Steps to Creating Meaningful Projects

Email this Article

The collaboration between PSFK and UNICEF has all the elements for this project to result in a memorable story for stakeholders and a meaningful outcome for children in poverty.

Let's break down the proposal to see what makes this project a stand-out example of the value of melding stimulating experiences with organisational need.

• It helps if you have committed project sponsors who aim to make a difference but even if you don't, YOU can be committed to getting more out of your projects by deciding to do work that people find value in.

•  Create a concept brief focused on achieving goals and deliverables that are meaningful to key stakeholders (in this example, to UNICEF, the public who respond to fundraising requests and PSFK).  Organisations sometimes don't care what the end result looks like as long as the work gets done. However meaningful projects design experiences that will engage and bond people together over the life of the project.  It's hard not to care when you work with others who are passionately interested in seeing the project succeed.

• Challenge the predictable ways you seek feedback on your idea by experimenting with how stakeholders can contribute to your concept. PSFK's own research into where mobile tagging is going in the future, is provided as a free report to stimulate creative thinking about opportunities to address the problem.  The required use of Microsoft's Tag platform to gain new traction on the old problem of fundraising is a clever solution to encouraging broader thinking around a difficult problem.  A briefing provides the outline of key issues and the deadline for responses is one week.  All of these methods build interest, a sense of competition and challenge and engage people in the adventure.

• Make it worthwhile for stakeholders to participate.  Give kudos where it is due and make it public so that stakeholders can capitalise on their investment of time and energy.  The shortlisted candidates for the PSFK/UNICEF project will be published on the PSFK website, included in a future report on Mobile Tagging, presented at a conference exhibition in New York and Microsoft will recognise the winner through funding trade-publication advertising.

• Finally, give stakeholders a story that they can talk about after the experience, even if they are not involved at all phases.  People who work on a meaningful project want a memorable story!  They want to feel good about their contribution, they want their investment of time and money to matter and in an experience economy, telling a story about your very cool project is a status winner.

So what can you do to make your next project a memorable and engaging experience?  If you want more go to our Learning Resources page and read up on other great examples and ideas.

Join in the experience!
Irene 

Source: http://www.psfk.com/2011/02/creative-agencies-help-psfk-help-unicef.html