Requesting a Project

When to request a project

The ITRC operates year-round. However, as our Digital Media Designers only work full-time hours during the summer, we aim to complete the bulk of our project work between May and September. Keep this in mind when timing your project, as we can typically set bigger goals for summer projects.

Where to request a project

Projects can be requested via the form available on our Contact page. Upon submission, our team will review your request and determine whether your project is something our team can assist with. We will then reach out to schedule an introductory meeting.

What questions to answer before requesting a project

Though you may have a great idea for a project, there are a lot of practical elements that are easy to overlook when starting out. Before reaching out the ITRC, consider the following questions:

  • Who else do I need to involve? Sometimes, project work requires collaboration with Subject Matter Experts and external stakeholders. Consider if they also have the time to dedicate to this project.
  • How much time can I devote to this project? Beyond the work of developing content for your project, you will also be expected to attend project meetings and respond to project emails in a timely manner.
  • When is the deadline for the completion of this project, and is it flexible? A clear project deadline helps us determine the scope of what we can complete in the given time and will dictate the milestone deadlines for the rest of the project. Knowing your completion deadline helps us work backwards and determine a clear plan to follow.
  • Who is my audience for the project? Think about who will be viewing this project – is this a group of students in a specific course, or will this reach many other groups on campus? If you’re looking at sharing it outside of the university community, there will be additional considerations and planning needed.
  • Do I need to seek out additional funding? External grants and department funding may aid in the creation of your project. Consider whether this is something you can pursue.
  • How will my course or work be affected if this project cannot be completed? Sometimes, unforeseen events make it difficult to complete a project on time. While we strive to complete every project to the determined deadline, you will always want to think of your back up plan. If your course or work relies heavily on the content of this project, what will you use in place of the project piece?

Development time estimates

What we can complete on a project depends on how much time we have and how complex the requested work is. It can be hard to know what constitutes ‘complex’ work when it comes to multimedia design. The ITRC Project Estimates Guide can be a helpful in defining the kinds of work we do and the estimated production time a single element may take the ITRC to produce. These estimates will determine what deliverables we can agree to for a project.