_ First things first ...

DOT appeared at FAAL Junior in our freshman year. Our class was larger in number than all previous classes, then it was necessary to develop new projects. That was the first challenge.   FAAL junior was not clear to us; we did not even know it existed. Then, what project to design? Well, Lucas suggested to develop this department, which was known as digital magazine department, and I was nominated to be the project manager by the classroom students since I was the only one with some experience with magazines, for I had been working during six months as an illustrator and layout assistant in a publishing house   when I started at Dot. I was working in an agency but I was the only one who had already worked with magazines.

 It was a new Project and we had to remove all “don’ts” from our way. We could not write about design, because we already had Aipim, which was a part of the printing discipline that was taking care of the design subject, none of us was a good writer, and there was no blog or anything like that. So, what to write? We identified a need; there was a new time at the college, then why not to write about our own college? At the time, we thought it was important to present Fall junior to the “new” college.

 I understand that Dot is a very special Project within Faal Junior because it came even earlier than the COMA Design. The FAAL junior at that transition moment was not well stablished, so every college semester its structure was changed or reinvented. One of the major difficulties for any project at FAAL junior was its continuity by the classes to come. Each new class wanted to do something new, from scratch, and that did not allow any project to go further.

 Since its first edition Dot had not only internal but also external support. The Images used on cover story were caught from an online catalog of a clothing store. It was the creation of the identity, the promotional activities and the study of technologies. How to make a magazine for the internet? What should the format be? We had all these concerns about the magazine.  A lot of things were happening nobody had experience in that field, we picked an internet image and then a dilemma came up: Are we going to have problems using internet images without previous approval? Fortunately, we contacted Farfetch and the staff liked the project and gave their greatest support and approval.  After that we came across another issue when we realized that Dot could be in the future a fund raiser to FAAL junior, which eventually happened with the support from Zupi and stores in the area.

 At last, the most important successful factor for Faal was cost. Besides being a potential fund raiser Dot was zero cost for the institution. We knew that there were many cool projects under development by previous classes, but they died when they came to fund raiser phase, there was no money for that and in the next semester the project was canceled and another one would take place.

 Dot was viable, since labor came from students, it was accessible; it could become profitable and it was aimed to a public where digital culture was more than consolidated.

  As  first  manager and one of  the founders  of Dot  I have a great affection and I’m proud of this project, Even after graduating  from college I followed the subsequent managers and I have always been close. I have enjoyed Dot evolution edition after edition. Each new manager contributes by adding his own to past experiences, and with that the magazine keeps growing. Today, it no longer follows  what I had imagined when the project began, but on the other hand, if we were to keep talking only about FAAL, it  would be a poor project, so I found it very cool the turnabout of the project.

I also realize that Dot has found its way along those years. There was a lack of identity on the first two editions, when we were still crawling. But the third one was based on Computer and Arts and it was quite cool, the fourth edition was more to the subject of the photograph, we had qualified personnel supporting that edition and we were already trying another format. But it was on the fifth edition that the magazine found its way. The layout of the magazine was inspired by the Sorria magazine, and the illustrations along with its content and a beautiful cover work surprised me, from then on it has been a success. We look at Dot today and can see “a” Magazine, for me it is already a mature project; it is ready to fly away.

Dot is also my banner, it is a milestone in my life, so where I go, I carry it with me. Soon after we disclosed the first edition I was hired to work in a magazine in the city of Americana, where I worked for a while, and it was gratifying to realize that this college project had opened doors for a new job, with even an experience to work in another city.  Dot is already known in the academic environment. When I still had plans to get my master´s degree, I presented Dot at UDESC of Florianópolis, in Santa Catarina and it was highly praised. I have several Dot cards with me and whenever the opportunity comes up I hand them out.

I want to say that I see Dot as a case of success at FAAL. It appeared in a moment of change, and somehow it was part of that change too, it is a project that I know it is dear to Samara and Adriana. Everyone who was connected to Dot, who participated of the creation of an edition no longer, was able to forget it, and for me that is one of the reasons for the great success of the project, students adopted Dot, they really did their best for it and I have not seen this happening in any other college project. This is an immense source of pride.