Had to mockup a design for several pages of the Emerson College iPhone app in my Graphic Design class today…
This was one of mine, which taps into the college’s social media outlets.
Like it?
Technical vs. Creative: Why I’m Done With Web Stuff
When I applied to schools a couple of years ago, I applied everywhere as a film major. I wanted to be an editor. At Emerson specifically, I applied to be a digital post production “specialization” (Visual Media Art majors all have specializations that barely give them extra skill in that field). As I got closer to Emerson move in, I realized that I wasn’t just going to be doing film/video. I wanted to merge the web world and the video world. I started to like web design and development more and more. So I decided to merge them. So I switched into the specialization that made the most sense to my new love… “Interactive Media.” I still to this day can’t really define it too well.
Basically, I wanted to be where television is going. Be a “web video producer.” I still want to do this… Somewhat. I want to do more motion graphics design. It combines my love for video production and my love for design quite nicely. I’ll touch more on what I want to do later.
Now I do have to mention that I am currently employed by the Emerson Channel as the Website Coordinator. Basically, I’m in charge of the website. I’m going to probably keep that job. Because honestly, it’s money, and it’s nice being a part of the Emerson Channel team. I will also be in charge of this upcoming Fast Forward Rewind’s web presence. But at least on that I’ll also be an editor and working on graphics.
I’m going to keep getting these web jobs if I keep letting my resume be filled with Web producer this, web coordinator that…So, half-way through my college career, I’m shifting full into motion graphics design, graphics, and digital post production. I may very likely change my specialization back to Digital post production.
It’s become very clear to me that at Emerson and in the creative realm in general that there are the technical people, and then there are the creative people. I’m not one of those technical people. I can appreciate it, sure, but the technical people really love it. They thrive on the backends, the button pushing, the acronyms for everything under the sun, and so on. Spend a few hours with some TV majors, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. I never liked it, but I get how they’re so excited about it. I don’t make fun of them for liking any of it, and it’s great that they are so into their field, but it’s just not for me.
You’re probably wondering why I’m even talking about TV majors and technical/logistical aspects of productions in a post about web stuff… The answer is that they’re the people I’ve been around more at Emerson. My design work is always for the TV kids. My web work is for Emerson’s own television channel, and one of my best friends Kevin is a head honcho at EIV (TV kid Hogwarts, essentially). I’m not really ever around film kids, and I’m just starting to dig into the whole creative half of emerson.
Here’s what I don’t want to do anymore, and will stop doing:
1. Web Design & Development
I used to love adapting my love for design to the web. I loved tinkering with CSS code and learning more of how to make things look just the way you wanted them, but I could never really hand code a page from the bottom-up. I know HTML, and I know CSS. But I don’t know them well enough to make something that I can make in an hour in iWeb. Side note: I used iWeb to make my own personal website. I always have. Some people are shocked/disappointed by that, but hey… It’s easier, and it looks better than anything I would code by hand.
In short, it’s too technical for me. It’s just not fun anymore.
2. Social Media
This one’s a little trickier to explain, but I’ll do my best. As I sit here and type how “I’m done with social media” on a micro-blogging site ironically enough, I just now know what aspects of this I don’t like. Obsessive people bother me in some way, but only when I have to work with them, and I’m not obsessive about what they’re obsessive about. That probably makes me sound like a huge ass, but it’s true. I used to be so interested in how social media has changed the world, and how things like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, digg, and so on have “changed the game.” The first thing I did at Emerson was the social networking for the college’s student run record label Wax on Felt. It was cool and all, but at a point, it starts to enter the world of Marketing. Which is very close to the world of business, my arch-enemy.
begin rant:
I will never, ever be a “suit.” One of those corporate 9-to-5 suit wearing guy focused on business. The ones with the fancy leather looking folders that hold their legal pads and expense reports and quarterlies, or something like that. The ones who “couldn’t live without their Blackberry.”
I’m sick of the “I’m at blah blah blah (insert foursquare link here)”, the “RT: RT: RT: RT:”, the “Buzz,” the “No, you just don’t get Google Wave until you’ve read this book and try it for 36 days” and so on. I love Tumblr, I love Twitter, and I love Facebook. I find what they’ve done to modern communication fascinating, and I can’t imagine a wold without the services that they provide. But having dived into the marketing world for a bit, I had to get out before it got too close to business.
End of rant. My apologies. Just had to get it out there.
The creative side of media doesn’t bother me with it’s obsessiveness. It is a breath of fresh air every time I see a fellow peer’s work with amazing cinematography and great music over it, or a motion design piece that you just want to watch over and over to figure out how they made it.
So here’s my plan for my remaining 2 years at Emerson:
- Help be a part of the Emerson Channel and EIV’s migration from traditional televised broadcasts to web video… But then sever myself from the web as soon as it’s stable enough.
- Start a video podcast. This is something that I’ve currently got in the planning stages for this fall. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. More info coming soon!
- Learn as much as I can about motion design, and do as much of it as I can.
- Get more involved in editing, visual effects, color correction, and digital post production as a whole.
I know there’s no way any of you probably read anywhere close to all of this, but this was more for me to just publicly state my plan, and state my feelings on my career path and future. After all, it’s my blog damn it!
Whoa, awesome. Emerson’s wildly popular social media class talks to one of my favorite (if not most favorite) alum, Veronica Belmont. She works at one of the companies I would love to someday work for, Revision3.
Emerson College: Social Media Fail
I’m a student at Emerson College, an institution that takes pride in “bringing innovation to communication and the arts.” Social media has been a profound innovation to way the world communicates. However, Emerson’s use of social media has been less than impressive.
Emerson’s social media presence fails to…
reflect the Emerson community
Emerson has an account on Twitter and Facebook, but has yet to use either for anything noteworthy.
On the other hand, Emerson students are all over social media. While the average age of a Twitter user is over 35, our student body is banging out tweets like it’s going out of style.
The school itself should be a reflection of the student body. When it comes to my school’s social media presence, I feel like I’m staring at a wall, not a mirror. Emerson College should show the same social media savvy as its community.
A major benefit of social media is the opportunity for two-way communication with you and your public. (via Kyle Lacy).
This picture is worth a thousand words, but the Emerson College Twitter page is worth zero. Literally, there are zero tweets on the account.
Their Facebook page is equally as unimpressive. The wall is simply an RSS feed of the Emerson site’s News section. No comments, no questions, no status update, no conversation.How can you bring innovation to communication, without becoming a part of the conversation within these innovations? Social media is an arena for conversation. Start it, become a part of it, or don’t bother coming in
In the context of social media marketing, the goals you’ve chosen will help to determine your target audience (via Dosh Dosh).
What are Emerson’s social media goals? Increase enrollment, showcase student work, attract donors? Who are they trying to reach? Prospective students, faculty, the homeless guy across the street?
I don’t have the slightest clue, and I don’t think Emerson does either.
Before jumping into the social media game, you have to make your own rules. Step 1: define goals. Step 2: chose target audience. Step 3: produce and share content accordingly. You can’t communicate effectively through social media if you don’t know who you’re communicating with.
Sorry Emerson, I’ll give you some credit. You haven’t failed entirely.
Emerson’s social media presence has successfully…
connected with alumni
Lo and behold, Emerson has a fantastic and far reaching social media presence for their alumni association: an active Facebook page (1,534 fans), Twitter account (697 followers), LinkedIn group (2,634 members), and Flickr photo pool (308 photos).
It is recommended to segment customers based on offline behaviors or past interactions with your organization (via ClickZ).
I’m a fan of the Emerson College Department of Marketing Communication Facebook page because I’m a marketing major at Emerson College. Offline interaction, meet online segment. Journalism majors can become a fan of the Emerson College Journalism Department, and grad students can connect at the Emerson College Graduate Studies page.
Social media has become a valuable tool for high school students throughout their quest to find their college of choice. The Emerson Enrollment YouTube Channel gives a peak into the dorm life, dining hall and orientation week at the college.
Regardless, Emerson could stand to take a few pointers from other schools using social media. Stanford University’s Facebook page features an album of photos taken by students. University of Texas created a blog called Longhorn Confidential, in which two students from each grade level blogged about their experiences at school. University of Minnesota uses Twitter for news distribution, and the BU Athletics Twitter is for students to “Follow their favorite Terrier team!” UC Berkeley has over 300 hours of academic programming on their YouTube Channel.
Come on, Emerson. Get with the program!
Research Sources:
This is a fabulously written post that describes some of my frustrations with this school’s effort in “being on the bleeding edge of technology, communication and the arts.” They’re really not. This post says it all.
Also the Emerson homepage looks like it’s from 1999. I’ve heard it’s being redesigned, so one can hope.
Facebook’s new upcoming redesign.
Keeps much of the same features that are in use now, but gives much more dominance to the search function, as well as brings back the sidebar with links to photos/videos/etc. It also puts your profile image and status in that sidebar, in an effort to remind users to update their statuses.
Looks good to me, I liked that old sidebar.
This is what I live for.
