Step 1: Propose your idea at hack night.
- Define the project's purpose, process, and intended outcomes.
- What problem are you looking to solve?
- Who stands to benefit?
- How will they use it?
- What skills are needed to get everything up and running?
Step 2: Build your team.
- Agree on channels of communication that work for your team and timelines that are realistic.
- Decide the role(s) each member will play.
- Who will be consulted and how frequently will that happen?
- Who will help on a weekly basis?
- Who will serve as the project lead?
- What roles are missing from the assembled team?
- Use this time wisely.
- Collaborate. Brainstorm. Experiment.
- Ask questions.
- Most importantly, show up in order to move the project forward.
Step 3: Explore possible partnerships and pursue them.
- Explore options with the OpenOakland executive team once you're past the design phase and are ready to start developing.
- What additional support would you like to receive?
- How can your project serve potential partners?
Step 4: Design. Code. Test. Fix. Repeat.
- Remember that OpenOakland has a Civic User Testing Group to give you critical feedback before you launch. After you receive feedback, integrate what's useful for v.1, store what could be useful for future versions, and keep things moving forward.
Step 5: Get the word out.
- Brainstorm ways to find and engage others in the community before launch.
- Discuss ideas with the OpenOakland Core team and decide on a plan that would generate the desired impact.
Step 6: Release. Maintain. And, possibly, evolve it further.
- Complete final tests to make sure everything works.
- Decide on a maintenance plan (if it needs one).
- Decide what to measure and what to analyze.
- Plan any future steps.
- Thank everyone who helped get your project off the ground.
Come meet us and share your project ideas at OpenOakland every Tuesday night in City Hall. You can also email us.