Technology helped our group reach our project goals immensely. We used our group page on Blackboard and the file exchange to post files and things we were working on for our proposal. This was a great technological resource because it allowed all group members to have access to all of the proposal's materials all in one place. It made things go really smoothly from ideas to early development to completion and compilation.

We also used email, as any group these days would, to organize meetings and delegate responsibility when we couldn't all meet at one time. It seems that email is an almost necessary part of any group work as it is hard to find time to meet in our difficult and busy schedules at school.

Other software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign helped us to create professional looking examples, images, and diagrams to better convey the message of our proposal to our clients. We were also able to create a very cohesive layout and design that brought our entire project together really nicely.

Overall, technology was a necessary part of our group work. We could have probably done without some of it, but this would certainly have hindered our progress.

This week we discussed several ethical issues in class that relate to how we should look at ethics in the business world. I think all of these examples serve to show us that if we have to beat around the bush when describing any activity, and if we can't look what we are doing in the face, then there is a good chance it is not ethically sound. A person shouldn't have to try and hide what is really going on with terminology and euphemisms.

When I enter the workplace, I hope that I can be honest with myself and with others about what I am doing. I think that first if I can live with what I am doing and second if what I do does not negatively affect others in an unnatural way, then this will for the most part let me know I am being ethical. Sometimes, it can seem better in the immediate time period to do something unethical or cheat in order to gain an advantage or accomplish some goal. However, long-term full disclosure will always pay off. Playing by the rules of ethics in business is always best.

Miscommunication

I work for the Department of Graphic Communications as an undergraduate teaching assistant. As part of any graphics lab, some flexibility in hours and extra hours are usually required to accomplish all assigned tasks and get all projects turned in on time. I am sometimes asked to stay for extra time or come in at alternate times to assist students in the lab.

This semester, my professor asked me if I could come in on a Saturday if I wasn't busy, but that she under stood if I couldn't. I said that if she let me know what time most of the students were planning to come in then I might be able to help out. She sent me an email the next day telling me that most students would be there from 10 to 12. I did not respond, and when Saturday rolled around, I decided not to go into the lab. A few days later I received an email explaining how my professor did not go into lab due to an emergency, but that she was grateful for all that I did to help students keep moving. She apparently assumed that I was coming in on Saturday.

The problem here was just a lack of clarity and explicitness. She should have asked for a more definite response, and I should have been willing to give one instead of ignoring it and making assumptions. There were not very big ramifications. I don't know if I could have accessed the lab for the students anyways, but even so, I think they were fine. I'm sure it would have been better had I been there, but next time I will just have to make sure things are clarified.

Our group was not in class to hear the presentations on Wednesday, but I will talk about our group meeting with our client. I think it went really well and that we have some good direction. They talked a lot about branding and redoing some of their promotional posters and other materials, so as a Graphics major, I am excited to use my skills. I think we will be able to help them a lot and give them a good student perspective.

As far as online portfolios go, I have used the Blackboard program some, but I don't really like it. Its design and layouts are too simplistic for me. I am pretty picky about graphical stuff. I did have the opportunity to create a website for one of my graphics classes, though, that incorporated some portfolio aspects. We used Dreamweaver, and I really enjoyed personalizing and designing it.

Presentations

I really enjoyed Byron's presentation. I thought he was very knowledgeable and that he really cared about fishing. The slide show was well put together and the presentation flowed well. His props were also relevant and provided good examples.

I liked Joe's presentation as well. It included a lot of personal content relating to his hometown, and I thought that made it interesting. I could again tell that he really liked what he was talking about. The recipe was a great thing to bring in and let the class try, and it is something all of us could use.

Scotty's presentation was also enjoyable. I am not the biggest football fan, and was not very well informed on a lot of the specifics of football. I could tell he knew what he was talking about, and he has to. The presentation also made the point that it takes a lot of knowledge and understanding to play football at such a high level.

Cover Letters

I think that the advice offered in this section on cover letters is very helpful and has given me a new perspective on cover letters. A cover letter should not me a mass blanket statement to whoever. It should be personalized and specific to each company to which I apply. The resume is meant to tell the employer specifics about me and my qualifications, and I think this is a good point. The cover letter is what will relate me to a specific company and show them why I am a good match for the company. I should be able to relate to them specifically and articulately what benefits I will bring to their company. The advice on proofing cover letters as well as resumes seems obvious, but it is extremely important. I am not sure how I feel about including a post-script section to a cover letter. If it was really that important, shouldn't I have though about it in the first place when writing my letter? I think it could make it seem too informal. Including a testimony sounds like a good idea, though. I think that could really provide a potential employer with a genuine glimpse at me as a potential employee.

Client Meeting and Project

I like the concepts for this project so far. We have an actual goal we are trying to accomplish that if pursued correctly will produce real results. It was helpful hearing from our client to better know what we are going for. I think I would prefer doing something creative and interactive for students over doing the strategic planning document. The idea to create humorous informative videos appeals to me a lot because I really like filming and editing videos anyways. 

I do have one concern with the Redfern project. Most students do not take Redfern very seriously in my experience. It bears the brunt of a lot of ridicule and is the punch line to a lot of jokes. Still, I think that doing something humorous that would appeal to students is a good idea. Maybe this will show students that Redfern has a sense of humor too. We would just have to make sure that this was really pulled off well, or it might just make things worse as far as Redfern's image goes.

Our group has worked together really well so far. Feedback on resumes was very helpful and constructive. I think we will be able to accomplish a lot on the upcoming project, and I am looking forward to it.