So, I started building the actual framework for the Brave New Maine concept envisioned mainly by Sean and other other members of the Brave New Maine Team. I decided, as per my previous research, to develop the functionality in Drupal. To clarify what was achieved:

1) Visitors can register as a user on the Brave New Maine website.
2) Users can contribute issues (to ground the stories based on the future scenarios in reality, asking people to imagine the/their future).
3) Users can submit stories (image, text, sound, video) based on the energy descent frameworks outlined in the Scenarios page. They can also edit any of their submitted content.
4) Users can comment on individual stories.
5) Current Issues are sorted on the “Active Issues” page with image thumbnails.
6) On a current Issue page the descent scenario stories are displayed underneath the main issue.
7) On the individual story pages user comments are displayed along side the submitted content.
8) The main page was created along with placeholders for contact and further reading.

I think I made significant progress toward realizing the most important features of Brave New Maine, and l learned a good deal about Drupal in the process.

Based on feedback during our critique, the next step is to work on the aesthetics and arrangement of the pages now that the functionality exists. Ideas where given on how to improve the front page. The goal is to design in a such as way as to give people the right impression, and attitude through of our sites aesthetic. I’ll be working with James who has skills in graphic design to help create the needed graphics and significant rearrangement of the front pages and color scheme changes will be next in line. These changes will help make the goals of the project more clear and the website will be more intuitive and easy for the user to understand and contribute to.