Spring 2009 Design + Management Design Development Course. Project Description: Group Project to Design a Drama or Sit-Com TV Series using the Design Process to compete with current programs.
Parsons The New School for Design Design + Management Students: Joung Min Han, Creative Director, Hannah Guerin, Project Manager, Brittany Dodd, Financial Manager.
Parsons Faculty, Robert Rabinovitz, Associate Professor
Parsons The New School for Design
1. NEOUTLOOK
Parsons School of Design
Design Development
Robert Rabinovitz
Joung Min Han Creative Director
Hannah Guerin Project Manager
Brittany Dodd Financial Manager
2. Topic Questions:
What generation are we looking?
What is their culture?
What are some trends?
Mission Statement
In order to fill the void of American television, NEOUTLOOK has taken the core themes of today’s society; LOVE,
RESPONSIBILITY, AND TECHNOLOGY, and developed Generations, a drama television series. NEOUTLOOK’s
ability to relate to a strong target market, with a powerful team of writers, designers, and producers, has led to
the creation of Generations as well as the production of a Traveling Generations Exhibit. Through our series and
exhibit, NEOUTLOOK will create a medium for the raw topics of today’s societal issues, as seen through the eyes
of several generations.
Issues to look at:
Political conditions
Economic conditions
Social conditions
Technological conditions
3. Why we picked Generations
Various perspectives from each generation
Dynamic character personalities
Relate-ability to characters
Idealized setting of West Village New York viewers want to know more about
Offers a medium for discussion of current events and raw topics
Huge marketability to a diverse range of ages
Multi layered themes of generations, society, and family
The most potential to become a true series
The most potential for product line development
Had the ability to spark social change with its core themes
4. Plot & Value
Plot Value
Through the eyes of three generations of a West Village family, Generations provided perspectives of various generations in an
you see the effect of politics, societal change, technological ideal situation. These perspectives allowed each character to be
advancement, war, and natural disasters on each character and relatable by a large demographic of viewers, almost as if they
how they deal with it all day to day in their own way. were role models. The plot entails drama, current events, and a
medium for discussion of untouched subjects.
7. Further Character Development
Helen (Grandmother): Peter (Grandfather):
Peter is passive, warm, and
but is actually very secretive
friendly, cultured but not
& aggressive. Competitive,
formally educated, family man.
friendly but intimidating at times,
Dependable, easygoing, great
disorganized, messy, demanding,
listener, uncomplicated, objective,
irresponsible, chaotic
calm, people person, submissive,
Nicole (Mother): Peter Jr. (Father):
High achiever, serious, reliable,
Outgoing, humorous, a people-
responsible but unhappy, well-
pleaser, easy-going, even-
organized, natural leader,
tempered, responsible (she isn’t
punctual, moody, bossy at
happy with her life but is sucking
times, picky, stern, despondent,
it up for her children) self-
passionless.
confident, patient, calm, laid-back
Laura (Daughter): James (Son):
Picky, diligent, a perfectionist, Dependent, disorganized,
independent, know it all, irresponsible, creative,
responsible, high achiever, outgoing, friendly, inattentive,
sensitive, hard to please, fussy, uncomplicated, risk-taker,
responsive, touchy, kind of shy… easygoing, a peace-maker, at
she has a lot of friends but doesn’t times unrealistic, indecisive,
open up easily. impulsive, lazy
8. Settings
Children’s School Fathers Office Building
Interior of Brownstone Exterior of Brownstone
9. Final Characters
Helen (Grandmother)
Helen comes off as loving and conservative but is
actually very secretive & aggressive. Competitive,
friendly but intimidating at times, disorganized, messy,
demanding, irresponsible, chaotic
• Has a HUGE shopping addiction… $60,000 in
debt
• Her favorite “store” is EBay; she loves to collect
random objects, which she stores in her storage
locker in BK (she has had it since she was in her
40’s and no one knows about it)
• A former novelist, she has a substantial income from
royalties for the rest of her life, which allows her and
her family to live in a West Village brownstone.
10. Final Characters
Peter (Grandfather)
Peter is passive, warm, and friendly, cultured but
not formally educated, family man. Dependable,
easygoing, great listener, uncomplicated, objective,
calm, people person, submissive,
• Peter is a WWII veteran, he has see and
experienced a lot in his time, he loves to tell his
grandchildren old stories from his past.
• Between/After the war Peter worked in his BK
garage as a mechanic
• Peter and Nicole are very close; they play cards
while everyone is at work/school with his old war
buddies.
11. Final Characters
Nicole (Mother)
Outgoing, humorous, a people-pleaser, easy-going,
even-tempered, responsible (she isn’t happy with her
life but is sucking it up for her children) self-confident,
patient, calm, laid-back
• Nicole grew up in a poor neighborhood with her
father (who recently died of lung cancer) she met
Peter Jr. while at college in NYC
• Nicole is a stay at home mother, when she was
younger she thought that she wanted to be one
of these “rich socialites” because it was the exact
opposite of how she grew up; but after she became
one she soon realized that it wasn’t making her
happy.
• Her and Peter’s marriage is now struggling because
right now they both are unhappy with their current
lives… they resent each other.
12. Final Characters
Peter Jr. (Father)
High achiever, serious, reliable, responsible but
unhappy, well-organized, natural leader, punctual,
moody, bossy at times, picky, stern, despondent,
passionless.
• Peter works as an investment banker, he is a
workaholic but he hates his job. He wanted to go
to school for photography but his mother wouldn’t
allow that (have to maintain the family name).
• Peter like his mother leads a secret life… any chance
he gets he goes out in the city and works on his
photography (he rents a studio in the city that no
one in his family knows about).
13. Final Characters
Laura (Daughter)
Picky, diligent, a perfectionist, independent, know it all,
responsible, high achiever, sensitive, hard to please,
fussy, responsive, touchy, kind of shy… she has a lot of
friends but doesn’t open up easily.
• Laura is a very smart, passionate, and competitive
young girl, she is extremely mature for her age (an
old soul).
• She is the typical tween that gets everything she
wants and more. The latest trends and the newest
phones are her biggest concern.
• Among the more intellectual of her friends, she
manages to run the cliques at her school.
14. Final Characters
James (Son)
Dependent, disorganized, irresponsible, creative,
outgoing, friendly, inattentive, uncomplicated, risk-
taker, easygoing, a peace-maker, at times unrealistic,
indecisive, impulsive, lazy
• James is the glue that keeps the family together
• Has a lisp
• Loves sports, wants to be a famous soccer player.
• Exceptionally bright but he just doesn’t apply himself
in school, has ADHD, he is always playing pranks
on his family.
15. Storyboard & Scenario
Helen Nicole Laura
Walking down the street on her cell phone,
She is considering a new fur shrug, While at the Union Square market, she window shopping. She then passes Diane’s
definitely not the wisest choice during is debating her dinner choices to cook boutique and sees a fabulous new dress that
the economic crisis. Pulling out her up. Because of the recent green trend says “GREEN IS THE NEW PINK”. It’s a must
phone book, she pulls out the number and economic crisis, she is trying to be have. She immediately takes a picture on her
iphone of the dress to send a mass text getting
for her personal tailor. While at the responsible and make the right choice. verification from her best friends.
tailor, her credit card gets declined and Should she go all organic? Or go for Laura text:
she immediately realizes something has the better price at a local market. To “I want this dress! It’s sooo green!! Is $250
to change about her shopping habits, make the better choice she goes on worth it?”
Google search to find the better price Bestie 1:
no matter the lifestyle she has always
“Ahhh! Def on mommies plastic!”
lived. The economy wins this one. which just so happens to be at Food Bestie 2:
Emporium. “Ouch!! She’s gonna kill you, but it’s to die for.”
17. New Product Concepts
laptop covers trivia game generations park buttons ipod holders
city-to-city panels boutique vintage sunglasses MAGAZINE advice panels
gifts VIDEO GAME generation-distinct restaurant hats board games
therapy foam bats radio station tote bags hosting parties stationary
comedy shows notebooks TRAVELING EXHIBIT second hand clothing store
self-help books fashion t-shirts blog bumper stickers “talk to me doll
Reason for New Product Development
In the ideation stage of Generations, NEOUTLOOK saw an opportunity for approaching our target market, beyond
the television, potentially into stores and viewers local neighborhoods. This approach would involve the development
of products that reflected our show’s themes of love, responsibility and technology, as well as the personalities of our
characters. Through our stages the sub themes of generational perspectives on the election, the green movement, family
relationships and other powerful issues are prevalent in the development of NEOUTLOOK products.
18. Developed Product Concepts
This would be a digital game, similar to the SIMS, where there game scenes would act out episodes.
This concept involves the possible joint-venture with the famous SIMS video game by Electronic Arts Incorporated, in order
to create a SIMS Generations video game. This game will involve the creation of scenarios and scenes with the Generations
television series characters allowing the consumer to take on the role of the actor.
19. Developed Product Concepts
A triannual publication written about politics, news, and popular culture with the perspective of all generations
Generations’ magazine will capitalize on its uniqueness of being a magazine written by various generations, involving the
perspectives of each on the current events of society. Unlike other magazines in which articles come from a single minded
source, Generations will provide a venue for the raw topics of today in the eyes of children, teenagers, adults, and seniors,
each bringing their experienced opinions to the table.
20. Developed Product Concepts
An exhibit to be seen in your local neighborhood, Generations Traveling Exhibit will consist of a stage and cast of
characters that travels to major cities allowing the audience to interact in the scenes of Generations on stage. The audience
will become actors, the actors will live out the lives of their favorite characters, and demonstrate the core values and themes
of characters in the show. The stage will vary in themes reflecting today’s issues that will allow the viewers to see an
example of real life resolutions to the complexities of our society.
21. Traveling Exhibit Overview
The Generations Traveling Exhibit involves various tasks amongst a traveling crew team. Under the Project
Manager Assistant, the stage production team’s work involves the transfering of the stage to different
locations of exhibition, as well as setting up the stage. While the audience creates the actual acting
team, their are a set of actors that are secondary characters and stand-ins, in the case the audience is
not willing to fill all the positions of the Generations Characters. There is also a mediator to conduct the
scenes, as written in the scripts, as well as insure the themes and situations of Generations are run in a
positively mannered production and outline the perspectives of each generation, as brought up in each
scenario. The writers are responsible for the development of scenarios for each production. All of these
responsibilities will be overseen by the Project Manager Assistant. Each exhibition will be unique as it is
recreated in different locations and with different demographics of characters.
22. Traveling Exhibit Overview
Leadership Team
Ms. Hannah Guerin
Project Manager
Ms. Joung Min Production logistics
Creative Director
Permit for property
Ms. Brittany Dodd -Responsibility of Project Manager and Finance
Financial Director Director.
-Correspondence with local mayor
Production Stage
Traveling Crew Team -Designed by out-of-house production company
-Setup and transported by traveling crew
-Over see by Assistant Project Manager
Project Manager Assistant
Stage Production
Actors
Writers
-Setup and transported by traveling crew
-Over see by Assistant Project Manager
26. Conculsion
NEOUTLOOK
From the creation of the Generations show and Generations Traveling Exhibit, NEOUTLOOK became
progressively more connected to the themes of LOVE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND TECHNOLOGY, and creating
social change through sharing the perspectives of various generations. Our hope is to create positive
examples of how issues of today’s society can differ between different demographics and result in positive
social change. In addition, we acknowledge the opportunity to create products that reinforce the themes of
Generations and its purpose.