Catching up…

Hello everyone!

I know it has been quite some time since I have blogged about my project. Probably because I felt like I was at a stand still and haven’t been accomplishing the Milestones at the rate I had planned. After reviewing my research plan, it actually looks like I’m not too far behind. I completed my IRB application a couple weeks ago and I am still waiting for approval. I am not too worried about getting all the videos I had planned because I know I can at least get some professors to speak with me if nothing else. When I do get approval, I have my interview materials reviewed and ready to go.

The next big step that I completed was gathering my video news clips and articles. I actually did this before I finished my IRB application, but I organized my materials into Google Drive so that I can easily access them. Some of these things I have already put on my website. Since my project is contemporary I am often confused about what to do next, what to write, how to structure my website without replicating another website, and how to present the information with purpose. Usually I can visualize these things in my head with no problem. Since I couldn’t I figured I would get help from some of the professors who offered to work with me. They have helped a lot during this process — with revising my materials and helping me brainstorm different angles to approach the project as well as work through some ideas. After countless emails and several meetings, I started to form a picture in my mind. Whether if it was because someone helped me reveal what I didn’t want my project to be or because they helped visualize what I did want it to be. Either way talking it through helps!

I have never had to make a website or a visual of a project without having to write a paper about it, so I made plenty of mistakes! I made the mistake of trying to go into my website and create a structure without asking for help or looking at the tutorials. Thanks to Tyler for taking the time out to try and help me! I am really not a tutorial or technology kind of person and go through tutorials drives me nuts! When Tyler and I couldn’t figure it out I went to Leah and Dr. Wallace, they were extremely helpful in helping me figure out how to use my website since it was a different theme than my blog. After that, I had to buckle down and learn the  tutorial. So the first mistake I made was thinking I could figure out how to structure a website by just playing around with it. The second mistake I made was trying to  make the website without a specific drawn out plan. I don’t think we were detailed enough in the beginning when we planned our websites. Maybe some of you felt that it could have been better planned before getting started as well? So I finally buckled down and wrote out my whole website with a pen and several sheets of paper so I could see all the pieces and arrange the paper how I wanted the website to look. At first I tried to avoid doing this because I wanted to be “savvy’ and be able to do stuff in word documents and online like most people probably have. Another thing I have learned from this project is to just be myself, I am a pen and paper kind of gal and I will probably always be that way. If nothing else, I now know that I can’t change that overnight or over a semester.

So this whole project I sort of look at like a “which one comes first the chicken or the egg” sort of thing. It was really hard trying to do a contemporary project in this light. Partially because I keep finding so much research on it, and partially because it was hard to keep order and abide by the course structure. Having to have everything written out for IRB is a headache because they want some things that we hadn’t gotten to in our course yet. Then not knowing whether they will approve you or not and having to figure out a way to continue on with constructing your website without the meat of your materials being accessible. So I had to figure out –let’s just put it this way ALOT! Such a disorderly process as this freaks me out especially under time constraints because there was no specific path for me to follow and I love order.

On a better note, I got to go out in the field and take pictures of some of the sites myself. This was really fun for me for two reasons. The first reason is because I love photography, especially documentary photography. The second reason is because I felt like a journalist going out into the field and being able to evaluate for myself what the sites were like and why the city felt they were unsafe, or why they may have chosen the site, or how it might affect people. Oh! I also went to the archives with one of my professors and saw documents from a previous rail improvements project in Springfield, as well as information on redlining in the city which is what initially brought my attention to this project!

With my structure all written out, I just need to get everything up on the website and make aesthetic changes. I have already put in place holders for where I will type in information. I wish everyone the best of luck and a smooth time with their websites!

Peace & Love,

Abriana