CHALLENGE OVERVIEW:
World Wide Open came to Vision Launchers in early 2007 in search of a firm that could handle all aspects of launching an ambitious new non-profit organization and technology-heavy website that would transform the way people, Churches and non-profits worked together to share important resources and solve local and global problems.
THE SOLUTION :
Vision Launchers broke the project down into three core areas - Creative, Interactive Media and Consulting. In the Creative arena, the talents and skills of the VL team were put to the test with World Wide Open. First, Vision Launchers designed an innovative logo that would appeal to not only the Web 2.0 crowd but would also succinctly communicate that people and the impact they can have on the world around them are core to the World Wide Open concept. VL also handled all the marketing, print and identity work for World Wide Open – utilizing its cost-effective wholesale printing to get World Wide Open up, running and looking very professional very quickly.
The Vision Launchers creative team then worked closely with World Wide Open to develop a leading edge website that would connect users around shared interests and passions, enable them to share resources (articles, audio, and video) and allow users to automatically link up with volunteer opportunities on a local and global basis. Vision Launchers first step in creating the World Wide Open site was creating the HTML design, layout and framework for the site. All coding was done in PHP, a widely-used general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. Vision Launchers created a site scalable for hundreds of thousands of users with exciting site components such as flash audio player, rss feeds, a keyword linking system, utilization of Google APIs for a mapping system and site caching. The site will also feature an internal email system and blogging platform. Vision Launchers has been integral in helping World Wide Open develop a self perpetuating model that populates, engages and publishes content to unite individuals, Churches and non-profits that are interested in making an impact. The resulting effect of this model is that people are simultaneously informed and called into action. The associations, threading and cross-referencing allows users to find opportunities to immerse themselves in service and to use their gifts to help others. In this model, action is the precipitate. The site is currently under development and will be released in August of 2007.
In the Interactive Media arena, VL developed a simple but extremely powerful Flash introduction that communicated the fundamental principles and ideas of World Wide Open. This piece has been successfully used by the Executive Director and Board of Directors in nearly all of their fundraising efforts.
In the area of consulting, VL’s consulting division was instrumental throughout the development of World Wide Open. The consulting division was highly involved in laying out the overall organizational strategy for World Wide Open – helping to develop a 1 year and 2 year plan, in addition to building out the first stage of a nationally recognized board of advisors. The consulting team also guided World Wide Open through the legal and financial jungle of setting up a new non-profit organization. The consulting division also provided strategic direction for World Wide Open in the areas of web strategy, web positioning, and marketing roll-out.
THE RESULTS :
Vision Launchers was with World Wide Open from concept to launch – developing and implementing leading edge solutions in the areas of creative solutions, interactive media and strategic consulting. Vision Launchers proved to be the optimal firm to help World Wide Open get off the ground. The site will be launched in August of 2007 and the organization has already signed a major partnership with a national organization to help market and roll-out the site in certain key areas. World Wide Open has high hopes for its new technology and the VL team is confident in its plan for success. |
