From this week, we got two new colleagues. One is our sales, another is PR.
From what I know, Public Relations (or PR) is a field concerned with maintaining public image for high-profile people, commercial businesses and organizations, non-profit associations or programs. Usually PR people need to be highly active between the organization and the public. They have to pay attention to the trends and provide ideas. Sounds like an interesting field for me.
I am looking forward to see how this new colleague will help our newspaper.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Week 3
Every two weeks, we have newspaper been published. During these two weeks, I usually work on putting news and article into design and layout it before print. Every issue is one project for me, and I appreciate each project that inspires me on new design.
Besides design and layout the paper, I also deal with printing factory. This is also the last step of the project, which is to get a prove print for final checking if everything goes perfectly right. To be honest, I am stressful of being the person who gives the proven to the project that is ready to print. I will have to take the responsibility if the newspaper get something wrong when publishing.
In order to solve the problem, I make a checking list to make sure the date is correct, the picture is right, the font is in shape...This really helps me on decreasing errors.
Besides design and layout the paper, I also deal with printing factory. This is also the last step of the project, which is to get a prove print for final checking if everything goes perfectly right. To be honest, I am stressful of being the person who gives the proven to the project that is ready to print. I will have to take the responsibility if the newspaper get something wrong when publishing.
In order to solve the problem, I make a checking list to make sure the date is correct, the picture is right, the font is in shape...This really helps me on decreasing errors.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Chapter 5&6 ideas
Chaper 5
Everything that has not been happened contains risk. How do we prevent the risk from happening?
First step is to identify the risks.
There are several ways to get information, ask stakeholders or learn from the past. It is true that the project may be varied by different stakeholders involved, however, the past project is certainly able to give some ideas for present not to repeat the same mistake.
Second step is to analyze and prioritize the risks.
Once the risk is defined, we need to figure out the consequence of the risks in terms of cost, schedule and possible damage to the project.
Ex. If the possibility of raining tomorrow is 50%, it might be traffic due to the rain, and I might be stuck on the traffic and might be late for work.
The third step is to develop response plans. If we know the risk might happen, and we know the consequence of the risk, we now have to do the response plan.
Ex. If it is raining tomorrow, it will be traffic. In order not to stuck in the traffic and late for work, I will leave from home earlier, or go another way that might be less traffic.
Chapter 6
Work breakdown structure. (WBS) It is a technique to break down a project into small pieces for better executing and managing. Before the WBS, we need to identify all the tasks in a project. Once the WBS made, every participants will know his or her role and focus on it. So, how to make a good WBS is really important.
Getting started on a work breakdown structure is always the hardest part. Sometimes the beginning doesn't plan well may effect the following steps.
There is a key concept I see it is really important: planning for quality.
A famous example that just happened lately is Toyota vehicle recall. Either short-term impact on stock prices or long term impact on fixing customer opinions and damage to brand equity, it is uncountable for the quality mistake.
Everything that has not been happened contains risk. How do we prevent the risk from happening?
First step is to identify the risks.
There are several ways to get information, ask stakeholders or learn from the past. It is true that the project may be varied by different stakeholders involved, however, the past project is certainly able to give some ideas for present not to repeat the same mistake.
Second step is to analyze and prioritize the risks.
Once the risk is defined, we need to figure out the consequence of the risks in terms of cost, schedule and possible damage to the project.
Ex. If the possibility of raining tomorrow is 50%, it might be traffic due to the rain, and I might be stuck on the traffic and might be late for work.
The third step is to develop response plans. If we know the risk might happen, and we know the consequence of the risk, we now have to do the response plan.
Ex. If it is raining tomorrow, it will be traffic. In order not to stuck in the traffic and late for work, I will leave from home earlier, or go another way that might be less traffic.
Chapter 6
Work breakdown structure. (WBS) It is a technique to break down a project into small pieces for better executing and managing. Before the WBS, we need to identify all the tasks in a project. Once the WBS made, every participants will know his or her role and focus on it. So, how to make a good WBS is really important.
Getting started on a work breakdown structure is always the hardest part. Sometimes the beginning doesn't plan well may effect the following steps.
There is a key concept I see it is really important: planning for quality.
A famous example that just happened lately is Toyota vehicle recall. Either short-term impact on stock prices or long term impact on fixing customer opinions and damage to brand equity, it is uncountable for the quality mistake.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Assignment 1b (week1-2)
Here are my learning outcomes:
1. Learn Adobe InDesign which is the professional design/layout program that has become the industry standard in print publishing. I will be able to use the program with no problem on making newspaper layout and design.
2. Other than doing art editing, I will also deal with printing matter. Get to know what the printing process is and how newspaper is distributed.
3. I will have to learn how to deal with customers. Familiar with our newspaper and able to present it to the customers. Whenever the customers have questions, I will be able to reply and give feedback.
4. Practice writing. It will be helpful if I can write, because a lot of time I need to fix text to match the layout.
5. Read magazine and other newspaper that will inspire me on design. As an art editor, being creative and with a highly developed visual sense is important.
6. Pay attention to the trend. I will learn website design since E-paper is getting popular. Flash and Dreamweaver are two programs I will be learning. Hopefully I will be able to make my personal website with flash on it.
1. Learn Adobe InDesign which is the professional design/layout program that has become the industry standard in print publishing. I will be able to use the program with no problem on making newspaper layout and design.
2. Other than doing art editing, I will also deal with printing matter. Get to know what the printing process is and how newspaper is distributed.
3. I will have to learn how to deal with customers. Familiar with our newspaper and able to present it to the customers. Whenever the customers have questions, I will be able to reply and give feedback.
4. Practice writing. It will be helpful if I can write, because a lot of time I need to fix text to match the layout.
5. Read magazine and other newspaper that will inspire me on design. As an art editor, being creative and with a highly developed visual sense is important.
6. Pay attention to the trend. I will learn website design since E-paper is getting popular. Flash and Dreamweaver are two programs I will be learning. Hopefully I will be able to make my personal website with flash on it.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Assignment 1a (week1-2)
Company's Goal and Vision
I am currently working for a local Chinese newspaper called News for Chinese. It is a start-up company with only a couple people working as full time and about five people working as part time. The office locates in Redwood City, and this is where our newspaper started to distribute-Peninsula. For long time in bay area, even though there are a few small printing media ups and downs, Sing Tao and World Journal newspaper have monopolized the Chinese market. In this circumstance, we come out to give both readers another choice of reading a newspaper and all kinds of business another place to advertise themselves. Our goal is to provide Chinese local-based news, information of life, technology, education, and politics. We try to give the local reader the closest living information, therefore, our vision is to become the most popular local Chinese newspaper in bay area.
SWOT
As I mentioned earlier, Sing Tao and World Journal newspaper are two biggest Chinese newspapers most Chinese read in the bay area. How our newspaper is different from them is that we focus on the local news other than news from Taiwan, Hong Kong or China. Moreover, we are the only free Chinese language community newspaper with separate edition for bay area Peninsula and South/East bay, which means everyone, is available to read our newspaper without paying a cent. We are also the only full color free publication that gives reader a better enjoyment on reading. We have great resources for local news, Chinese language education, personal health, personal life style, home improvement, neighborhood get-away, and much more.
However, we are bi-weekly newspaper; the news in our newspaper might not be as updated as other daily newspapers. Also, we are new to the community, we still need time to let people recognize us and become our royal reader.
Art editor
The primary difference from the traditional newspaper is that our newspaper applies full color and designed layout. We use many pictures and colors to give readers a completely refreshing feeling on a newspaper. As a result, art editor plays an important role in the organization.
As an editor, I am responsible for illustrations and layouts in printed matter. Other than that, the job may cover:
- Making sure the most suitable graphics and photographs are used
- Discussing design and layout ideas with the editor and other colleagues, including freelance writers and proofreaders
- Producing cover designs and inside pages.
- Anticipating trends and setting the newspaper's overall visual style, including design templates.
Specialised computer software is used to design newspaper such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. I will determine the final content of a text and I am also the one who send the final file to the printing and make sure there is no error before it comes out to the public.
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