Progress!

On Tuesday's class, Jeff, Radek and I (Alyssa) met to discuss the group project. Shelly, you must have left before we met.

PART 1: TRIPTYCH
We were struggling to come up with the slogan and images, and came up in the following.

What we are thinking is comparing the first two panels of the triptych. In one panel we show images of frivolous activities that take 10 minutes. In the next (middle panel) we show activities that make a difference in 10 minutes.

The images can be done in Illustrator, with (non-copyrighted) photographs, etc. That is up to the individual. But we all need to include the same images.

Panel 1 (activities that waste time):
- Watching TV
- Checking your email
- Getting coffee/going through a drive-thru

Panel 2 (activities that make a difference):
- Giving blood
- Write a thank you note
- Buy/give someone coffee (or a drive-thru meal)

Panel 3:
Slogan

We are trying to decide on a slogan. We need the group to help figure this out by next week. Our idea is to have something like:

There are 1440 minutes in a day. Take 10. (or Find 10)?
Your time starts now.
Do it.

...or we could use anyone of Jim's slogan suggestions that tie in.

Jeff, Radek and I felt pretty good about our image ideas, but not so sure about the slogan.

We also also knocked around the idea last week of kindness being like a disease, and using a slogan (Fredda's suggestion) like "Spread it!" or "Catch It!" Which we all agreed would be timely considering swine flu is so in the news.

Shelly or Jim, if you have any great ideas how the "Spread it" slogan/campaign would work with our images and work better than our 10 minutes idea, please share. Otherwise, we just need to decide on the slogan for the 3rd panel and we can just go to work.

PART 2: "CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES"
We talked about a lot of ideas in class as ways to spread our campaign of kindness. At this point, we are not sure if we are really supposed to implement all this ideas, or just talk about them in our presentation. We will need to find out from Fredda.

In the meantime, here are all the ideas of ways we can publicize our kindness campaign:
- Hand out or display "Pass it On" Business cards with ideas to be kind.
- Set up and include a 1-800 number on our poster where callers can hear a recorded list of good deeds that take 10, 20, 30 minutes, etc. (example here - ours would be much nicer looking). :)
- Posters that list small ways to be kind (example here) - that we could put up at schools, businesses, and guerilla style on telephone poles, etc.
- "Take a card" with thank you cards (maybe just hanging on a binder clip or something) for people to write tahnks you.

Those are all the ideas we got, so at least we are getting somewhere. PLEASE post any more brillant ideas, and your vote for the slogan.

Thanks,
Alyssa

It starts with Me: Jim Inokuchi

I will not be in class Tuesday, since it is my Wedding Anniversary. But I wanted to give you some of my input. I was thinking about what Fredda was saying about a logo that depicted the mass spreading of this project, but I disagree with this approach.

The problem I think we are trying to solve is getting each individual to act or do something. What we don't want is people to think that someone else will help or take care of that. This project will spread naturally, as we get individuals to act. The whole class saw the potential this project can do, but we need to remember and build our momentum from one single person.

As a person reads the sign, they should be reading words like, "I" or "me". This will help place them in the action, as if they have already start doing something. It is kind of like an athlete invisioning what they are going to do before they run the race.

The slogan ideas:

1. it starts with me
2. I can make a difference
3. I did it
4. I do it once a day
5. I saw a opportunity and did it
6. Some Header ideas
   

Some Header ideas:

1. CAUTION!!! has known to spread
2. SAVE HUMANITY!!! one person at a time
3. NEWS FLASH!!! five different people stopped to help me change a tire
4. It's CONTAGIOUS!!!0 doing something good each day.

Have a great day. Jim Inokuchi

Presentation Suggestions AND Alyssa Will be Late Tonight

Hey guys,

First of all, I will probably not be there until 7:30 tonight. Unfortunately I have a last-minute daycare issue. :p

Second of all, don't know if you saw the main blog but we need to have the following ready for tonight:

GROUP
Solution and slogan should be common.
You, as a group, need to agree on the problem, facts, call to action and common elements (which includes the solution and slogan).
Common elements also includes at least 2-5 images and content.

We are supposed to present this tonight, and I do not think we are cohesive. The main problem being we do not have ONE solution we have several.For example, while I love Shelly’s sharing idea and think we should include it, sharing is just one solution of many.

So here are my suggestions for our presentation:

PROBLEM
As the economy weakens, and life becomes increasingly more and more busy and more and more difficult, the amount of angry people grow around us. People have become more self-absorbed and lost faith in humanity – we remain strangers with our neighbors, pass by people in need, whether out of fear, mistrust, or a feeling of helplessness. We have forgotten the difference that one good deed can make.

To remind the general public of the power that one kind act can have, and offer suggestions for small things that take little time or money – an hour, half hour, even ten minutes. We may not be able to change the world, but we can change our community through small, daily acts of kindness.

ORGANIZATIONS
There are a few global organizations (with lots of local breakoff groups and websites) dedicated to kindness.
- The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (check out their logo, the words “Do Kindness” are in red and bold) http://www.actsofkindness.org/
- Human Kindness Foundation: http://www.humankindness.org/

EXAMPLES:
-Sharing
-Giving food coupons/a blanket/a sandwich/a jacket to a homeless person
-Pay for the meal of the person behind you at the fast food drive thru
-Transport someone who can’t drive
-Mow your neighbor’s lawn
-Give blood
-Write a thank you note
-Volunteer at a local organization
-Do a food or clothing drive at work

More examples here (http://www.karmacooler.com/2009/02/100-ideas-for-kindness) and here (http://www.actsofkindness.org/community)

Quotes (perhaps one of these could be our slogan?):

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. ~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. ~Dr. Seuss

Be the change you want to see in the world ~Mahatma Ghandi

IMAGES (Keep in mind I believe we all have to use ALL of them):

Walking by a homeless man on street

Sharing your cookie

A child giving a hug/flower?

Driving past a stranded car

Perhaps we can start with this, present the images from our blog, and then ask for feedback from the class regarding whether or imagery and slogans are compelling, if our subject is too broad, etc?

See you guys when I get there.

~Alyssa

Changing the community, starts with me.
How did you spend your 10 minutes today?
What can you do in 10 minutes?

concept for the acts of kindness

Hello everyone... here is my concept idea for the acts of kindness.. (sharing one). I just painted very fast so I can see what may work or not... i know the text and coloring may seem funny.. but i will develope more later on.. or take other ideas from you guys and work on it.

Thanks.

Shelly

Inspiration!

Hello all, finally posting.

And finally found the website I'd been seeking: http://www.powertotheposter.org/

GREAT site with posters on social issues - good for visual references, ideas on symbols to use, etc.

-Alyssa

catch phases

Taking off the blinders: An illustration with people walking down the street with horse blinders on.