Charity Causes: Get Vignette Set With Olioboard

Today's the day! The day 10 design bloggers collaborate to share how they use Olioboard to support their favorite charities! For me, this is Part 2 of my Charity Causes - Housing Works post. If you missed Part 1, you can read it by clicking: About Housing Works - Thrift & Design On A Dime Connection. I love thrift and I love to design - Housing Works marries them both to create a wonderful charity to support. Before we get into how you can use Olioboard for a charity cause, here is quick recap about Housing Works: Housing Works is a Non-Profit organization committed to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness. Housing Works  believes that all people have the right to a rich and empowering life. Housing Works raises money through donated goods at their 12 Housing Works Thrift shops locations in NYC/Brooklyn. Housing Works Thrift sells vintage and contemporary goods to fashionable bargain hunters. 100% of their proceeds fund their fight to end AIDS and homelessness (see Proceeds).

 A sneak peek at Patrick's room vignette for Housing Works Design on a Dime - April 25, 2013

Housing Works began in 1990. Housing Works Thrift launched in 1992.To further increase awareness, Housing Works launched a charity event called the Design On A Dime Benefit. Design on a Dime (DOAD) features more than 50 of the world’s top interior designers, who create unforgettable room vignettes with new merchandise, which is donated and then sold for 50 to 70 percent off retail pricing. Through this effort, Housing Works + its sponsors + designers have managed to raise $2 million dollars since DOAD's   inception in 2005. With the use of Social Media, one such designer was invited back for his third year to create a Design on a Dime room vignette - Meet Patrick J. Hamilton.

 

Patrick J. Hamilton - aka "askPatrick" 

 Patrick is a designer, blogger, activist and humorist living and working in Manhattan. He contributes to Apartment Therapy, New England Home’s design blog, The Bilerico Project, and Huffington Post’s Gay Voices.

Patrick says, "I have always loved Housing Works. It’s been a big part of my New York experience, from overcoat shopping when I first moved here, to making constant donation as I continue to try to streamline my Manhattan existence. Unfortunately, as it slips from headlines and conversation, people living with AIDS is still a very real issue. That Housing Works recognizes that, and manages to merge the needs with housing and, in the case of Design on a Dime, interior design... what’s better than that?"

Patrick's 2011 Vignette

 

 See the how & why behind Patrick's vignette design at:

Design on a Dime: One Room - 13 Tips 

After the invite to create a room vignette for Design on a Dime, what happens next? Basically it is the same process as working with a client -- BUT you get to (as Patrick says)  -- "flex your design muscle in a way a client might not let you. Exceptional friends are made at DOAD, among fellow participants, the organizers, and the generous, generous donors... THEY are the real unsung heroes of this event, for sure." 

 Patrick's 2012 DOAD Vignette.

And speaking of organizing, in addition to observing Patrick's vignette executions, here are my 10 Tips on How to Get Vignette Set With Olioboard...

SEE: Patrick's Pinned Wishlist from 2012

  

SEE: Patrick's Pinned Wishlist 2013

1. Utilize Pinterest to pull together your 'idea' for a vignette.

2. Start soliciting right away:  Utilize Facebook & Twitter social media channels to plead your case. Also good to do: Set up an online Gift Registry. Check out Patrick's here:  for Design On A Dime

 

Share & Shout-out - donations + vendors on Facebook.

3. Keep track of actual confirmed pieces for your charity vignette: create a "Album of Items" on Facebook to share & feature donors (for example: Room & Board, Oly Studio, Z Gallerie). This is a great way to show appreciation & create vignette excitement!

This is just 6 of 84 sets I've made since joining Olioboard in 2010.

Some are shared and some are private.

4. Once some key pieces are confirmed, upload them to a library you can create on Olioboard. Build the anticipation by creating a 2D sample board of confirmed pieces - Perfect for sharing on Facebook + Twitter + Pinterest + Blog.

Building the sample board also helps to keep track of confirmed pieces, their look, and what missing pieces you need to compete your vignette style.

Using Olioboard allows you to quickly tweak your donated items for your Charity Vignette.

6. Utilize your Olioboard sample board to campaign to showrooms or vendors how wonderful their [insert item here] would look if donated plus the cause they'd be helping (not to mention the advertising you can do for them by sharing your appreciation!) 

 

Creating a charity vignette is just like the 'White Room Challenge' - 

ONLY BETTER and for a great cause. For DOAD, the vignette spaces are generally 10 x 12 x 10.

7. You know you have a blank canvas - Once you have your key pieces pulled together for your vignette, you can create your 3D space. Find a backdrop (in Olioboards library or empty rooms on Google images) or create your own from actual wall & floor covering images you can also upload to your Olioboard library.

Using Olioboard allows you to quickly switch out pieces for your virtual vignette presentation.

NOTE: Sometimes when creating your 3D perspective, you may need to use a similar image to get just the correct angle for your perspective.

8. When creating your 3D vignette perspective, you can also create duplicate boards on Olioboard: This way, you can already plan in the options or switch "wish" items for actual donated items.

9. Your 2D boards can be printed and used as a visual inventory check list for your deliveries.

10. On the days (or hours) of your vignette set, you may need to be in two places at the same time. Printing your final 3D vignette can be used as a road-map for an assistant to follow and execute!

Executing the 10 x 12 x 10 DOAD vignette space:

 

Patrick's BEFORE vignette space.

 

Patrick's DURING vignette space.

 

Patrick's AFTER vignette space.

My Olioboard Take-Away Tip:

Create boards that are mobile friendly: Straight-on shot focal point - meaning an elevation - of each wall vs. trying to fit an entire space on one board. Print on card-stock paper to keep in a project binder.

 To learn more about or get involved with this Housing Works event at:

Design On A Dime - 2013

* To see more examples of how to use Olioboard's free site to showcase your charity's needs or event planning ( in either 2D and 3D), please click links below to visit the 9 other designers in the Oliohop with me...

 Woodson & Rummerfield - House of Design

BluLabel Bungalow 

Turquoise-LA 

A Designer's Perspective 

Decor Arts Now 

Customized Walls 

Niche By Design 

Patti Johnson Interiors 

 

and as seen on The Nate Berkus Show...

Dwell With Dignity 

 

Join me on Olioboard and stop by to try it for yourself!

 Also: Watch for the hashtags, #CharityCauses & #OlioHop on http://twitter.com/olioboard, as we share our favorite charities, Olioboards,and posts!

 Thanks for stopping by!