Developing Interactive Organiser

Background
For many years when I was volunteering for this salsa dancing convention, I was using a group of printed fold-out materials as my volunteering pack.
My role including monitoring oncoming visitors and participation is wearing the appropriate wristband when entering the events area of the venue. Also, it provides information and to access different elements of the event schedules including specific classes, workshops, presentations, live shows and different social parties between four different rooms. This can be extremely demanding as hundreds of visitors and participations pass through into the events areas every hour within a four-hour volunteering schedule.

So using an organiser as a tool & a reference to make sure my autistic difficulties do not compromise my role and requirements. This is especially because there is a lot of information and reminders to remember during the volunteering role.



Historical or previous context
Although these printed materials worked well most of the time it did not able for me to be adaptable which specific situations occur. Especially when it is not possible to access specific information and guidelines quickly with particular print materials and particular foldout areas of a document. This includes uncompromising visitors who have no or invalid wristbands and those who are hostile and disrespectful. Also, the printed documents made it harder to able to deal with the extreme and disruptive behaviour of visitors and crew members. Because it this I have experienced mental health and anxiety which affect my confidence to volunteer.

So I wanted to create a different way of being organised while increasing my ability to be flexible and adaptable.
Before developing a digital organiser I was creating interactive touch point documents including an art & design portfolio and and general showcase. This was used for networking related to awareness, creative and other opportunities.
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Prototype material
This led to the development of prototype digital materials with interactivity. The documents are made of main and section index pages, information, maps reminders and guidance pages within sections. It incorporates the information previously used for printed organisers as a potential digital organiser. When it was initially created I shared the prototype digital documents with key members & leaders of Latinmotion the event organiser of NYE Fest. The team was fascinated by my developments and asked several questions and addressed a potential scenario on how I cope. It was becoming obvious the interactive organiser had able me to manage more and become more prepared.

Developments level
The next stage is to refine the information and prepare the rest of the information and content which enables to completion the materials. While this was found I was refining the graphics and presentation to make sure the material will maintain my attention when using the material during a four-hour volunteering duty. Regularly I had to test the materials and make updates, modifications & alterations to the information presentation and features. This continued until I was happy with the results. The design presentation combined vibrant & design features. The vibrant side is inspired by the graphics & design presentation used for US live sports broadcasts & networks which incorporate bold headline titles, three-dimensional visual effects, and colour blends. The typeface "Impact" was used as the document page titles to align the document to how the typeface is used on the official materials of the event. Meanwhile, the "Lato" typeface was used for paragraph text as it was easy for the eye to read the content quickly. 

Meanwhile, the practical side incorporated colour coding to identify the sections of the organiser and used solid colour blocks of different sizes behind the certain written content related to communication protocols, guidelines and specific instructions.

Adding the quick shortcut links
There are at times certain information needs to be accessed quickly which goes beyond the main & section index pages.
So the quick & shortcut links were added to bridge the gap.
The quick links are displayed on detailed information pages. It is either used as an addition lino with the same or a different section of the document. Throughout the document family of quick links are used to get around the document at high speed when needed. This is displayed consistently on one side of the document pages.

The completion
The finalisation of the documents was made when the official programme was announced and the finalised details of the events map. This was because the room's location was changed. This led to the final test of the interactivity to make the documents work before making final alterations. For volunteering the digital organiser was used For a specific tablet device was used For display purposes only (which is different from general devices I used For personal purposes) this is for privacy & security reasons.

Using the digital organiser
From start to finish of each volunteering duty the use of the interactive volunteer has been a seamless experience. It has enabled me to remove all stress and pressures when unplanned situations occur. It not only enabled me to be versatile and adaptable when required I was also able expand my capabilities beyond what so can manage.

Review, decision and approach
The overall analysis is that we need to be creative and imaginative when it comes to developing materials tools and references which lead to enable to best out of others. It is not always about what's the following or creating trends or the next big Innovation. We need to think smartly to develop positive solutions within the resources and a vision.

Developing the interactive volunteer organiser was a vision inspired by news broadcasts when a journalist presented information from a large touchscreen. Especially when it is used on US election broadcasts on television and provides real-time results

The Final conclusion
So it's not about thinking ahead is about having a vision with smarter creativity & solutions



View the project information page with more on the design aspects of the project by visiting the creative page

Find out about my involvement in the NYE Fest by visiting the Dancing Direction webpage

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Note to editors
Keith Mckenzie
Keith is an awareness campaigner, a creative designer (Graphic design and digital art) and a salsa dancing participant

With a background in Art & Design (including Graphic Design & Digital art) and a participant in music-related film documentaries, events & record label project King Of the Beats including filming and behind the scene preparations.

Keith was educated at Hereford College of the Arts, the University of Northampton, Birmingham City University and Google's Digital Garage. Since 2000, he has developed over twenty years in providing awareness projects, campaigns and activities with the Awareness brand Plus Value Awareness along with Differences Originals. Also are involved with salsa classes in the local community as an assistant. Also have participated in major dancing conventions twice a year at Birmingham's NEC for Birmingham Latinmotion and London's ManboCity.

In 2022, Keith become a featured community participant for Birmingham who became part of special projects and campaigns to promote a positive legacy beyond hosting the commonwealth games