One of the main discussion topics at our Ottocon get-together was the slow pace that comes with collaborating over the internet. We’re all working other freelance or full-time jobs, and it’s tough for the team members to get prompt feedback, or to keep tabs on how the work is going. The team already relies on tools like Facebook, Basecamp, Google Plus and SVN to exchange files and information, but the sheer volume of information traffic makes it hard to filter and prioritize. So, to deal with the signal-to-noise issues, we created the Ottoman Status Board.

Heavily inspired by Panic’s Status Board, this colorful progress readout allows the animators to get a snapshot of the project’s status at a glance. It also allows Dimos, our animation director, to see who’s waiting for feedback, and where their latest files are. It’s been a rousing success so far—only a few days in, and we’re already seeing a quicker turnaround on feedback and revisions. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be looking to add new info-readout components based on animator requests.