Project Iteration

Iteration is the key to any successful project. Development and adaption allow projects to transform from ideas into reality.

In starting my digital artefact project for this semester I was presented with a few options.

My first option for my bachelor of a communications degree was to continue my artefact from last semester. I was also offered the chance to work with the Uni Bible Group club as their communications team. I was offered this in partnership with two other media students. I tossed up these options along with their pros and cons.

From this, I decided on helping out my club as their communications team was the most helpful and full of real experience. My two classmates, however, decided to follow other pursuits. I then started ideating and iterating how I would proceed. 

My first steps were to contact the Uni Bible Group and discuss their plans for their online communications and to outline limits and boundaries. From this, I could set goals and plan what needed to be done.

My first assumption was that I could just become the admin of the pages and do all the posting. However, after researching their current content I realised that would be impossible to maintain alone. I also noticed the themes and styles used by the Uni Bible Group and immediately realised ways in which they could be improved. This iteration allowed me to head in a  new direction. 

At this point my research of the clubs online presence showed a messy, uncoordinated, and unfocused use of their platforms.

After meeting with the president of the club and some other staff I had a direction along with permission and the clubs eagerness to execute the project. I still needed, however, to meet with the current club overseer of their online presence. So far getting to this point had taken 3 and a half weeks with multiple meetings and I was keen to get this project off the ground.

Before my meeting with the clubs secretary about their existing online presence, I had another important iteration on my process and aims. After chatting with my class tutor I began to realise Uni Bible Group’s online presence problems existed beyond just organisation and intentionality. Their main problem lay with their reputation and how non-Uni Bible Group members percieved the Uni Bible Group. This revelation completely changed my understanding of the Uni Bible Group’s online needs and demanded me to iterate my plan.

My iteration for this was straightforward. To help Uni Bible Group’s public online presence, I needed to understand the audience we were targeting, I needed to know the perceptions others had of the Uni Bible Group, and I needed to tailor Uni Bible Group content and activity to that target audience. 

In my pitch for this project, I outlined the need for a rapid research stage to reach a point where I can start making changes. So I made a short google form and sent it around students from my course and Uni Bible Group students, trying to gather intel from both those in and outside of the Uni Bible Group club.

This failed dramatically. Of the 1000s of students at UOW and 100s of media students, I had a little over 30 (as of this blog post) fill it out despite sharing it across multiple platforms to multiple groups. This is a reflection on the poor perceptions of the Uni Bible Group, the short amount of time this has had to collect data, and how this form has been spread. 

Although the data is currently limited, I plan to use these responses to iterate my plan and goals for the Uni Bible Group presence, allowing changes to peoples perceptions.

I then had meetings with the clubs secretary which helped iterate my plans for the Uni Bible Group further. I was able to lock-down weekly and monthly plans for the club and organise how we will manage and control this content. 

My plans adapted further as I spoke with a past member who has taken on this responsibility in the past. I adjusted my plans for how I would manage the pages. Adapting them from the delegatory role I initially expected to a more hands-on approach. Although this will certainly provide more work in the short term for me, it will certainly allow for more control and a better perspective as I will have the big picture in mind.

As of next week, I take over the reins as the Uni Bible Group’s communications team with the goal to expand this team next year.