HARBINGER
CONSULTANTS

ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
Harbinger Consultants is a people-focused social, urban and cultural consultancy committed to community wellbeing, social
innovation, organisational and non-profit sector resilience, and cultural development. We undertake research, planning,
strategy and consultation for clients and partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Linda Carroli has significant experience working with online environments to facilitate creativity, consultation and interaction.
Building on her background as a journalist and communications professional, she has undertaken an array of training and
skills to develop communications and engagement capabilities in the digital environment. As the coordinator of Harbinger
Consultants’ communications, she is familiar with a range of online platforms which now have currency in consultation and
engagement methodologies including blogging, micro-blogging, website development, forums, wikis, online surveys, social
networks and similar platforms. Harbinger Consultants’ web presence is devised primarily using web 2.0 platforms including
a blog, micro-blogging, link sharing and other online means.

She is an experienced content and information manager. As the coordinator of Ideas Online for the Brisbane Ideas Festival
in 2001 and 2003, she was responsible for the management of a number of online initiatives for developing and engaging
festival audiences. These included forums, newsletters, podcasts, online publishing, discussion lists, marketing and other
interaction opportunities. For several years she was the editor of an electronic international art, science and technology
magazine, fineArt Forum, and is formerly Chair of the Australia Network for Art and Technology. Through her experience
and skills development, she is familiar with publishing, interdisciplinary and artistic applications of digital technology and has
initiated a range of projects. She has a background as a writer exploring these media through collaborative and individual
projects. Her online literary works have won international awards and honorary mentions as well as been exhibited globally.
Some of her works are required or recommended reading in university courses worldwide, as early exemplars of ‘electronic
literature’ and most recently she developed a project presented at the State Library of Queensland exploring the use of
social media, mapping and networks for storytelling.

As a member of Conics’ Community + Social Planning team, Linda was responsible for developing small scale online
programs as part of consultations for development proposals. She undertook research about freely available platforms for
the purposes of designing cost-effective engagement programs. These were focused on using appropriate online tools to
deliver websites, embedded media, surveys and other collateral. This approach provided one way of ensuring community
members unable to attend public events as part of the consultation programs were able to readily access information about
local development proposals. As freelance writer and editor, she has prepared content for elearning (Department of State
Development Small Business Portal) and has also undertaken website copywriting for small to medium enterprises. At
present, she is developing a strategic communications plan for Architects without Frontiers. This plan will include traditional
and social media communications with the primary objectives of community building and national profile.

Linda has initiated a range of projects that are focused on creative works and publications – creativity is integral to
Harbinger Consultants’ approach – with much of this work developed for online outputs. Linda writes a regular column for
the online international cultural portal Arts Hub titled ‘Urbanista’. The column focuses on urban innovation and creativity. At
present, Harbinger Consultants is hosting Linda’s project, Placing, which is an exploration of place writing and writing place.
The project is funded by the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council. As an extension of our studio practice, Placing
involves multi-layers of engagement with urban spaces and community groups including writing, workshops and think tanks.
Through this project and other engagements, she has been considering the implications and creative use of technologies for
urban and community development with a view to appreciating the changing technological and media contexts of places
through approaches such as digital storytelling, locative media, social mapping and content sharing.

CONTACT
JM John Armstrong
Harbinger Consultants
PO Box 334, Aspley Qld 4034
Phone: 07 3863 1096
Mob: 0418 224 953
jmjarmstrong@hotmail.com
http://harbingerconsultants.wordpress.com
ABN: 54 657 665 684