Talk:Ashley Bock
Ashley, you did a great job of connecting the idea of audience with the notion of one’s motivations for using a social platform. You made this connection clear when you explained how you use Instagram as a platform for marketing yourself to potential employers. I thought the review of your content in relation to the features and norms of the platform made for a strong analysis. You also did a fantastic job formatting your text and media for a wiki platform (the drop cap was a nice touch).
For your revision, I would encourage you to go even further in your analysis of the self-censorship that occurs as you try to stay “on-brand.” I would also suggest thinking a bit about what it really means to have a “personal brand.” Besides defining your aesthetic and taste, which you’ve done well in your original entry, your revision might benefit from a deeper exploration of your own personal values and how those values direct what does and doesn’t get posted on your account. Overall, I think this entry represents a strong assessment of your Instagram account relative to your “real identity.” Your entry can be further strengthened by making just a few tweaks (see minor edits below) and elaborating further on “brand” and personal values.
Minor edits:
- You have one instance of the word “Instagram” that isn’t capitalized
- You may want to consider reducing your reliance on the dash “—” in your sentence structures
- Try formatting your footnotes in the typical wiki style (using superscript numbers in brackets)
-- Samuel Wood
Great Wiki, Ashley! I think talking about how you merge your personal and work into one is a unique take on authenticity on social media. One thing that I really liked was that you incorporated class material early on and did a good job tying it in with your personal experiences, which is something I myself could work on. There’s a good amount of nuance in describing your balance authenticity but also trying to maximize personal benefit. That is, others’ impressions of you including potential employers (monetary benefit).
A few minor things:
- I think that in the first paragraph, “consisting of friends, family, other designers, and even potential employees” it sounds like employees should be employers, because you use employers later in the Wiki.
- While I don’t think your sentence structure was repetitive, I think it may benefit from variation. Sentences could be broken up into shorter pieces, such as in the conclusion.
The main thing above these I would like to see would be a focus, or rather more discussion on the balance between maintaining your brand and authenticity. I think your point that “I don’t think I will ever be able to post something “off-brand,” it will just mean my personal brand has changed” is really interesting, and elicits thought on how one’s brand could tie into their personal self, so that could definitely be a place where you expand.
-- Andy Bui
Great start, Ashley!
When revising, consider your colleagues’ comments above: they are spot on.
Please consider them fully for your revision.
If you have any questions, or need help, please let me know.
Best,
Corina
