VCT 4670

Things are wrapping up with my client.  I have requested another meeting with my client in the next week and a half to review how to update the site and to go over any final changes that the client may see wanting to change before my work with the client is finished.   I’m waiting to hear back from them, and I will go from there.  I feel pretty on top of things, it will be just making these final changes and getting the site posted and it’ll be done!

(based off my last week 13 post) My client last minute yesterday was able to get me the content for the website before they left for vacation, so I was able to have that information in for evaluations!

I talked to my client yesterday, and she told me that she apologizes since we had wanted to get the content for the website to me by this week since she’s leaving for vacation today until the end of the week/beginning of next week.  Once she gets me the content and the header names for the site I will be able to finish up the project pretty soon after (of course since it’s nearing the end of the semester).  This week is at a bit of a stand still, but it’s ok because I am going to make sure I have other projects for my client done, as well as for this class.  I have plenty to do for this week even without the content, but that will be the final touches.

This semester has flown by!!

I met with my client this past Tuesday evening and we had a very productive meeting.  We went over templates for the website that I could use and she showed me the concepts she would prefer.  I also told her all the information I needed from her and gave her dates that I needed these by.  She has already sent me photos for the website, but I am waiting on the content and exact page titles.  I have put photos into the website, but I am right now playing with a few ideas for layouts for the site, and the way the colors will be laid out.  My client also told me where I can download the logo for the UCC church and gave me an idea of the look she wanted for the site. 
We also reviewed prices, and made sure that all the standards for the site would work with the website for the church, everything seems to be running smoothly, hoping it will from here on out as well.

Not a whole lot happened this past week with my client.  We were able to set up a time for a meeting, we’re meeting tomorrow (Tuesday the 27th) in the evening to go over details for the website.  I set up an account for my client on wix.com and that’s about the only thing we were able to get done this past week.  I looked at possible templates to use for my client, but wanted to go over more with her when we meet tomorrow.  I wanted to use dreamweaver to create the site, but with my client needing to have the ability to edit the page easily after I am finished with it, we had to go with an alternative such as wix.com & the prices were about $ .50 less than we were looking into in the first place per month.  This was a plus to my client, and it seems everything we wanted to accomplish is still possible on wix.

After getting some feedback from my last blog post I am checking out www.constantcontact.com to see if this could possibly work for my client.  I did get feedback from my client on the newsletter and what I have they really like, so I’ll be wrapping that project up unless we decide to go with a constant contact template.

I told my cilent in the next two weeks we need to meet about the website so I can collect information and we can go over more details in person since we’ve been communicating via email about the website.  I’m hoping to set up an appointment with her next week and get this newsletter done to move onto the next project! The rest of this semester will go very quickly!

This past week over spring break I was able to complete a basic template using Word & send  it off to my client as a pdf for them to give me feedback on what they like/didn’t like and what else they would wanted added.  It isn’t as I planned, I was hoping to not have to attach a PDF each time my client sends an email, but this will be the only free way we’re able to do a weekly newsletter update.  Time to start looking at more content and ideas for the website!

I’m finishing up getting this newsletter template together for the church.  Discouraged that it was much more time consuming than I thought!  Glad to hear some of the comments on Week 7 post, they were helpful!

The next step is to start research and gathering information for the website.  I wrote my client and told them to be ready in the next few weeks that I will need information for the site, at least general headers and basic information, if not all the detailed information yet. 

I am not leaving for spring break, so I’ll hopefully be able  to play catch up this next week that we have off school to get caught up for the second half of the semester! It only gets busier/harder from here!

As we know, we never finish a project within the time limits we want, which is why it’s so helpful we laid out a timeline for the work we’re doing for our clients.  I am starting to run into problems because with the ideas I had for the newsletter; it is not going as planned as far as the programs I can use to create a newsletter template that will be accessible & editable for my client.  I’ve been emailing our professor back & fourth a few times to see what solutions we can come up with for a free template software,.  I’m really hoping to get this solved by the end of this week so I cannot get too behind on the rest of the semester, since I know more problems will of course arise!

This is part of the learning process though, that something I thought would be so simple to do for my client, turned into such a hassle, and more time consuming than I thought. 

This week I am finishing the template for the church newsletter and getting this turned over to my client.  I am excited to see this used and to see how my client adjusts to this change they’ve been wanting to make for some time now (as I previously mentioned in week 5 post).  I am anxious and a bit nervous to start on my next project, which will begin the first stages next week of the website for client.  This is going to be a much larger/much more time consuming project.  For now I will focus on finishing this project at hand!

My client was very happy to see the outline of a timeline that I presented for this semester.  It gives us both a much better guideline of what to expect, and hopefully some time to fall back on when problems occur (they always do). 

This week I am starting to design a template for a newsletter that the church can use weekly to send updates via email.  In the past, they have sent hard copy newsletters once a month, which they will continue to do, but now, those who use email will be able to stay more up to date weekly with these newsletters. 

This will be a good advancement in technology for the church, and this is something they have been wanting to do for awhile.

Since my last update, I have been able to meet with my client and get some more specifics of the upcoming projects.  My first project to tackle is a newsletter that will be an editable layout for the church to use so the pastor can send out weekly newsletters via email, rather than hard copy mailings once a month (which they’ll continue to do as well). 

I am first going to reserach the best way that I can create a newsletter template that my client will still be able to use once I am not working with them anymore, that will be an easy way to go in type out text and send out in emails. 

After this I will start doing my research and prepare to start building a website for my client.

I haven’t been able to meet up with my client this past week to go over more specifics.  Once we get established, it won’t take us meeting in person every week to review, unless we need to or have the time that we decide to meet.  Since we’re still at the beginning, the client and I are going to meet up in the next week to get a better idea of specifics for the projects I will be working on.  I’ve been jotting down a few ideas that I have for the website, just knowing the general idea that I am working with, and how I would lay it out, without getting any specifics yet.

My client for 4670 has been approved today, so now it will be time to start working on projects!

The client that I am using is the church I have attended since I was little, St. Johns United Church of Christ in Milan.  In working with this client, I will meet with the pastor, church secratary, as well as church council to keep on track with the projcts I work on.

The main projects I know I will be working on right now:
one page website for the church that they have wanted to get on the web for some time now
flyer for a new youth director
photos as needed

There is a chance there will be other small projects as the semester goes on that they will see if I am able to accomplish depending on the workload.

I am very excited I am able to use the church as my client, I know they have needed work done, and it will be nice to help them in what I can!

Getting used to the new canvas site & blogging.  I am searching for a client at the time being, and have a few leads on clients I am investigating to see if I would fit for their needs in their business or not.   I am hoping to decide more in the next two days to be able to finalize a client by mid next week.