#multimedia-design #collaboration #joint-concepting #design-thinking > [!summary]+ Summary > This page describes the concepting of a small values proposition video to highlight the work of Instructional Designers and Multimedia Producers working together. I worked with the teams to reveal our (joint) values as part of communicating to faculty in creating online courses. # Center for Teaching Excellence value proposition video for online course design teams While I was serving as Director of Strategic Digital Learning Initiatives at the George Washington University (GWU) Libraries and Academic Innovation (LAI) I oversaw a team within the Center for Teaching Excellence. My team consisted of multimedia producers who had a two-part mission: 1) support the design and development of online courses, and 2) elevate faculty digital fluency through new programs and initiatives. In completing the first part, the team worked in close collaboration with a group of Instructional Designers who oversaw online course architecture and the overall learning design. The teams had a set of general values that they cared about, but also a series of individual values that each contributor wanted to achieve. On top of this were the values of the partnering faculty. The partnership between the teams and the faculty, typically had one consistent challenge. This was the faculty understanding the **value** that the Instructional Designers and Multimedia Producers brought to each project. Recognizing this, I discussed with a colleague an idea to create something of a value proposition video and use it as a way to introduce the teams to the faculty at kick-off sessions. We could share it within a kick-off session Blackboard site and we could even post it on our department website. We ended up sharing this idea with the teams and from there decided to explore creating a small communications piece. ## Mapping the video design On one afternoon, we began to map out as a team what the video may be. As we started we needed to agree on the audience, what we would tell them, why those things would be told, and how we would *wow* them. As in previous work, I leveraged the Liedtka design thinking framework to set this up. (See [[2021-2022, Starting Adobe Series#A design thinking framework]].) At the same time, we dug into what was driving each person and what each person valued. Much of this was known and unsurprising. But some was revealing for me and another director. ### The full whiteboard design As we discussed target audience communication, we expanded a bit beyond the primary faculty audience. We considered leadership, college program directors, and new staff who would be onboarded in the future. Most important in the "what/why" column was for faculty to become our collaborators/partners. And finally, we wanted to *wow* them through clarity of message, definition of team purposes, and clear operational knowledge of the process. ![[2023_cte-values-1.jpg|Center]] ### Zoom-in on the values As we talked the idea out, a series of values came forth from the teams. These were for the faculty and were as follows: 1. Help envision digital communications 2. Usage of modern technology 3. Power of media to support learning 4. Powerful educational media 5. Communication and storytelling 6. Knowledge sharing 7. Tangible results 8. Recreate online teaching through new perspectives grounded in research 9. Transformative online teaching through transforming teaching practice 10. Faculty digital empowerment (i.e. digital fluency) 11. Enhancing the student experience Additionally, the teams equally revealed that they wanted to be sure to communicate their role as thought partners, advisors, effective project managers, and creating efficiencies to allow faculty focus on teaching. **These I loved!** ![[2023_cte-values-2.jpg|Center]] The values, however, needed to be narrowed down. As mentioned, this was supposed to be something of a tight value proposition video. So key was to have a message that was clear, direct, and easy to remember. We took a little time to narrow down to two values that each team cared most about communicating. ### Final values and a planned linear flow My team decided that the values we cared most strongly about were that the team be seen as 1) experts in storytelling with emerging technologies and 2) desirous of empowering faculty with (digital) transformation. Our Instructional Design colleagues separately agreed that the values they cared most strongly about were 1) revealing the best formats for online instruction/learning and 2) that their practices were grounded in research. In the end, we aimed to communicate that by working in partnership, the faculty would have a product and practice to support: 1) better teaching, 2) a better student experience, and 3) contribute to lower student cost. We decided to tell this story by showing faculty how working with us could help them to tell a powerful story of their content across digital formats in ways grounded in research, and simultaneously transform their digital knowledge and skills. ## 🎯 Results This activity was mapped out and storyboarded beyond the initial concept. However, it fell to the wayside first by competing projects and then by department restructuring affecting how we operated. I always thought this could have made a good communications and online piece. And knowing the faculty as I did, it could have been a nice introduction that helped them know our teams also had professional desires for the joint work.