Process, Stages, Status Charts
In the October Update, view the Round Table Collaboration process depicted in a 30-second, annotated video; compare and connect the project’s developmental and periodic stages; see sample status charts with interpretations.
Six weeks in, as expected, progress is all over the place. Check out the galleries, keep in touch with your group, and contact the project coordinator with any questions or concerns.
Review the Process
The process depicted in a 30-second, annotated video.
In the video, participants are drawing and pushing papers to their table neighbors. In the Postal Collage Project, collaborators collage and deliver by mail.
The Stages—Developmental and Periodic
Each collage has six developmental stages: Initiation, Contribution (x4), and Completion.
A ‘stage-one’ collage has been in the hands of one person, its originator. A stage-one collage is also called a ’starter.’ When a starter arrives to its first ‘contributor,’ it becomes a ‘stage-two’ collage; it’s been in the hands of two collaborators. NOTE: Each developmental stage includes the sub-stage, delivery. A stage is not complete until the delivery is accomplished.
The Schedule has six periodic stages: the six months from September through February.
By design, each developmental stage occurs during the corresponding periodic stage. In reality, the pace of development varies. When the developmental stage does not match the periodic stage, a collage is said to be either behind or ahead of schedule.
Stage 1 :: Initiation ………………September
Stage 2 :: Contribution-1……….October
Stage 3 :: Contribution-2……….November
Stage 4 :: Contribution-3……….December
Stage 5 :: Contribution-4……….January
Stage 6 :: Completion………….…February
Status Charts
Each Postal Collage group has a unique status chart linked on its group-gallery page, just below the delivery sequence. The charts are updated in the background—by a human being—according to details provided in progress reports. Report progress.
The sample chart above reflects zero progress reports. All charts begin like this.
ROWS and COLUMNS
The top two rows [1,2] show the relationship between the periodic and developmental stages.
Each of the next five rows [3–7] represents one, specific collage, developing left to right.
Each collage has a unique ID in column A—the group number plus a letter (a—e).
The name of the originator appears in the September/STAGE-1 column [B], and again in the February/STAGE-6 column [G].
In between [C–F], the names of the contributors are listed left to right, stage by stage, month by month, according to the delivery sequence.
Delivery to HQ is listed on the far right, at the end of the sequence.
COLOR KEY and SAMPLES
The color key is not meaningfully associated with any columns. It’s laid out horizontally—in row 9—for design purposes only.
ABOVE: All five ‘starters’ have been sent [green] and received [orange], and have become stage-two collages. If it’s October—they’re all on schedule.
ABOVE:
• Ali’s collage (99a) is with Eva (stage 5)
• Ben’s original (99b) is in transit to Ali (stage 4)
• Cal’s collage (99c) is missing in transit to Eva (stage 2)
• Dan’s (99d) is in transit to Cal (stage 4)
• Eva’s (99e) is with Cal (stage 4)
If it’s December—Ali’s is ahead of schedule, Cal’s is behind, and the others are on time.
