Client Research

Learning Goal: I’m working on a economics writing question and need the explanation and answer to help me learn.

Overview

For this assignment, individual team members will conduct research on their assigned client. Individual team members will then use their research to independently develop an informational communication artifact. You will use the artifact you develop to present your research to your team members during Team Meeting 2.

You may choose to develop one of the following (details can be found further down in this assignment description):

• Hand-out
• Infographic
• Recorded PowerPoint
• Informational Video Pitch and Example

Although you will present your communication artifact to your team during Team Meeting 2, the primary audience for your artifact will be the public audience that may be impacted by any sustainable engineering project that your client may choose to pursue. During Team Meeting 2, your team will choose the strongest, most comprehensive, and most audience oriented communication artifact to revise and submit as part of the final Team Profile and Idea Proposal (due after Spring Break).

The person who initially created the artifact that the team chooses to use for their collective final submission will win 5 points (1/2 a grade point) extra credit.

Preliminary Resources for this Assignment

Client Information/Research Page

A page of resources has been compiled for you to help get you started on your client research:

• Client Information Overview: Moffitt Cancer Center

This is not an exhaustive list of resources; it was created to help you get started. You are not required to use a certain number of resources from this page, and you are permitted to use other reliable informational sources.

Logic Form Document

You will also complete the “Logic Form” linked below wherein you will describe the reasoning for your choices, how you think it will be received by your primary and secondary audiences, and what improvements you think will make your chosen artifact stand out. You will use this to help you build a case for why your artifact should be chosen for further development by your team, and to represent your whole team in the Team Profile and Idea Proposal.

• Logic Form.docx
  Download Logic Form.docx

Audience

Primary Audience for this Assignment

• The General Public
  • E.g., anyone who may be affected in any way by a sustainable engineering project undertaken by your client, either negatively or positively or both, for any duration of time

Secondary Audiences for this Assignment

• Your Team
  • Your team will choose a “winning” artifact, which the whole team agrees is the strongest, most comprehensive, and most audience-centered artifact. The Team will collectively revise and improve upon the artifact prior to submission of the final Team Profile and Idea Proposal
• Your Project Manager
  • Before your team will be allowed to develop a full project proposal and pitch for your client, you must first persuade your project manager that your team is the best team for the job.
  • You must demonstrate a solid understanding of your client to persuade your project manager that you will be able to work with your client, and that you’ll be able to persuade them to choose your firm.
• Your Client
  • In the end, your client will see a polished version of the communication artifact you submit as part of your Team Profile and Idea Proposal.
  • You must demonstrate for your client that you have an excellent understanding of who they are and where they want to go in terms of sustainability and community involvement.

Purpose of the Communication Artifact

The purpose of the communication artifact is to:

1. Demonstrate a clear understanding of your client, including:
   • Background and History
   • Purpose, Goals, and Values
   • Demographic Makeup
   • Commitment to Sustainability
     • E.g., past, current, or planned projects, public statements, pledges, actions, etc.
2. Describe your client to a public audience
3. Outline your client’s orientation and commitment to sustainability
4. Create a clear picture of what your client has done or is doing so that, later on, you can point to the gap where your team and project idea fit in.

Communication Artifact and Reasoning

Reasoning and Required Information

• All communication artifact submissions must be accompanied by this Logic Form
  Download Logic Form, which describes your reasoning and will appear at the beginning of your assignment submission.
• All communication artifacts must be developed with your audience, The General Public, at the forefront of your choices.
• All communication artifacts are expected to be engaging and thoughtful.
• All communication artifacts must be clear, easy to read, and easy to see (e.g., no images or text should be too small to see/read at regular viewing/engagement parameters for the given artifact)
• All communication artifacts must be developed according to the parameters of the artifact
  • For example, a handout must be developed in a way that makes sense for being physically held, read, and handed out.
  • For example, an infographic created with the intention of printing it as a poster must be developed in a way that makes sense for being hung and viewed in public areas; an infographic created to live online must be developed in a way that makes sense for online engagement, scrolling, linking, animations, etc.
• All communication artifacts must include references, and links when appropriate
  • References may be in whatever style you choose (e.g., MLA, APA, IEEE) as long as you are consistent.
• All communication artifacts must fulfill all of the required aspects described in the “Purpose” section above, as well as listed below:

1. 1. 1. 1. Demonstrate a clear understanding of your client, including:
            • Background and History
            • Purpose, Goals, and Values
            • Demographic Makeup
            • Commitment to Sustainability
              • E.g., past, current, or planned projects, public statements, pledges, actions, etc.
         2. Describe your client to a public audience
         3. Outline your client’s orientation and commitment to sustainability
         4. Create a clear picture of what your client has done or is doing so that, later on, you can point to the gap where your team and project idea fit in.

Completion Requirements

You will complete this part of the assignment independently, so that each team member creates a communication artifact that they will present to their team during Team Meeting 2. Students may choose to develop one of the following: Hand-out; Infographic; Recorded PowerPoint; Informational Video Pitch and Example; potentially other informational artifact options if you have an idea (this must first be approved). The options are detailed below.

Artifact Options

Hand-Out

• • • • The hand-out may be 2-sided, front and back
        • It may also take the form of a tri-fold pamphlet
      • Must include clear explanations and details
      • Handouts are text-based, so high quality, cohesive, clear writing is central to the development of this artifact
      • Must include images, graphs, illustrations, etc. that support and enhance the text
      • Must include the information and meet the requirements outlined above
      • The handout document can be merged with the Logic Form

Infographic

• • • • The infographic may be created as a printable poster or for online engagement
      • Must include images, graphs, illustrations, etc. that create a clear, cohesive picture of what you’re trying to communicate
      • Infographics are visual communication based, so this artifact requires good storytelling via illustration
      • Text describing instances, processes, etc. must be included, but these descriptions, etc., must be concise
        • Conciseness while maintaining clarity and cohesion can be difficult to achieve
      • Must include the information and meet the requirements outlined above
      • If saved as a PDF, the infographic can be merged with the Logic Form. However, if your Infographic is located online, you will include the URL for your Infographic at the top of the Logic Form in the appropriate space.

Recorded PowerPoint

• • • • The recorded PowerPoint will be created as a stand-alone recording that could be played online or that could be displayed on a loop, such as at a kiosk.
      • Must be image rich, with the voice-recorded element acting as the main source of verbal communication (such as in a public speech).
      • PowerPoints are designed to be used as visual support for speakers, so this artifact must lean heavily toward visual communication with verbal communication via-voice recording.
      • Text must be kept to a minimum
      • You will incorporate the logic form into your slide deck, at the beginning.

Informational Video Pitch and Example

• • • • You will not be required to develop the whole video at this time
        • If your team chooses your pitch, the whole team will participate in creating the video
      • For your video pitch, you will develop the following:
        • • A screenplay/detailed sentence outline and stage directions, which must include:
            • • Full sentences
              • Stage cues
              • Specific explanations that describe what you imagine happening in the video
              • Angles
              • The “mood” you intend for particular scenes, images, etc.
              • Other information that will help your team members understand your plans and intent
          • PowerPoint presentation that outlines all of the required information and how you imagine it appearing in the video, using images that help illustrate your vision
          • You may present these two items (the screenplay/sentence outline and PP) as one thing, wherein the PowerPoint includes the screenplay/sentence outline in a split-screen style presentation, with the narration, stage directions, etc. included on the left side of each slide and the imagery and other elements on the right
            • If you do not understand how this would occur from this description, then you will simply save both items as PDFs and merge the documents for submission
      • You will plan for a 3-5 minute informational video
      • If you/your team chooses this option, final product must be thoughtful, creative, well done, viewable, and audible, but you will not be required to produce a professional quality recording.
      • Must include the information and meet the requirements outlined above
      • This is the most difficult and time consuming option, but it also invites multiple skillsets and allows for a lot of creativity and a very broad range regarding what you communicate and how you choose to communicate it.
      • For submission, you will save your completed pitch/examples as a PDF. You may either merge the Logic Form with the PDF, to appear at the beginning, or you can incorporate it into the PP, also to appear at the beginning.

Use Google searches to help you find information on best practices for each type of informational communication above, and for tips on how to execute the artifact you choose to develop. Keywords will include the type of artifact you wish to create (e.g., “Infographic”) and terms such as “excellent,” “best,” “best practices,” “examples,” “layout,” etc.