to offer help to your creative peers. Start swapping today.

C o rk-B o ar d.me

Chap t er Three

Promotional Items The promotional items help attract more participants and build interest in Cork-Board.me. Items like T-shirts, pins, and handbags, etc. will be given away as marketing materials. Once students subscribes to the mailing system, they will receive free promotional items for showing their support.

D e sig n S ol ution

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

14 5

A G radua te Gra ph ic D e sig n Th e sis b y Evie Lia o

14 7

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without all of your support, Cork-Board.me would not have happened. My gratitude goes beyond a simple thank you.

Thank you to Mom, Dad, and my husband, Sonny, for your constant support and inspiration. I am lucky to have each one of you in my life. Many thanks to Carolina de Bartolo, Bob Slote, and Andrew Loesel for all of your awesome guidance, advice, feedback and support throughout the course of this thesis project. Each one of you has made a huge difference in my project. I could not have gotten here without all of your support.

A Graduate Graphic Design Thesis Written and Designed by Evie Liao Graduate student of the Academy of Art University 79 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, California, USA Find out more at: www.cork-board.me View more work by Evie at: www.evieliao.com Printed and bound by Blurb Books ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright Š 2014 Evie Liao