Writing Question
Overview
For this assignment, individual team members will conduct research on their assigned client. Individual team members will then use their research to independently develop an informational communication artifact. You will use the artifact you develop to present your research to your team members during Team Meeting 2.
You may choose to develop one of the following (details can be found further down in this assignment description):
- Hand-out
- Infographic
- Recorded PowerPoint
- Informational Video Pitch and Example
Although you will present your communication artifact to your team during Team Meeting 2, the primary audience for your artifact will be the public audience that may be impacted by any sustainable engineering project that your client may choose to pursue. During Team Meeting 2, your team will choose the strongest, most comprehensive, and most audience oriented communication artifact to revise and submit as part of the final Team Profile and Idea Proposal (due after Spring Break).
The person who initially created the artifact that the team chooses to use for their collective final submission will win 5 points (1/2 a grade point) extra credit.
Preliminary Resources for this Assignment
Client Information/Research Page
A page of resources has been compiled for you to help get you started on your client research:
- Client Information Overview: Hillsborough County
This is not an exhaustive list of resources; it was created to help you get started. You are not required to use a certain number of resources from this page, and you are permitted to use other reliable informational sources.
Logic Form Document
You will also complete the “Logic Form” linked below wherein you will describe the reasoning for your choices, how you think it will be received by your primary and secondary audiences, and what improvements you think will make your chosen artifact stand out. You will use this to help you build a case for why your artifact should be chosen for further development by your team, and to represent your whole team in the Team Profile and Idea Proposal.
- Logic Form.
- Audience
Primary Audience for this Assignment
- The General Public
- E.g., anyone who may be affected in any way by a sustainable engineering project undertaken by your client, either negatively or positively or both, for any duration of time
Secondary Audiences for this Assignment
- Your Team
- Your team will choose a “winning” artifact, which the whole team agrees is the strongest, most comprehensive, and most audience-centered artifact. The Team will collectively revise and improve upon the artifact prior to submission of the final Team Profile and Idea Proposal
- Your Project Manager
- Before your team will be allowed to develop a full project proposal and pitch for your client, you must first persuade your project manager that your team is the best team for the job.
- You must demonstrate a solid understanding of your client to persuade your project manager that you will be able to work with your client, and that you’ll be able to persuade them to choose your firm.
- Your Client
- In the end, your client will see a polished version of the communication artifact you submit as part of your Team Profile and Idea Proposal.
- You must demonstrate for your client that you have an excellent understanding of who they are and where they want to go in terms of sustainability and community involvement.
Purpose of the Communication Artifact
The purpose of the communication artifact is to:
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of your client, including:
- Background and History
- Purpose, Goals, and Values
- Demographic Makeup
- Commitment to Sustainability
- E.g., past, current, or planned projects, public statements, pledges, actions, etc.
- Describe your client to a public audience.
- Outline your client’s orientation and commitment to sustainability.
- Create a clear picture of what your client has done or is doing so that, later on, you can point to the gap where your team and project idea fit in.
