My Capstone project has been a long process with many fluctuations and has taken many different shapes. What was once an idea to manage stress, then turning into a redesign of my company’s website ended up being about the importance of digital marketing, the idea I started with was definitely not the idea I ended on. I’m glad I kept researching and taking ideas generated from the design thinking white board with my shareholders, because without that, I think I would have had a completely different project that is less valuable than the one I have now.
I thought this would be an easy process since I’ve done the same concept in a previous course, IPS 402-01 Trends in the Changing Workplace. Coming up with the project ideas is what I struggled most with, in not only the capstone course but in all the Integrated Professional Studies courses. I think it’s just because I don’t have a whole lot going on in my daily life while in school—I don’t have a huge project at work, or something noticeably obvious that needs changing but when Covid-19 struck, I along with the rest of the world was forced to stop and shift. During this time, I took notice of where our business was lacking and if it was something I personally could take on and help fix.
I was honestly very surprised I ended up where I did in regard to the project. I was expecting to learn about web design and was expecting on giving the presentation to my employer and maybe to be a part of a sit-down meeting with a new web designer. Never did I think the project would lead me to pitch a new position of digital marketing manager to my employer, but I’ve very glad it did, and I wouldn’t change any of it. (except maybe getting to the end product faster, but that is because I’m impatient).
In regard to the BIPS Program core courses: Design Thinking, System Thinking, Contemporary Media Literacies, Understanding Data, Self- Awareness and Global Competence and Awareness, I think the course that helped me the most was Contemporary Media Literacies. Without doing a lot of research on Securities Exchange Regulations, Investor Marketing, and digital marketing I wouldn’t have stubbled no the data that shows just how importance social media marketing and digital marketing is in today’s business world. Research is always so important in a project but making sure you have good sources is half the battle and this course really taught me to look for that first above all else. This is how I stumbled on to the idea of digital marketing was through a credible source in my research. Design Thinking also really helped it make that last shift. The research was very important but after bringing the research to the table, or virtual white board if you will, everyone was in agreeance that a website is worthless without any type of promotion associated with it. So, I think all of my stakeholders being in agreeance helped me steel the project to a more marketing-based project.
Another course that helped about others was Self Awareness. After going through that course and understanding and believing I am an asset to business from my understanding of social media and marketing and branding, it’s not just something I do in my free time. Self-Awareness taught me to look in myself for the answers and that things that I see as something I do for fun, like social media, is actually incredible valuable to a company so that was the second major piece of this project that I think helped shape what it is today. A lot of my young adult life was spent learning social media and being in it. I am a product of my generation, I am very girly, and I love the Kardashians and that’s something I’ve always been made fun of for, but watching them take on brand management and marketing helped me understand that social media is a tool not just for entertainment.
I have a lot of strengths in design, marketing, social media, and customer service and satisfaction. I’m pretty good at gauging what works online for consumers like me, and self-awareness helped me lean into these attributes, not shy away from them.
Overall The course was really difficult but definitely fulfilling. I didn’t know I was capable of such in-depth work in relation to helping a multimillion-dollar business so I’ve very proud of the work I did, and I hope when it is presented to our CEO he is equally as impressed.
Capstone 2020 