Cohousing-L Mailing List: Design RFP for pubs, website, logo for Cohousing Network

[Raines Cohen (rc2-coho-L]

[What does the concept of Cohousing look like to you? Here's your chance 
to share that vision through The Cohousing Network's publications, logo, 
and website. This task is key to the success of the ongoing editor job, 
not to mention TCN's ability to effectively communicate with the whole 
world of cohousers.  Please share this within your community - we know 
there are some great artists and designers among all the creative 
professionals living in and forming groups! Per the text below, refer 
questions to Dennis, not me. --Raines]

Request for proposal
Integrated design package
The Cohousing Network
http://www.cohousing.org/

RFP Summary

The Cohousing Network seeks to hire the services of a design professional 
to provide an integrated design package that will include re-design of 
the organization¹s website, logo and newsletter.


Background and history

The Cohousing Network is a small non-profit organization that seeks to 
advance the building of and sustenance of cohousing communities in North 
America. It is approximately five years old.

The organization currently maintains a website (www.cohousing.org) and 
publishes a magazine, Cohousing. It does not have a logo. In 2002, the 
organization conducted a comprehensive assessment of its operations and 
embraced a strategic re-alignment that will re-direct its focus. The TCN 
board also hired a professional executive director and adopted a 
strategic plan, which included a re-focusing of its communications 
outreach programs. Key to re-focusing communications activities ? which 
now are seen as disparate and unrelated ? is to integrate all 
communications in look and content.


Overall design objective

New design should help to convey a professional, yet informal image that 
will appeal to targeted audiences, enhance readability and overall assist 
the organization in communicating its key messages. 


Website 

Current plans include greatly enhancing the current scope of content 
available on the website to help fulfill the information needs of the 
organizations constituents (see audiences below). The final look of the 
website should reinforce overall design objectives (see above) and invite 
viewers into the site. An enhanced navigational structure should allow 
visitors to find information they seek easily and quickly. The design 
challenge here will be to accommodate the needs of a diverse audience.  
Design should also help to facilitate technical enhancements to website 
to allow for greater interactivity including online shopping, conference 
registration and form-based information requests. 


Newsletter 

Current plans include re-focusing a 60-page, bi-annual magazine into a 
12-page, bi-monthly newsletter. Design elements should help to reinforce 
identity of website and other subsequent communications vehicles. Design 
should reinforce overall design objectives and allow for non-professional 
to use templates to layout publication via desktop publishing to 
implement the design for each issue. 

Logo 

This should serve as the key anchoring device for building the identity 
of the organization. Design should be professional, yet non-corporate 
looking, conveying the warmth, high-touch aspect of friendly 
neighborhoods and community building. Logo will be used on website, 
newsletter, annual report, letterhead and promotional items.


Audiences

People who are currently living in cohousing
People who are either forming groups or are building their communities
People who are interested in living in cohousing
Professionals who are either providing services to cohousing groups 
(developers, builders, architects, consultants) or exploring whether they 
should provide such services.
These groups include both members and non-members of the organization.


Tangibles to be produced to fulfill contract:

Logo: 3 design comps, final logo in electronic format that can be used in 
both digital and print forms

Website: Home page design, one interior page design, one secondary page 
design. HTML and Javascript code for web pages. 

Newsletter: Design template in QuarkXpress or similar type of program for 
four pages of the newsletter; a masthead and color suggestions for a 
black plus one-color printing.

Suggestions for specific colors and fonts to create uniformity among all 
communications vehicles.


Information to be included in proposal:

o Brief background of professional design experience.
o Samples of design work.
o List of existing and previous clients
o Specifics on any services that you plan to provide not outlined in this 
proposal
o Costs of all services requested in this proposal


Questions

Direct any questions about this proposal to: Dennis Jay, team leader, TCN 
Communications Team, dennis.jay [at] comcast.net


Send proposal to: 

Roy O'Shaughnessy
Executive Director
The Cohousing Network
1504 Franklin Street, Suite 102
Oakland, CA 94612
execdir [at] cohousing.org

Other

The Cohousing Network will hold all ownership and copyright to all final 
tangibles produced under this contract.




Raines Cohen <my initials,2,dash,coho,dash,L at my first name .com>

  Member, Swan's Market Coho [Oakland, CA] <http://www.swansway.com/>
Where my neighbors set up shifts to provide childcare coverage while some 
parents were in the hospital for half a day.

  Facilitator, East Bay Cohousing [on hiatus] <http://www.ebcoho.org/>
Who enjoyed the Mariposa Grove holiday gathering last week.

  Boardmember, The Cohousing Network <http://www.cohousing.org/>
Reminding you to come early for the North American Cohousing Conference, 
June 20-22, 2003 in Boulder, CO to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.


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