Team ID and Websites - TechBrick Robotics...3 TechBrick Robotics * * Marco Ciavolino * [email protected] Team Branding and Websites TechBrick Robotics Our History TechBrick was formed

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TechBrick Robotics * www.TechBrick.com * Marco Ciavolino * [email protected]

Team Branding and Websites

Marco CiavolinoFounding Mentor for

TechBrickMarketing/Communications

& Technology Consultant*enktesis, LLC

Forest Hill, Maryland

Team Branding and WebsitesWith Support From

University of Maryland Baltimore CountySURVICE EngineeringMaryland State Senator Nancy JacobsNJ FTCiCNRG FLLSilverpop, Inc.Creative Kids at HomeLeavitt’s Freight ServiceHome Education ResourcesPace AcademyCustom DirectNehemiah CommunicationsThe Better HourBroadway AppraisalsMadonna Veterinary ClinicConsolidated PrintingEnktesis, LLCNumerous FIRST Teams

Marco Ciavolino * www.enktesis.com * 410.838.8264

Your Speaker

Marco CiavolinoGeneral marketing communicationsInvolved in many disciplines

Web Development, Copywriting, Publication design and production, Photography, Video production, Live radio, Event management, Strategic planning and business development, Graphic design, Direct mail, Phone banks, Outdoor advertising, Fulfillment and customer service, Network design and implementation, Application development, Training

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TechBrick Robotics

Our HistoryTechBrick was formed 2004First competition in 2005Growth from 20-120 membersMonthly activities30 team participants in 2007-08

JFLL, FLL, & FTCInterest continues to growOrganized Maryland JFLL TournamentRegional seminars on starting a teamFirst high school judges for FLL

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TechBrick Robotics

Monthly MeetingsMore that 120 children registeredBuilds interest for teamsCreative exercises

AnimationDocumentation TasksBoat buildingBridge BuildingGuest Speakers

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TechBrick Robotics

Competition Teams: Innovative SolutionsLight Sensor: Improved by 1200% (FLL)

Using a ‘Spider Man Magnifying Glass’Sideways Stepping Bot (FLL)

Drive forward, step right and leftTorque/RPM Discoveries (FLL)

Design to specifications exerciseBall and Bar Lifting Bot (FTC)

Capture the primary objectRing Lifting Automation Device (FTC)

Pickup rings with materials handling device

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TechBrick

State CompetitionsUMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)TCNJ (The College of New Jersey)UD (University of DE)CSM (College of Southern Maryland)

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TechBrick Robotics

Award Winning Results

Team Spirit

AmazeAward

Innovate Awards

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TechBrick Robotics

A Robust Website with Useful Resources: TechBrick.comTeam TipsWorksheetsProjects for group workPhotos and guidelinesGlobal traffic

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Real-World Results: TechBrick Robotics

Community Service

Local Presentations to Sponsors

Library Programs

SURVICE Engineering Corporation

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Media and Fun

Featured in Media

Adopted Team Members

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Focused Children: Good for America…Of the 50+ children on teams over the past five years at least half have been encouraged to pursue math, science, and engineering studies.Numerous innovations in research, design, and execution.Lessons learned in…

Project ManagementProcessesTeamworkImplementationCompetitionDesignResearch

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Numerous Resources

Over The Years We’ve Produced a Range of ResourcesWorksheetsMission PlanningFormatted documentsGamesAnd more…

Since Aug 2008 we’ve had nearly than 16,000 visitors who have aggregately downloaded close to 100,000 documents.

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Corporate ID

Three RulesCorporate ID systems workYour team should have corporate IDYou should use it aggressivelyThere are always more rules….

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Branding: What is Corporate ID?

Corporate includes all the elements used to communicate the products, mission, vision, and services of an organization.

At a minimum CID includesNameLogo: Positions, colors, usageColorsPublications: Stationery, cards, literatureDisplay: Signs, postersWeb: Website(s)Clothing Specialties Digital: Email, formsPhone Presence

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Branding: What is Corporate ID?

Corporate includes all the elements used to communicate the products, mission, vision, and services of an organization.

Big corporations defend their brandsYou can as well.

Should you brand your team? Let’s see…

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Branding: What Is Corporate ID?

Let’s Start with Some Examples

Provides identity

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Provides motivation

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Creates loyalty

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Generates excitement

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Branding: Key Elements

A NameShould be descriptiveShould have a domain name that matches what you doIt should be easy to rememberIt should be easy to spellIt should (esp for FLL) be imagination generating.

For example…Naming a team the Lettgoes may be clever, but no one can remember how to spell it.ChrisMaggitti.com or ClassicalChris.comElizabethCiavolino.com or HarpGirl.comForestHillLegoClub.com or TechBrick.com

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A LogoWhat makes a good logo? Here are my simple rules for success…

A logo only needs to communicate the single, key issue that is your business. A logo cannot say everything about your company. It must be legible and work at all sizes (poster, letters, business cards, or lapel pins).Unless you have billions of dollars to promote a swish, a logo should communicate immediately the name of your organization and appropriate, brief, descriptions if necessary.It must be able to be represented in one color, shades of one or two colors, or full color.It must accommodate the association of related information (URLs, phone numbers, etc.)It must be affordable to produce.It should be easily used in other applications (Word, PowerPoint, etc.)

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Logos

Ideally all logos should be designed in a vector-based program (Illustrator, CorelDraw)

Why? Because vector based drawing can be resized and repurposed for any type of output from screen printing to banners.

Avoid shades and graduationsWhy? They are typically hard to reproduce in screen printing and vinyl.

Choose 2-3 key colors from the Pantone Matching SystemWhy? Many computer programs let you make any colors you wish. Only PMS colors are universally known.

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Clothing and Gear: Three OptionsMake it yourself

Use a local silkscreen vendor

Use CafePress

For details on each of these see TechBrick’s Team Tips area.

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Clothing and GearMakeit fun!

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Clothing & Gear

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Clothing & Gear

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Clothing & Gear

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Literature

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Banners and DisplayBranding: Key Elements

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Your Robot

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Web Sites

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Web Sites

FIRST: You need one…Why? It’s the fax machine of the 20th century

SECOND: People expect you to have one…Why? Parents, supporters, other teams want to know what you are doing.

THIRD: They are easy to build…

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Web Sites: Register a Domain

Pick one that is your team name or similarUse a major registrar (Network Solutions or 1&1)To be safe you should own at a minimum: .com/net/org

Web Sites: Secure a Hosting Account

There are hundreds of companies. We use Network Solutions or 1&1.Costs range from $4 to $30 per month. Minimum is fine.

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Web Sites: Get Started

Use the web building tools included with your hosting package or use a stand-alone package (Dreamweaver, Xpressions Web).

Why use web-building tools? They are easy to use and produce clean sites with no special tools. They are edited on-line so multiple people can be involved.

You can increase the complexity in later years.

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Web Sites: Minimum Content

Team introduction: Who are you?Contact informationSchedulesInnovationsProgress photosDonation mechanism (use PayPal)

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Web Site: Social Benefits

Fulfills part of the US FIRST mission of sharing your information.

Our team has had communications from teams all over the world.

Our team has helped teams all over the world.

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Questions?

Corporate ID and Websites

Documents

Team ID and Websites - TechBrick Robotics...3 TechBrick Robotics * * Marco Ciavolino * [email protected] Team Branding and Websites TechBrick Robotics Our History TechBrick was formed