SLENTRE.COM

by Feldspar Epstein

Brian Regan, aka PrinterBrian Dowd in SL, is a driving force behind the Printalution (www.printalution.com) project in Second Life. Regan is the president of Semper International LLC (www.semperllc.com), a highly respected placement firm for the graphic arts and printing industry. Semper has recently opened an Interactive Media and Virtual Worlds Development center inspired and informed by Regan’s experience and expertise in the realm of virtual worlds.

(PrinterBrian Dowd aka Brian Regan welcomes visitors to Printalution, the printing community’s new island in Second Life.)

The Printalution project’s main goals are to foster graphic arts and printing communities in the virtual world – focused primarily on educators and industry – and to provide information to prospective Graphic Communications students.

During GRAPH EXPO® 2007, a task force was put together to address the problem of reaching out to youths and to the educational system, incorporating Graphic Communications industry requirements. The Printalution project was conceived as one of many projects and initiatives planned through many teleconferences between the members of the task force. The Printalution project was subsequently announced at GRAPH EXPO® 2008. Printalution is also a part of of a larger initiative from The Education Summit Group. More information on Printalution and the other initiatives can also be found here (http://graphcommnet.ning.com/).

Goals

A major goal of the Printalution project is to form communities made up of educators and industry practitioners. The size and activity of these communities will certainly be a consideration when measuring the success of the project.

(The reception area of Printalution is fashioned to be welcoming and user-friendly.)

The Printalution project is designed to be self-contained. This means that visitors entering Second Life for the first time can choose to join the Printalution orientation community when they sign up. After completing the Printalution orientation and spending some immersion time on Printulation Island, visitors need not engage with any other aspects of Second Life, if they so desire.

What does the project offer students?

Students will be the ultimate beneficiaries of the project. Tours will be led by educators – secondary and post secondary teachers – through a specially designed tour building located in Printalution Island in Second Life. In addition, there are many locations throughout Printalution Island and its neighbour, HumanResource Island, with static information, billboards and links to websites with further information regarding the Graphic Communications industry. In the future, training seminars will be held, featuring topics including basic skills for Graphic Communications and interview skills.

(The Printalution tour building houses 3D representations of real life printing equipment.)

Features

The Printalution tour building, located here – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Printalution/196/130/44 – is an impressive undertaking. It contains all the equipment and people required for a complete printing operation. In each area, there are posters with information pertinent to the equipment situated there or to the “primatars” (representations of people built from basic Second Life building blocks) located there. Each primatar has a label stating that you can click it for further information, but this feature does not yet seem to be complete. The Administrative area has a Receptionist, CSR, senior CSR, Buyer, and Estimator. Other areas include the Design, Pre-media, Digital Production, Press, and Binding and Finishing areas, and around the corner there is a career centre.

(The SP Green Exhibit built to inform students about ecologically friendly printing practices.)

Also on Printalution Island are the SP Auditorium for seminars and demonstrations, the SP Green Exhibit which informs students about ecologically friendly printing practices, a sandbox, the orientation area, and the teacher’s building (yet to be completed).

The companion island, HumanResource Island – http://slurl.com/secondlife/HumanResource%20Island/189/110/27 – has a whole host of information about Semper International LLC, Graphic Communications groups, and about jobs in the industry.

In conclusion

Printalution looks like a fantastic endeavour. It’s creators have obviously invested plenty of time and thought into the principles behind the build: they know why they are there, what they are hoping to achieve, and how they are going to measure success. They have a targeted audience and have created ways for that audience to become aware of their build. The build itself is aesthetically gorgeous, practical and useful.

It will be well worth monitoring their progress as their communities grow.