Inkwell - Craft Cafe

Inkwell is part public sector funded and part funded by the Mind charity.

- They provide art classes for people who suffer from mental illness, these classes are over subscribed.

- They have just bought some new sound equipment and a new iMac with video resources and such which are currently under used.

- They complained that their website wasn't too great.

- No one has photoshop or illustrator skills to teach people.

- They have a large outdoor space fit for gardening with a tarmacced bit too. Plenty of scope for activities.

- They have a great clay and ceramics room with a kiln


INKWELL - PHOTOSHOP AND ILLUSTRATOR BRIEF

Context

Inkwell are an ethical art and education resource for sufferers of mental illness. 
They have a new computer with the Adobe Creative Suite.
It has been requested by the service users who have been registered as having learning disabilities and / or mental health problems to learn Photoshop and Illustrator.
Inkwell is partly funded by the charity Mind, but also charge a small fee for some of their sessions as their outgoings include renting the building itself.

Brief

As a student in the visual arts, you are being asked to teach or facilitate the teaching of those of Inkwells services users who want to use Illustrator and Photoshop to use Illustrator and Photoshop.


Rationale


1. You will first need to identify which service users want to learn the programs. This could be done through email, a sign-sheet, posters e.t.c. Then you will need to deliver the sessions yourself or employ the help of someone who can teach the programs. There many of us across the college who could do this.

2. Deliver the sessions. You will need to consider the fact that you or your team will be teaching to people who have learning dissabilities and mental health problems so you will need to be CRB checked or have a member of staff who is CRB checked with you at all times. If a service user does have a learning dissability you will have to research on teaching methods for someone who's condition limits their learning abilities. The teaching could be delivered through taught sessions, drop-in sessions or simply by an experienced user of the above programs being present at their craft cafe's and drop-in days.

3. Measure the success of the sessions through feed-back forms or documented verbal feedback from users and staff. To prove the value of this project will need to present the outcome in a visual format, possibly including some of the work that is produced so this can be presented to the funders and organisers of Inkwell.


INKWELL - WEBSITE BRIEF

Context

Inkwell are an ethical art and education resource for people who suffer with mental illness and / or learning dissabilities. They have expressed the idea that their website is not at the standard they want it to be.
You as a volunteering web-designer, have the task of facillitating the process of bringing the website up to scratch. 

Brief

Update or redesign, or facilitate the process of updating or redesigning the website.

"http://www.leedsmind.org.uk/view.aspx?id=91"

Rationale

1. Research and document exactly what it is the workers of Inkwell think is wrong with the website. Do they want a new one which is not a branch-off from Leeds Mind? Do they just want the page updating? If it is just the page that needs updating you will need to contact the administrators of the Leeds Mind website.

2. Rebuild the website using a process of trial and error. Experiment with your own skills in communication and get the website as close to what Inkwell want by asking their opinion whenever you make a significant change. You need to be aware that the website should be able to be viewed on low-end computers, as many of the websites users will be on a limited income.

3. Evaluate the website by getting feedback from the Inkwell staff and the users of the website and set out to prove that the new design is indeed effective in communicating what they need to communicate so that Inkwell can show that this was a valuable use of resources.


INKWELL - GARDEN BRIEF

Context

Inkwell are an ethical arts and education resource for people with learning disabilities or who suffer with mental illness. Inkwell does not currently have the money to pay its staff.
They have a large garden space that is used for sculpture, events, a small gardening project and general relaxation. It is currently in a state of disrepair. Inkwell have expressed an interest in making the garden nice for next summer and putting projects in place that will engage its service users in the upkeep of the garden.

I have just emailed requesting information on their funding.

Brief

Facilitate the redesign of their garden for next summer. This must include the above uses for the garden. It needs to be an improved relaxation space. It must keep the gardening / vegetable growing project. Also, through the ceramics workshop many of their service users have shown a keen interest in sculpture so developing a class / project for outdoor sculpture could be a positive thing to work into the project. As a student on Visual Communication you are expected to work ethically.

Rationale

You will be the coordinator for the project. You will need to find people who have a passion for Sculture and Gardening. Inkwell has many volunteers and is supported by Leeds Mind so by talking to them finding the volunteers shouldn't be too hard.
Research and document what it is the staff and service users of Inkwell would like to see in a positive redesign of the garden. Facilitate the design of a brief that allows those stake holders in that garden to recreate the garden as a creative and therapeutic project.