Project Proposal

Due Date: March 25th

Purpose

To give you experience writing document design proposals and to jumpstart your thinking about the final document design project.

Task

To compose a four-page proposal and document prototype that together outline initial parameters of your final project. Subject matter on this assignment is very flexible. My only stipulation is that you have a real-world client (not someone made up out of your head) and that you create a fairly lengthy technical or marketing document (15 to 20 pages).

Your written proposal should include a detailed audience analysis and discussion of the document's technical specifications, such as colors being used, typography, paper, printing processes, etc. These may change as the project matures, but it is a good idea to make your initial ideas as detailed as possible. It is a good idea to read the assignment descriptions for the project presentation and final projects to see how all three work together as a package project.

Submitting Work

Items to be submitted, within a zipped folder called "lastname-proposal," include:

A four-page Word document analyzing the audience and outlining the technical specifications of the document.
A packaged InDesign prototype with cover and facing-page layout showing how the document might look when printed. This design, of course, will be open to change during the course of the project, but I want you to start imagining the possibilities early. You should include extensive stylesheets.
A InDesign-generated PDF file of your prototype in case your fonts get corrupted.

Evaluative Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Audience anlaysis - how well you describe your audience and their information needs. The more detail, the better. Who exactly are they and in what context will they be using this document?
Design specifications - how well you describe your proposed design, including choice of typefaces, line lengths, possible photos and figures, paper type, and front and end matter. Getting exhaustively detailed works to your advantage.
Prototype design - how well you incorporate the above design choices into a working prototype document layout. You should submit a polished launching pad on which to build your ideas.

If you have any questions about these criteria or the assignment as a whole, please let me know. Also, no group projects are allowed on this proposal or the final project.