Life: Designed

Any good project starts with a plan. Taking the time to create a plan allows you to start on the right foot. It allows you to work efficiently and avoid backtracking. It allows you to make the best possible project. 

A project proposal forces you to think and plan out your project before jumping right in.  By taking a little more time to plan, decisions are more intentional, and you’re sure of the direction.

This doesn’t eliminate every possible issue that may arise. Those are inevitable, and it’s important to figure out how to work past them. Taking the time to make a plan allows you to avoid unnecessary setbacks, define your direction, and when the time comes, take off running. 

My Project

A project proposal is crucial for a large project. I’m working on an animated infographic on the topic of women’s reproductive rights in the United States.  The project is titled The Statistics of Autonomy: Reproductive Rights by the Numbers. It will be a comprehensive motion graphic showcasing reproductive rights statistics in an engaging way.  

Creating a project plan allowed me to organize my thoughts on such a complex topic. It helped me develop a plan of attack, aligning my goals, timeline, and research to translate my idea from imagination to reality. 

Why This Topic?

After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, access to safe abortion and reproductive health care has greatly declined in the United States, while the hate and stigma around the subject are on the rise. As a graphic and motion designer with a deep care for women’s rights, this project allows me to present the facts of such a prevalent topic in an age where misinformation is prominent. 

Why This Medium?

From my preliminary research, the market is saturated with explainer-style videos rather than the primarily fact-based content I plan to create. Videos similar to what I’m planning are usually slower-paced with slow music, making them drag. Creating a fast-paced, fact-based, and dynamic animated infographic will situate my project in a unique niche in the information design space.

Use the animated infographic/data visualization format to engage and educate viewers on the facts behind women’s reproductive rights.

My Goal

Research

Before jumping into animating, or even scripting and storyboarding, I need to gather the facts. I used sources including fact sheets, articles, documentaries, and podcasts. I’m pulling facts from credible leading sources in the field, such as the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and more.  Documentaries I am pulling from include The Janes and Reversing Roe. Insights also come from the Repros Podcast, which is focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights and interviews experts in the field. 

• A Wide Range of Reproductive Care Research: To get a comprehensive understanding of my topic in multiple focus areas.
• Infographic Style Videos: To get an idea of what my peers and competitors are creating in this medium 
• YouTube Best Practices: To understand how to make my video succeed best on the platform I will be launching it on. 

Production Plan

Over the course of 7 weeks, I will be working towards creating my animated infographic. This plan includes my pre-production, production/animation, and launch phases. 

While I’m producing one piece of content as opposed to a series, there is still lots I need to plan. I will be producing artifacts such as scripts, chart plans, storyboards, and visual style guides. This, along with my research, will be the bulk of my pre-production phase. This will take place during weeks 1-4. 

Creating a production plan is essential for staying on top of my project and not falling behind. With a solid pre-production plan, I will be able to have a quicker 2-week production/animation period where I can make initial edits and then revise. The production process itself is a lengthy process, so reducing problems early on will ensure I stay on track. If all goes according to plan, I will have one final week to prepare for delivery.

What a Proposal Allows You to Do

A project proposal allows you to work effectively, maximizing your time, reducing room for errors, and allowing time for a carefully thought-out strategy and game plan. 

Taking the time to critically think about your project before jumping right in reduces the time you may spend backtracking. It forces you to think about the why behind each decision you make, not just haphazardly choosing a direction based on superficial factors alone. It sets you up for success right from the start. 

A project proposal is a necessary method I used in the beginning stages of my planning. It has turned a large, overwhelming task into a manageable project I couldn’t be more excited to dive into.

Get some more insight into my plan by reading my full project proposal below.