Welcome to Rick’s Space! In case you are wondering what sort of site you have stumbled upon, well, I’m not completely sure myself- HOWEVER- I do know that there will be some ramblings of mine about all sorts of themes and topics regarding good ol’ media. With advancements in technology occurring what seems to be daily, there is an abundance to delve into and talk about when talking about how we feel about this progression into a digitalised world,, and where we stand connected with it.
Hey, its rick and welcome back to another blog post. The topic of choice for my podcast was how social media holds for the realm of social activism.
I decided to use a structure for my podcast that content creators I enjoy use. A laidback and still yet informative approach. I also bring in a special guest another fellow deakin student to help together unpack the topic of the day. I wanted my podcast to almost be like a Q & A referring to the study questions in week 8. Together we delved deeper into opinions on how social media has offered new ways of making changes for activists. These questions explore the topic in a way I found was engaging for an audience while at the same time informative.
I informed my podcast through prescribed readings looking into Earl and Kipport Going through my own twitter feed I found myself drawn to a recent and rather popular activist Greta Thunberg. I found myself exploring Greta and her story viewing video after video on youtube. She persuades her listeners to follow in her footsteps and create a movement to take real action against climate change.
Signing into my SoundCloud as a publisher rather than a lister was definitely an adjustment. I looked into my files and clicked publish out into the public was my first podcast. Not only did i have butterflies hearing my own voice like a teen heartthrobs new hit single I felt a sense of accomplishment and success. If I was to do something differently next podcast, it would be engaging in a longer and conversation. I believe this because the short podcast sounded a little scripted and I would have preferred more dialogue.
Portfolio output 2 was such an interactive and alternate way of submitting an assignment.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish I could do it again. However, it was definitely daunting speaking live into a microphone. I found myself having to re-do 5,6,7 times as I discovered I had stage fright in my room on my own and in my pj’s. I had found a newly discovered respect for both vloggers and radio presenters speaking into a microphone. This assessment has allowed me to push myself to new bounds outside my comfort zone into a field I never knew I would like.
Rick back again. Something has been recently on my mind and it is my online identity. Social media has exponentially increased in popularity of the last decade and has shaped the lives of many today. I for one haven’t been in the loop as much as I should. It has been for many, an escape from reality, kept us in touch with reality and maybe even created our reality.
I personally have found social media something of a challenge to use. I have never committed to it 100% to experience the potential benefits of networking and connection through personal and business use. I have not liked the thought of broadcasting the ins and outs of what is happening in my life. I have selected my profile picture with this reason in mind. My profile picture on twitter is an emoji of me.
I chose to make an emoji of myself as it has all my characteristics while at the same time not showing my face. I like the simplicity of the emoji and how it captures who I am and my features through an avatar of myself. My design business on Instagram has my company logo as my profile picture. This is because my face is not relevant in the company and I would prefer my logo to be recognised rather than my face.
(screenshot of my Instagram account)
Jaron Lanier’s ‘You are not a gadget’ (2010) says that “you have to be somebody before you can share yourself.” I think this statement runs true with my own life. Struggling to establish who I am with my interests, personality, and goals I have, I have constructed an almost ‘passive’ persona on social media. I am almost invisible with very few posts however I am always in the loop on what is new, trending and controversial in forums online. A major passion and interest of mine is graphic design and the way I ‘passively’ contribute to forums and pages is to like, comment and share rather than personally posting onto my wall or thread. I like this way of interacting online as it is constantly engaging with an online group while at the same time remaining reserved and placid.
(‘Like’ by Analise Mabe, 2019)
I have recently launched a design company known as Aye Industries Design. The concept of this business is to specialize in company identities, automotive vinyl styling, and custom illustrations. This field of work requires lots of communication and interactions with clients and my audience. As mentioned earlier, I find myself as a ‘passive’ social networker and I believe after delving deeper into both my design units and #ALM101 I need to be more vocal and active. Not only will this help increase my network it will also allow me to illustrate my work to others with similar interests.
Someone who I find influential in a similar field of work is Troy Candy and his company ‘Eye Candy Motorsports.’ “Consumers are far more interested in obtaining tangible value, suggesting businesses may be confusing their own desire for customer intimacy with consumers’ motivations for engaging.” (Heller Baird and Parasnis, 2011) Troy Candy interacts with his audience by re-blogging people using his merchandise, commenting, liking and posting regular content. This has allowed Troy to exponentially grow his business and create a connection between his clients/fans online. This is something that I lack and believe that I can still work to improve. One thing that I can take away from all the influencers that I follow are regular uploads and content updates. Another key aspect is establishing a style with a target audience. My style is modern and focuses on plain and simple executed in the best possible way. I appeal to people interested in establishing their own brand and promote client ideas and sculpt them into a brand that both the consumer and I are proud of.
Vinyl stickers designed by meGraphic design designed by me
An experience that has inspired me and allowed me to create my Aye Industries identity was definitely being recognized by a large automotive performance shop call Grieci Performance and Race Engines. This company got in touch with me stating that they appreciate my work and style and wanted my flavor to reflect on their company. Grieci Performance further went on to ask for me to sit down with them to re-design and invent new automotive vinyl and logos for their company leading into the new year. It is because of the very minimal promoting on Instagram that I did for Aye Industries through my ‘passive’ approach of liking and commenting on their posts.
Looking to the future, I plan to enhance my social networking by being more active rather than the ‘passive’ user I described myself as before. I plan to be more of a regular uploader with content targeted to engage with my aimed audience which should allow me to gain traction in my social media. Focusing on maintaining a regular style and establishing my niche in the market is my main goal for 2020.
Baird, C.H. and Parasnis, G., 2011. From social media to social customer relationship management. Strategy & leadership.
Jaron Lanier, 2010, You Are Not A Gadget, Alfred A. Knopf, New YorkSmith, S. and Watson, J., 2014. Virtually Me. Identity Technologies: Constructing the Self Online, pp.70-95.
Rick's Space 