Parsons Remote Technical Support Team
New York City
The Challenges
Bruce Drummond and Steve Varga served as Fellows at the Parsons home base in New York City, building and maintaining a blog to support Fellows in the field in Africa and Eastern Europe. Drummond’s and Varga’s roles on the Support Blog varied greatly depending on the phases of the Fellowships (arrival/planning, design, and implementation) as well as the particular skill sets of each Fellow. The New York City team’s work focused on filling in the gaps between their colleagues’ capabilities and the requirements of each NGO. In addition to building and maintaining the technical aspects of the blog, on a daily basis Drummond and Varga responded to individual forum posts, Skype calls, and emails from the field.
The Solutions
The New York duo provided suggestions for research, design and technical solutions, visual and interface design, and art direction. Drummond’s and Varga’s work ranged from quick answers to full web site builds and implementations. OSI/ Parsons Fellowships In Information Design Collaborative Web Site 2010 At Parsons Drummond and Varga are now developing a collaborative web site for the Fellowship program. The site will be an open source workplace so that OSI/ Parsons Fellows and NGOs can connect on strategies and solutions. Organizations and individuals will be able to share best practices and avoid duplicating effort. The site will serve as a gathering place for Fellows and NGOs involved in similar work yet far-removed from one other geographically.
Photos
NGOs
Parsons
New York
Located in the heart of New York City, Parsons The New School for Design is one of the most prestigious and comprehensive institutions of art and design in the world. Parsons has been a pioneer in the field of art and design since its founding in 1896, establishing the first programs in Interior Design, Advertising and Graphic Design, and Fashion Design in the nation and being an early pioneer in Design and Technology. This visionary leadership has led to five generations of graduates who are some of the most highly recognized individuals in their fields. Today, Parsons focuses on creating engaged citizens and exceptional artists, designers, scholars, and business leaders through a design-based education. Embracing the principles of interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and social responsibility, Parsons engages students with a critical awareness of complex social issues such as sustainability and globalization. Parsons The New School for Design and its parent institution The New School are known for their dedication to design, democracy and development. At Parsons, rigorous practice and critical scholarship prepares students to become leading agents of commentary and change.
Fellows
Bruce Drummond
Bruce Drummond (Parsons MFA DT 2010) is a new media artist, designer, and developer. Currently he is experimenting with emergent tools and technologies to create immersive user experiences through light, sound, abstract visuals, and social media.
Steve Varga
Stephen Varga (Parsons MFA DT 2010) is an interactive designer, developer, and researcher. His artwork encourages participants to construct meaning through interacting with digital systems.
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