Session 08: Developing the Chart

Hey there. Welcome to this session of the Vision Chart project where I am creating a chart to measure Cryptiquest’s progress toward meeting its vision. In the last session I explored how the chart information will be displayed. In this session I will craft the verbiage and information for the chart and objective page.

To start, let’s reflect on what was determined in the last session: “I think the company objectives … perhaps I can list those in a separate About page simply called “Our Objectives.” And that can just be a text overview of segments and objectives. The Vision Chart can then be an icon-fueled timeline toward the vision…”

I’m going to start with the objectives since that sounds easy enough. The page should start with an overview and then each segment could have its own description. Something like:

• OVERVIEW
  • We have an ambitious vision: to responsibly unlock and inspire creators of any and every identity. We have mission statements and values to support this vision but the crucial ingredient for taking these statements and and formulating a plan is the formation of measurable objectives. The following objectives have been established to measure our progress toward the ideal state of Cryptiquest – one where our ambitious vision has been achieved.
• PROCESSES
  • We here at Cryptiquest believe that even if a creator is endowed with inspiration, talent, and vision they can still be thwarted by the creative process itself. That’s why offer the guides we create for managing our own creative projects free to creators around the world. We take the creative process seriously and that’s why the following objectives are designed to ensure our own projects follow best practices.
  • • {1} Objective 1.A Tools and media production follow project management standards.
    • {2} Objective 1.B Tools and media production use Cryptiquest tools (as they are available).
    • {3} Objective 1.C Tools and media follow draft and version protocols.
    • {4} Objective 1.D Tools and media follow branding and legal guidelines.
• TOOLS
  • At the very core of Cryptiquest’s Vision is its desire to unlock and inspire creators. A solution for unlocking the creator is a suite of crafting tools and a game engine which both offer fun, unique ways to generate story elements for whatever narrative-based creation they are working on. These next objectives have been engineered to ensure these tools meet user expectations.
    • {5} Objective 2.A User expectation regarding the suite of tools working seamlessly together is met 100% of the time.
    • {6} Objective 2.B User expectation regarding process guidance (from concept-to-launch) for each tool is met at least 100% of the time.
    • {7} Objective 2.C User expectation regarding sharing and collaboration content for each tool is met at least 100% of the time.
    • {8} Objective 2.D User expectation regarding ease of use for each tool is met at least 100% of the time.
    • {9} Objective 2.E User expectation regarding game engine format is met at least 100% of the time.
    • {10} Objective 2.F User expectation regarding game engine integration is met at least 100% of the time.
• MEDIA
  • Cryptiquest’s Vision focuses on a desire to unlock and inspire creators. A solution for inspiring creators is the creation of media using the same tools that are offered for free. The objectives for media have been formulated to support Cryptiquest’s values.
    • {11} Objective 3.A Media reviews report 100% positive on inclusivity.
    • {12} Objective 3.B Media reviews report 100% positive on uniqueness.
    • {13} Objective 3.C Media reviews report 100% positive on consistency.
    • {14} Objective 3.D Media reviews report 100% positive on entertainment.
    • {15} Objective 3.E Media reviews report 100% positive on quality.
    • {16} Objective 3.F Media reviews report 100% positive on concision.
• PRESENCE
  • In support of Cryptiquest’s goals, it is imperative that Cryptiquest is accessible to creators around the world. One aspect to this is enabling users the ability to find us where they might expect to see us. These objectives have been designed with these users in mind.
    • {17} Objective 4.A Cryptiquest is returned on the first page of results 100% of the time when users search for targeted keywords.
    • {18} Objective 4.B Cryptiquest is present at 100% of industry events, annually.
    • {19} Objective 4.C At least 100% of users who go to industry events report seeing us at industry events.
• BRANDS
  • As previously stated, Cryptiquest is compelled to unlock and inspire creators. While the creation of quality tools and media is a crucial step toward achieving those goals, proving that the tools can be used to create popular and profitable brands is an essential part to growing the company in an effort to increase opportunity to globally reach creators. The following objectives are important for fostering that opportunity (but it’s also important to point out that these do not apply to all brands [i.e. creative tools will always be free]).
    • {20} Objective 5.A More than four brands are profitable.
    • {21} Objective 5.B Brands are popular among at least 100% of creators, globally.
    • {22} Objective 5.C The brands span at least three different media types.
• REPUTATION
  • A key word in our vision is “responsibly” as in Cryptiquest’s vision is to responsibly unlock and inspire creators of any and every identity. From the content we create to the way we interact with people, we are serious about responsibility. Also important to our reputation for being responsible, is our ability to serve as a role model within the industry. The following objectives are intended to help mold our reputation in both humanistic integrity and subject authority.
    • {23} Objective 6.A At least 100% of users/employees report that Cryptiquest is an honest company.
    • {24} Objective 6.B At least 100% of users/employees report that Cryptiquest treats its employees well.
    • {25} Objective 6.C At least 100% of users/employees consider employees of Cryptiquest to be industry experts. 
    • {26} Objective 6.D At least 100% of users/employees report having a meaningful relationship with Cryptiquest, its brands, or its products. 
    • {27} Objective 6.E At least 100% of users/employees consider partners of Cryptiquest to be industry experts. 
    • {28} Objective 6.F Third party reviews of the company are positive 100% of the time.
• ACCESS
  • Cryptiquest’s vision is to responsibly unlock and inspire creators of any and every identity. We intend this literally with a desire to not only be inclusive but actively seeking creators walled off by social, economic, or other invisible barriers throughout the world. The following objectives serve to support this part of the vision.
    • {29} Objective 7.A Tools are translated to support at least 100% of users, globally.
    • {30} Objective 7.B Solutions are discovered to provide tool access to at least 100% of communities, globally.
    • {31} Objective 7.C Solutions are discovered to provide tool access to at least 100% of regions, globally.
    • {32} Objective 7.D Solutions are discovered to provide tool access to at least 100% of disenfranchised groups, globally.

Okay. That’s a start. Now I’ll focus on the Vision Chart. Here was my final thought on that in the last session: “…the Vision Chart can then be an icon-fueled timeline toward the vision…”

I was thinking about using icons since that might help explain what is going on to users. I’m still debating whether the chart should show capabilities or phases or objectives or what. I suppose the basic user would be more interested in products categorized in phases but not every phase will have products. I think this should be about the vision and the capabilities required to get there. I wrote this up in the previous session but what if instead of the first level items being accordion panels, it was the second level items? Something like:

1. Brand Building Phase (1 – 16)
   1. CQ GUIDES
      • Project Management Rules
      • Guide Creation Rules
      • Project Management Guides
   2. CQ CRAFTING TOOLS AND GAME ENGINE
      • Tool Creation Guides
      • Feedback Collection System
      • Crafting Tools
      • Crafting Tool Suite
      • Game Engine [CQ StoryHammer]
   3. CQ MEDIA
      • Media Creation Guides
      • Media (Imbue and Copperwealth)
2. Audience Building Phase (17 – 22)
   1. SHOPS AND EVENTS
      • Pubic Outreach Guides
      • Local Shop Visits
      • Event Attendance
      • Global Outreach Tools
   2. DIGITIZATION PHASE
      • Crafting Tool Digitization
      • Game Engine Digitization
      • Content Sharing Functionality
3. Business Building Phase (23 – 28)
   1. BUSINESS RESTRUCTURE
      • Humanistic Business Restructuring
      • Public Outreach Tools
      • Union
      • Knowledge Development Program
      • Partner Reputation Metrics
      • Objectives Activated:
   2. SALES AND STAFFING
      • Sales Faculty
      • Event Faculty
      • SEO Faculty
   3. PRODUCT REFINEMENT
      • Tool Upgrades
      • Engine Upgrades
      • Audit Faculty
      • Quality Assurance Team
4. Global Creativity Building Phase (29 – 32)
   1. RESEARCH CAPABILITIES
      • Demographic Research Team
   2. GLOBAL OUTREACH
      • Translation Team
      • Regional Outreach Team
   3. OUTREACH
      1. Disenfranchised Research
      2. Under-privileged Outreach

Something like that. The numbers in the parentheses indicate which objectives are activated during the phase. I suppose each phase could have an overview paragraph and I should have an overview for the whole thing. I’ll draft those now:

The journey toward our vision is long and winding. It has been broken down to four phases which will build Cryptiquest. It will take years to complete these phases and only once done will the work toward reaching the vision truly begin. Only after the forth phase is complete, will all the company objectives become activated, triggering the “Vision Reaching” state of the company.

Each phase is listed below with the activated objectives indicated within the corresponding parentheses.

1. Brand Building Phase (1 – 16)
   • The first leg of our journey is creating content. The results of this phase are the major brands and products which focus on responsibly unlocking and inspiring creators.
2. Audience Building Phase (17 – 22)
   • The second part of the journey is about building audience and establishing the means to create, share, and use content. The results of this phase are creating communities to help establish enough clout to reach creators of any and every identity.
3. Business Building Phase (23 – 28)
   • The third portion of the journey ramps up activity as Cryptiquest takes on staff, new media projects, and tool upgrades. The result of this phase is the accumulation of the resources necessary to fulfill the final phase of the journey.
4. Global Creativity Building Phase (29 – 32)
   • The fourth phase of the journey is where global outreach is tackled aggressively. The result of this phase isn’t just a matter of enabling a passive access to content but the research and bridging to communities across the global who are inaccessible due to invisible (and perhaps visible) barriers.
5. Vision Reaching State
   • Once the fourth phase of the journey is complete, the final objectives will become activated and Cryptiquest can fully measure its progress toward achieving the vision.

That could use some work but it’s good enough for a first draft. I suppose the next step will be to draft a mock up in Google Docs and then share the content with reviewers, starting with confidants then bridging out to the newly created review forums. I’ll report on that in the next session. See you there!

Action Items

• Create a draft of Our Objectives in Google Docs.
• Share the Our Objectives content with reviewers (confidants then forums).
• Create a draft of the Vision Chart in Google Docs.
• Share the Vision Chart content with reviewers (confidants then forums).