What's that? I used to Blog on a relatively regular basis? Nonsense! Never mind that, here is a fresh new post to brighten up your life, because I know you have been checking on a regular basis to see my next utterance on the internets.
...or not...
Anywho, here's my latest exciting project that I am so proud of at work.
2011 Auditions!!! I have completely revamped the page and process for our online auditions! After discussion about how the process can be improved at our Staff Retreat in October, the work to get it done was delegated to the artistic team, which makes sense since they are the ones actually working with the received auditions. Well, I went off in my own development world and didn't know where that ended up until we had a staff meeting on Tuesday, where we were asked for some advise on how to move forward, because they were stuck a bit. So, I stepped up to the plate- I'll do it! And boy, howdie, did I! It only took me a couple hours of my time yesterday, and Ta-daa!! We have a new, revamped system that is better than ever! Check it:
www.yoa.org/audition
To really know what I did, I wish the old site was still up, but here's the gist of it:
Before, there was an Auditions page on our website, where the instructions were listed, which was intermixed with English and Spanish. There were materials to download, including the instructions for recording your auditions, and the audition repertoire list, another document with instructions about how to upload videos to YouTube, and a place you had to go to download zip files of the repertoire for each instrument. There was also an application form you had to download, where you were supposed to fill out your name, instrument, and answer an essay question, etc. After all of this was done, the applicant was supposed to email it to our librarian, who then had to manually enter all of the information into a spreadsheet. Many of these forms were hand written, which made life for her pretty hard. After all of that, the librarian then had to send an email to the applicant notifying them that she received their submission. After it was all compiled, she forwarded on the information to our Faculty for the actual review of the audition.... Not the most elegant system, to say the least.
WELL! My first task was to make our form an online form, instead of a Word Doc that they downloaded. Google Docs to the rescue! I just discovered it, but Google Docs has a Form feature, where you are essentially creating a survey-like Form, which can be linked to, or even embedded into your website. Submissions on that form are then automatically entered into a Google Docs Spreadsheet, which can be shared with whoever I give permission to view it. After the applicant submits the Form, they automatically get a response that says we received their submission. Easy peasy! All of that is automated now, which makes everyone's lives easier!
Check out that form under step 3. I think it is pretty awesome looking.
As for the rest of the process, I essentially just cleaned up the website. Instead of having instruction documents to download, I just reorganized the information and had it put directly on the web page. I also cleaned it up by putting English on the left half and Spanish on the right half, which I think is much easier on the eye. As for the repertoire lists and zip files to download, now there is just a list of possible instruments, from which you select one and it brings you to that instrument's repertoire and the zip file. Much cleaner. All of the instructions for uploading to YouTube and camera position, etc? There is simply a link on the main audition page to "Please see instructions for recording and uploading to YouTube here" and it brings you to that page- no document to download, no confusing Spanish version here, English version here.
It is great that my job allows me to accomplish tangible things like this that are so satisfying for me. I love this kind of stuff. I already have plans for other ways to use the Google Form. So awesome.
psst, wanna see my form embedded in this website? .... BLAM!!!
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