Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Today, October 21, 2009 our group met with Phyllis to discuss specifics for the web site we will be creating for the Vermillion Recycling Center. Phyllis stressed that they need a site that can be easily updated because routes around the city are often changing to meet the highest population areas of people using the new curbside recycling program. She wants us to include in the site that this week they started curbside recycling for the downtown apartments, and because of this route changes will be taking place in the next few weeks. Phyllis stated that she would like there to be an announcements page that will most likely be changed weekly with recycling updates. She told us to make note of winter bin placements on the recycling page. Often, people place their recycling bins too close to the curb and when snowplows come by they get covered, so people need to move them closer to their houses. We plan to have the announcements located on the main page for people to see as soon as they access the site. We were also given another lesson on recycling plastics. We learned that not all plastics that are under the same category are the same. For example, just because a plastic says it is a #2 that does not mean it can automatically be recycled at the Vermillion Recycling Center. The recycling symbol and number tell us a formula family and there are approximately 6 to 12 variations of each number. The recycling center only takes plastic bottles and jugs, and no lids. Phyllis is also going to e-mail me a couple of graphics that she thinks are informative that we are going to include on the site. She also wants us to add information about the landfill. She told us that not all waste is buried- tires are chipped and become an energy source at Big Stone Power Plant and untreated lumber and trees become an energy source at POET Ethanol Plant. Metals and electronics are all recycled. Today we gained a lot of useful information to include on our site, and we hope that we are able to educate the city of Vermillion effectively through it.

Upon arrival at the Vermillion Recycling Center this morning, I was once again greeted by the two very large cats. As I sat down on a chair that appeared to be imitating a stuffed animal, because of all the cat hair that covered it, one of the large cats used my leg as a scratching post. To be honest I really just wanted to start the meeting and leave because cats and the pungent urine smell really make me nervous, but I knew I was there for a good cause and needed helpful information from Phyllis. I was surprised about the amount of information she provided us with today because I thought we had already gained a lot of knowledge from our last meeting. We also told Phyllis to e-mail us any time with anything else she wants us to include. Some of the information was repetitive but it is always nice to have a refresher. I feel that we really have a good grasp on the direction we want/need to take for this web site.

Our group is getting together on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 to begin working on the recycling web site. I am excited to begin this project and use our group creativity to create a great web site. In class we have talked about developing a deliverable to our clients that is professional and will help improve the organization, and I feel that our web site will do just that. We have discussed the needs of the Recycling Center and what Phyllis wants us to include, just as we had talked about in class, and I feel that we are going to take those elements and create a web site that we and the Recycling Center can be proud of.