Pitch prep

I am doing a 5-minute pitch of my thesis tomorrow to Michael Salamon, and again on Tuesday to Brian Delevie. Here is what I've prepared.

PITCH

I want to create web videos about current topics in sex, pregnancy, and empowerment for access via smartphones as a positive outreach tool for teenage girls in Denver.

I am especially interested in communicating ideas about sexuality, responsibility, personal freedom, peer pressure, and health, in an effort to curb unplanned pregnancies.

My vision is to partner with an existing organization whose focus is is helping Colorado women and girls reduce unintended pregnancy, thereby increasing their health and economic self-sufficiency.

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SPECIFICS

I want to make video shorts of young women talking about current topics in in sexual health and wellbeing. The voices will be from young women, for young women.

The videos will be mounted on a YouTube channel associated with a parent site (i.e. Planned Parenthood) dedicated to audience outreach. YouTube provides a ubiquitous existing platform for reaching a large audience.

Design of a related unique web page may or may not be necessary depending on the partner organization.

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WHY VIDEO AND SMARTPHONES?

Video and smartphones are particularly relevant tools for the audience I am trying to reach.

Specifically, video is the visual media of choice for today's teenagers - they prefer to watch rather than read.

Smartphones are the best way to reach an audience who may be low-income and not have internet access at home.

It is also a great way for a young audience to share messages and information easily via social networks and personal texts. This is perhaps the best way to disseminate information related to a sensitive topic - allowing girls to relate information among trusted friends, instead of depending on adult educators and parents.

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BACKGROUND

I was inspired this fall working with Nurse Family Partnership, an organization that provides personal nurses for low-income pregnant women (some as young as 13 years old). I also have a lot of compassion for the challenges teenage girls face.

The project meets a number of my own criteria for a compelling project:

• inspires me
• has a human connection
• is local
• provides an opportunity for partnership (with businesses/organizations/communities)
• can actually make a positive impact and help people / contributes to society
• utilizes tools/media I enjoy and want to get better at (video, motion, web)
• incorporates the element of storytelling

and it also fits characteristic of a good digital design thesis endeavor:

• executable in allotted timeframe
• presentable
• solves a design problem
• evocative, timely, & relevant
• distinct approach through the use of design
• has some degree of quantifiably measured success

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