HomeMy WebLinkAbout24c. Authorize Purchase-Online Subsciption for Canva & Piktochart-MultimediaA
CITY MANAGER
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR RODRIGUEZ AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
4.11F
•, • • ,
DATE: JUNE 25, 2019
SUBJECT: DOWNEY INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TEAM: A TECHNOLOGICAL
APPROACH TO MULTIMEDIA
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council authorize the City Manager to purchase an online subscription for Canva
and Piktochart for multimedia up to $4,122.
BACKGROUND
As part of the Council's commitment to Efficiency and Adaptability, a third interdisciplinary
Downey Innovation and Technology Team was convened to study the implementation of
technological and process improvements to enhance service and transparency and/or provide
cost savings to the organization. The following staff members participated for the Third
Innovation and Technology Team:
Andrew Despres — Library
Rebecca Guerrero — Public Works
Alfonso Hernandez — Community Development
Fire Captain Anthony Hildebrand — Fire
Leif Lovegren — Parks and Recreation
Jean Pominville — Police Department
Raul Rodriguez — Finance
Sandra Vera — Human Resources
Serving as Senior Advisor to the Innovation Team was Vaniah De Rojas (City Manager's
Office).
As efficiency is an important value of the City Council, the Innovation Team investigated options
that could enhance public service and streamline operations. Staff discussed the potential to
have a platform where multimedia can be created, templates available that would facilitate the
creation of graphics arts components for Departments, and set consistent design standards.
The team found that each department was using different platforms to create their projects that
included flyers, brochures, presentations, social media content, and promotional documents.
This created some inconsistencies and inefficiencies of staff time in developing the various
types of multimedia. Additionally, the team discovered that departments either do not have a
designated graphics designer or a staff member who has a background in graphic design, which
results in extra staff time being spent on developing a design or layout for marketing materials.
DOWNEY INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TEAM: A TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO
MULTIMEDIA
JUNE 25, 2019
By upgrading to an online subscription, such as Canva and Picktochart, staff (including non -
designers), can create visual aids more efficiently by using pre-exiting designs, provide an
enhanced service to the public by increasing the output and professionalism of marketing
collateral, and assist the City in developing a more consistent modern look of marketing
materials and presentations.
Both online subscriptions allow up to 20 users per organization and provide various tools.
Canva provides templates geared towards social media and design layouts, while Piktochart
focuses more on maps, chart builders, and infographics. IT and the City Manager's Office can
work with Departments to coordinate the users and also upload marketing designs, logos,
mottos, and etc. to the online sites to ensure consistency on City marketing materials and
presentations.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Efficiency and Adaptability
Public Engagement
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total annual subscription fee for both online subscriptions is $4,122; $2,331for PiktoChart
and $1,791 for Canva. The subscription cost would allow up to 15 users Citywide for both sites.
These costs would be more than offset by the increase in efficiency and increase of time
management for future multimedia projects. Adequate funding is available in the Fiscal Year
2019-20 budget to cover this expenditure.
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