PROJECT PROPOSAL

What is your vision statement for your major project?

Proposal

Problem: Lack of accessibility to services by disfranchised communities
Goal/suggested solution: Connecting people to the resources they need whether non-profits, service agencies, community business, ect.

How:
A website that is EXTREMELY user friendly so that those without much tech savy skills can still use it to find the resources they need within a specific area.
Ex: Input zipcode number and services within that area similar to store branch locator
-Option to search for specific services such as family literacy programs or food banks within that area but the focus would be local or specific to Metro Detroit.

Problem #2: Figured out where the resources are but most people do not have transportation.  (huge issue) so part of the this website feature would be helping other to get to the places they need too, whether through ride shares or automatically helping them map out their route through having all available transportation  methods in the system which can automatically plan their route.

Or providing a ride-share forum, posting bus-schedules, figuring out what other public transportation options there are for folks with disabilities, seniors, etc, and all of that info
    Also can have group on like feature where one selects resources interested in and then will receive email whenever partner groups add/make resource available.
In summary attempting to connect people to the resources they really need.

What are you planning to investigate and how does it support your vision of Detroit’s Future?
 

-I really need to investigate the scope and intended audience of this project. I think that it is a very ambitious goal but it needs to be narrowed down. Also understanding my audience will inevitably shape how I design this website.  Not exactly sure how to do this part just yet. Might narrow it to geographic are or services provided. 

-Also I am still in the brainstorming stage and all options are on the table, so I have to complete more research by talking to different interest groups whether non-profits, professors, local community members  and others who can provide more insight and help with assessing current available resources.

-In addition I want to explore what is the most user friendly way I can make this website so that you do not need to be really tech savvy to use it. A big theme for me is accessibility in use and in access. So even if for example not everyone has access to internet, this website can a be a tool for agencies, community centers, libraries to utilize to either connect clients to resources or have them do themselves.

-This supports my Vision of Detroit’s Future because it will hopefully connect people to places and resources they need, and a more connected Detroit is needed especially after population loss and the dispersion of services.

What media skills do you need/want for to complete your major project?

  I would definitely need to learn the dynamics of website design so that I can be able to create one that is tailored to the need and purpose of this project. Also, I have to have a good understanding of using graphics in my website so that it can be more user-friendly, and just generally other features that will make a website user-friendly whether font, format, or specific features.  Overall, if I can understand the range of skills, I can than began to understand the capacity of the work that can be created.