Activity: Contacting artists directly
Description: In everyday communication with the potentially interested users (artists, art-lovers, theorists and critics, sponsors, donors…), members of the Association try to present the Association and offer the possibility of getting involved in a project on a passive (presentation of works on the Internet) or active basis (volunteer work, Association membership).
Activity: Receipt of material and CALLS to the artists
Description: We have been receiving the works on a continuous basis since the beginning of phase I. F rom the end of phase II a program-information system for entering and administration of data (the so-called Content Management ) will also be available in the framework of the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders module. The system will make it possible for artists to personally enter and up-date the data via Internet, and to make the final/individual design of their presentation folders with more freedom.
Activity: CALL to the artists 1 – Internet and radio announcements
Description: By way of announcements on web portals and radio stations we CALLED upon artists to participate in the project. We presented the goals and activities of the Association through several interviews and radio shows as well.
Activity: CALL to the artists 2 – distribution of leaflets
Description: We distributed 4,000 leaflets in museums, galleries, cultural centers and other places across Croatia where artists and culture-lovers meet.
Activity: Collection, digitalization and processing of material
Description: Members of the Association working as volunteers process large quantities of received materials. The processing includes scanning, cutting (e.g. straightening out and adjustment of low quality photographic material), conversion from one format into another, preparing the same material in various sizes (in accordance with enlargement options x1, x2, x4 that are available for the images in question), editing of audio and video clips, and similar.
Activity: Field and technical assistance for artists
Description: Field and technical assistance includes taking photos of the works in the field, video camera shooting and all other forms of technical support (e-mail, phone, live…) for artists who may encounter difficulties while using the new technological features in the framework of the project and on a wider scale.
Activity: Analysis of users from target group A (artists)
Description: We analyzed 50 artists whose wishes and needs have helped us define the content and the structure of the web space intended for them.
Activity: Analysis of data and formats
Description: We used the materials collected in the previous sub-phase as a sample for our efforts to create the presentation folders. By consulting specialized literature and analyzing web pages of similar content, we made a selection of the most appropriate formats for the publication of shorter and longer texts, images, audio and video recordings etc. on the Internet.
Activity: Analysis of users from target group B (art-lovers and the wider public)
Description: We tried to anticipate the wishes and needs of the visitors related to the structure and the functionality of our web pages. We analyzed web pages of similar content. The obtained results helped us in designing and analyzing the user interface.
Activity: Designing of Ars.Polis
Description: In accordance with the results obtained through the analysis of data and the analysis of users from target groups A and B, we made, in our opinion, the most appropriate organizational and technical solutions for the organization of the database, the user interfaces, and the complete organization of Ars.Polis.
Activity: Database design
Description: We defined the XML structure and folders on the disc.
Activity: Creation of visual and audio identity
Description: Vision is the most developed sense in humans. According to specialized research, it is believed that people form 90% of their opinions on the basis of appearances. We paid our utmost attention to this fact. We designed and worked out in detail the basic visual identity of Ars.Polis including the static, linear or process-animated components. During the next phases we will build on the basic design working out the applications for particular modules and their integrated elements (interfaces, menus, tool bars, and similar). Together with the visual, we have also created a recognizable audio identity, and we optimized the loading speed for individual pages.
Activity: Designing of the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders module
Activity: Designing of the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders program module
Description: Designing of the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis (in two versions: the one visible to all visitors in the “suburb” and the one visible only to citizens after entering the “city”) and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module (the so-called Content Management).
Schematic presentation:
Museum of Today
Presentation folders of artists, art groups and theorists
Search
Administration
Presentation folders of artists, art groups and theorists
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Museum of Today/Presentation Folders module
Activity: Designing of the City Door module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the City Door module
Activity: Designing of the program for the City Door module
Schematic presentation:
City Door
Registration of artists, art groups and theorists
Registration of activists, associations and institutions
Registration of sponsors
Identification of users
Modification of user data
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the City Door module
Activity: Formatting and entering of data in the database
Description: After converting all materials into standard web formats, we entered an experimental sample of data in the Ars.Polis database and in doing so we prepared the first 50 presentation folders of artists, art groups and theorists.
Activity: External testing
Description: External testing of Ars.Polis will be done by users themselves with the help of a special form for reporting errors. We will try to solve the problems as soon as possible by removing the errors and by constantly improving the overall functioning of the system.
Activity: Informative action
Description: At the end of each phase or during the release of particular modules in public, we will conduct a field and media informative action. The goal of the action is to make contact with as many artists as possible and to encourage institutions and the wider public to cooperate.
Activity: Designing of the Agora module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Agora module
Activity: Designing of the Agora program module
Description: Designing of the Agora program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module.
Schematic presentation:
Agora
Culture news
Theory and criticism
Advertisement board
Interesting news
Questionnaires
Search
Administration
Culture news
Theory and criticism
Advertisement board
Interesting news
Questionnaires
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Agora module
Activity: Designing of the Sponsorship Fair module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Sponsorship Fair module
Activity: Designing of the Sponsorship Fair program module
Description: Designing of the Sponsorship Fair program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module.
Schematic presentation:
Sponsorship Fair
Project presentation cards
Presentation folders of sponsors
Advertisement board
Search
Administration
Project presentation cards
Presentation folders of sponsors
Advertisement board
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Sponsorship Fair module
Activity: Designing of the Solidarity Network module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Solidarity Network module
Activity: Designing of the Solidarity Network program module
Description: Designing of the Solidarity Network program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module.
Schematic presentation:
Solidarity Network
Presentation cards of activists
Presentation folders of associations and institutions
Field support for artists
Fields of activism
Contacts
Technical support for artists
Questions and answers
Contacts
Advertisement board
Search
Administration
Presentation cards of activists
Presentation folders of associations and institutions
Advertisement board
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Solidarity Network module
Activity: Designing of the Communication module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Communication module
Activity: Designing of the Communication program module
Description: Designing of the Communication program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module.
Schematic presentation:
Communication
Chat
Chat (group)
Chat (private)
Forum
City mail
Web mail
Search
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Communication module
Activity: Designing of the Field Support folder (additional element of the Solidarity Network module)
Schematic presentation:
Solidarity Network
Field support for artists
Field support folder
Activity: Testing of the Field Support folder
Activity: External Testing
Description: External testing of Ars.Polis will be done by users themselves with the help of a special form for reporting errors. We will try to solve the problems as soon as possible by removing the errors and by constantly improving the overall functioning of the system.
Activity: Informative action
Description: At the end of each phase or during the release of particular modules in public, we will conduct a field and media informative action. The goal of the action is to make contact with as many artists as possible and to encourage institutions and the wider public to cooperate.
Activity: Designing of the Art Sale module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Art Sale module
Activity: Designing of the Art Sale program module
Description: Designing of the Art Sale program module includes its visible part in the framework of Ars.Polis and the program-information system for entering and administration of data within the module.
Schematic presentation:
Art Sale
Shop window
Auctions
Identification of buyers
Registration of buyers
Search
Administration
Shop window
Auctions
Buyers’ user data
Artwork presentation cards
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Art Sale module
Activity: Designing of the Museum of Today/Gallery module
Activity: Designing of visual identity applications for the Museum of Today/Gallery module
Activity: Designing of the Museum of Today/Gallery program module
Schematic presentation:
Museum of Today
Gallery
2D (Flash)
3D (Schockwave)
Activity: Expanding the database
Activity: Internal testing of the Museum of Today/Gallery module
Activity: External Testing
Description: External testing of Ars.Polis will be done by users themselves with the help of a special form for reporting errors. We will try to solve the problems as soon as possible by removing the errors and by constantly improving the overall functioning of the system.
Activity: Informative action
Description: At the end of each phase or during the release of particular modules in public, we will conduct a field and media informative action. The goal of the action is to make contact with as many artists as possible and to encourage institutions and the wider public to cooperate.
The Solidarity Network is a network of technical and field support that connects the artists/volunteers with those artists who lack the knowledge and/or material resources needed to become the citizens of Ars.Polis.
The coordinating points of the volunteer network are the subsidiaries of the Ars.Polis Association. The task of the subsidiaries, both official and unofficial ones, is to gather volunteer labor force (activists), raise funds from local sponsors and donors, take care of the procurement of material, and similar. So far the unofficial subsidiaries exist in Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Rijeka.
We hope that, with time, we will succeed to create a long-term and efficient Solidarity Network among artists across Croatia.
Under the term Technical Support we consider concrete help to artists in the preparation of materials in the format appropriate for being publicized on the Internet, possible digitalization and additional processing of different formats (images, texts, audio, video and multi-media recordings).
We envisaged the Field Support as a long-term volunteer action. The action is intended for artists who are not in the possibility to prepare their own materials that could present their creative work adequately. In the course of time, we will try to adjust our services to meet the needs of as many artists as we can, whether through photographing their works or recording their music and stage performances.
☼ The dynamics of designing particular modules will depend on the available resources, and the order of priorities is explained further in the text.