Update on Sarah’s design projects!
Nick has been pretty good about posting things he’s been up to. A lot has been movin’ and groovin’ on my end, now that we have the push to finish things by Dia de Comercio Justo on May 10th. Here are a few updates for my projects:
Artisan Videos
I have completed 12 of 15 artisan videos, which feels pretty nice. I originally told Susana I thought I could create 10 total for the whole 6 months that I was here, so I’m ahead of schedule there. I am also going to create a general video for those artisans that don’t have a specific video that will highlight the process of creating the products. Here’s an example of how they’ve been developing:
Website Updates
I’ve broken the updates for the website into three phases:
- Phase 1: Updating the Homepage with new branding/colors and adding the pages for the artisan videos
- Phase 2: Updating the product catalog and interactivity
- Phase 3: Adding an online donation tool and page, and making aesthetic updates to other existing pages
Here’s an example of how I proposed these update to Susana and Yasmin.
So far, I’ve updated the homepage with some new imagery, the new logo, and updated the colors to more of the brand green (though, I still have a lot of work to do). Small wins.
The biggest part that I wanted to tackle for Phase 1 was the artisan page, since those need to be set up and ready so I can create QR codes from the final URLs. The biggest part of adding all the artisans in a menu-like interface is set, and when I create the general video, that will be right above the menu.
The heaviest lift is complete (of getting those pages set up), so now I just need to focus on finishing those last 4 videos!
Social Media
I wrote about some mishaps we’ve had with social media, but overall, we’re trending in the right direction. We’re gaining followers every day, and more people are commenting, so that’s a plus. I think just being active on social networks helps show what the Foundation is up to and stay relevant to their audience, especially potential future volunteers.
If you’re interested in seeing what we’ve been up to, follow us on Insta and Facebook! 🙂
Updated Product Tags
This has been a very exciting project for me; I enjoy design projects like this. It started pretty straightforward to redesign with the new branding and had space for QR codes, but it quickly became more complicated and slightly political with the group they partner with in the museum. So what was one tag evolved into four, haha. We just sent them to print, so I’ll share when we have them in hand!
This tag will go on top of the textil tag when sold in the museum store. (One tag, round) 
This tag is for any product that is not considered part of Chol Chol or Rakizuam and is not considered Fair Trade. (One tag, double sided)
Business Cards
With the launch of the new branding, I knew at some point that Susana would need a new business card. With her upcoming trip to Cuba with the Rakizuam artisans, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I created a card for her and for Viviana, which have also been sent to print!
That has been the bulk of the projects I’ve been doing since Dia de Mujer. After Dia de Comercio Justo, I’m looking forward to making progress on the online catalog and with the online donation platforms, since Nick was able to successfully set up an account!
180 Days South 