What is Workflow?

Work•flow /ˈwərkflō/

“The sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.” – lexico.com

What is a quality workflow?  How do we develop it?  Below are elements of the production cycle that most creative people move through as they create something.  First, we must identify the stages of project production. What is each stage and what are the quality checks for each stage.  Read on and find out!

Stages of Creation Development

Inspiration

How do we find ideas to develop?

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Tools for inspiration can be many things such as: The works of others, interactions you have or any thoughts that just pop into your head.

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

The process for inspiration isn’t something that is the same for everyone. What you should do is find a process that works and build around it in your own way.

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

The measure of quality is very subjective. If you are measuring the quality of inspiration, measure it by seeing how effectively you can turn your inspiration into a format without it being seen as stolen or incomprehensible outside of your own head

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

The people who measure quality are whoever see your product, whoever you put your product out too will measure the quality of it.

Intention

How do we clarify our specific goal(s) for a project?

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Use an organizer to keep yourself on track, and keep your intention clear

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Create a basis for your intention and work around it, keep your intention clear but not too simple.

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

The quality of your intention depends on how well it is mixed into your product, if it comes off like a page explaining the moral of the story at the end of a children book, it’s too obvious, but if you have to be their to figure out the intention, its too hidden, try to find a good balance of having an obvious enough intention, but not too distracting.

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

The quality of your intention will be measured by whoever knows the intention, some may not agree with the intention, and some may.

Pre-production

How can we brainwrite, brainstorm, storyboard, and plan our ideas at this phase?

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Use the previous tools specified, as well as working with team-members to create tools that work for everyone.

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Use the tools created with your team to create a process together that works for evryone.

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

The quality of your pre-production is measured by how well the product and teamwork comes out of it is.

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

For this, the people measuring quality should be you and your team members, how well do you work together? Are your tools and processes effective?

Production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our plan for this phase? This is where we actually make the project.

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Use tools that help you tweak and improve the product to your liking.

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Use a process that is organized and helps get work done efficiently

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

Is your team cooperating well, and is work getting done too slowly?

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

Your team should give each other feedback on how each other are doing.

Post-production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our final stages of the project for this phase? This is where we publish the project.

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Create new tools that work for post production, and see if the tools you last created still work.

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Use a proccess that is organized, and works for everybody, if your last process still applies, recycle it.

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

Is the product organized and can people who didn’t work on it understand it?

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

The team members will see if they are satisfied with their work and how they put it together.

Presentation/Performance

How do we share our project with our learning community, advisory members, and the world?

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Use tools like google slides or power point that help you organize the presentation of your product

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Use the tools to organize your presentation in such a way that it highlights your product

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

How organized is your presentation? does it highlight your product positively?

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

The people viewing your presentation.

Feedback

How do we conduct a feedback session at the end of the project development cycle?

• WHAT TOOLS SHOULD WE USE?

Use your team members to help you answer question and receive feedback, organize it in a way you’re comfortable with.

• WHAT PROCESS SHOULD WE USE?

Have team members answer questions that pertain to their field and don’t let team members become overloaded with questions.

• HOW DO YOU MEASURE QUALITY?

Did you use your feedback positively and did each member of the team understand what needed to be improved on.

• WHO MEASURES QUALITY?

You and your team, did the feedback give you criticism that you could build off of to improve your product?