What Can Brains Do for You?

Website for the Undead Preparedness Society

JMA 501: FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

When Good Brains Go Bad ................................................................................................................................. 2

Objective ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Organizational Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Audience ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Approach ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Timeline ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Design and Development .................................................................................................................................... 6

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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WHEN GOOD BRAINS GO BAD
You’re home alone calmly eating a midnight snack when you hear a faint moaning

somewhere outside. You don’t think much about it until the lead headline on the late-

night news catches your attention:

“STRANGE VIRUS MAKES THE DEAD LIVE AGAIN. SORT OF.”

A wave of shock rocks you as you realize what the newscaster isn’t saying: The Zombie

Apocalypse has begun. In a few short days, your world will shrink from your rich, fun-

filled life to an existence based on only one objective: Use your brain or lose your brain.

OBJECTIVE
The Undead Preparedness Society (UPS), an organization formed to help ordinary

people prepare for the horror of life during the inevitable zombie pandemic, has spent

numerous hours compiling information on previous outbreaks of the undead virus from

experts in the field and official documents and films. A synthesis of this information will

form the bulk of the UPS website, which will be dedicated to dispelling myths,

separating zombie fact from zombie fiction, and providing the lifesaving information

our society needs today to prevent the tragedy of tomorrow. In short, the UPS website

will help the group further its mission: “Saving the World, One Brain at a Time.”

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The UPS website will be organized in a hierarchical structure that will logically separate

its four main topics. The site will offer help in understanding and identifying zombies

and zombie-like beings; outline methods of evading the jaws of death and defending

oneself against zombie attacks; provide plans for going on the offense to destroy

zombies where they feed; and assist worried citizens in creating Zombie Action Plans

(ZAPs) so they can be prepared when the time comes. Each section will have supporting

pages that go into more depth on a particular topic. For example, the section on

attacking zombies will include pages on combat techniques, kill tactics, suggested

vehicles (tanks are good, if you can get them), and the pros and cons of various weapons.

Various forms of multimedia will be employed when possible, including footage of

actual zombie sightings and a podcast of ZAP tips and reminders.

AUDIENCE
It is the hope of the Undead Preparedness Society that the UPS website will appeal to

everyone who is in the path of a possible zombie pandemic, especially those who live in

urban areas, where the zombie population has been concentrated in previous outbreaks.

Reality being what it is, however, the group is aiming the site at the zombie-curious and

the zombie-aware. People seeking information about preparing for the pandemic, as well

as those interested in an overview of current zombie research, will be interested in the

site and should be able to find it through online searches.

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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APPROACH
Because a working brain is a living brain, the UPS site will be heavy on practical

information that people can apply immediately to their Zombie Action Plans or file

away for the coming crisis. Research for the site will draw from the vast body of work

available on past outbreaks and the projected pandemic. Sources will include such

diverse works as Max Brooks’ groundbreaking Zombie Survival Guide and classical

literature such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Facts and advice given on the site

will be referenced to the source from which they was taken, with hyperlinks if possible,

so users can explore topics in more depth if they choose.

The home page will set the tone for the site with a serious yet welcoming design that

will carry throughout the interior pages. Clear navigation to the hierarchy of pages will

be provided, and engaging illustrations, video, and audio will help users assimilate the

information they need.

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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TIMELINE
The UPS website is due to go online December 3, 2010. The following schedule will keep

the project moving forward:

 Sept. 10-Oct.1: Initial design phase. This phase includes:

o Designing the site’s look and feel.

o Creating, acquiring and processing art.

o Researching the subject area and writing the copy for the web pages.

o Creating storyboards of each distinct page type in the site.

 Oct. 1: Design phase and storyboards complete.

 Oct. 1-Nov. 12: Initial coding of the site. Additional research, writing and art

directing as necessary. Produce audio and video content for the site.

 Nov. 12-19: Complete coding. Produce animation project and embed in site.

 Nov. 19-Dec. 3: Test site on multiple operating systems, platforms and browsers.

Conduct low-cost usability testing with small cohort of potential audience.

 Dec. 3: Site launch.

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
During the UPS website’s design phase, a comprehensive review of similar sites,

including competitors, will be conducted. This information will be used to form the

basis of thought on what is good and what is not in the world of zombie research

websites. Additional research into the inevitable pandemic will be conducted to ensure

the UPS site is as up to date and as factual as possible. While the site is under

development, a series of informal usability tests, following the model outlined in Steve

Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think and Rocket Surgery Made Easy, will be conducted to

prevent any major design or usability flaws. Also built into the design and coding phases

will be planning for search engine optimization and a small but effective marketing

campaign.

Cathy Benscoter: JMA 501 Final Project Proposal

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