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Knowing your audience is only one piece of the puzzle

What skills have I gained regarding writing to an audience?

Writing The Professional Blogger over the last six weeks has been an eye opening experience because what seemed like straightforward assignment, ended up taking me on a journey where I have learnt a lot about my writing style.

When we first began the blog, the idea of it being 'professional' was very daunting because I have never been formally trained as a writer.  Throughout my adult life I have enjoyed writing, in diaries, little stories and songs but up until last year, I had never written an academic paper and had not been at school for over ten years.

I thought about who my audience was for this assignment and as I wrote about media issues I realised that unless I allowed the personality of my own style to shine through, my blog posts would be dry and uninteresting. It is not enough to reword the stories I found from the Australian, I had to summarise and express ideas of my own.  I had to eloquently express my opinion and let the audience know who I was.

I understand now that professionalism comes from editing and thinking about what you are trying to say and who you are trying to reach.  It does not mean you have to colour yourself beige with facts, you can be unique and write with flair within the realms of the task you are given.  

I have learnt that a catchy heading is important but only if it serves the objective of your story and that blog posts are best when they are not too long (this is tricky for me because I am a born rambler).

Audiences come in many types and for this assignment I have learnt that a professional writer has the ability to relate concepts to their reader, to pose questions and provoke thought.  

I hope I have achieved this to some degree.

How does the concept of audience impact the way that you write?

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The trials and tribulations of free Tumblr templates

I have learnt a lot from designing The Professional Blogger yet sadly the restraints of Tumblr templates seem to be my only cause for concern.

This assignment has given me a new perspective of how to design blogs because previously I have been engaged with blogs that are image based.  When I began this assignment I found myself following suit and chose a template that afforded large images yet this blog was to be focused on text.

I was fortunate enough to be shown a template that text based and this is the design you are looking at now.  The column grid makes the blog feel as though it were closer to a magazine or newspaper article and that is effective for the assignments criteria.

It was important for me to think laterally about design because many aspects of the tumblr template were not able to be altered.  It was frustrating understand design principles yet not being able to implement them.

For instance:  

I would have like to have had all headings for blog posts in bold to make them stand yet I wasn't able.  My solution was to use bold lead paragraphs to assist in creating contrast and  hierarchy     for the design.

I was unable to create a sidebar for useful links so I created a normal post and alerted any viewers that if I had my way, I would have had a separate useful links space.

Finally, I was surprised to discover today that unless you opt for a blog post to be able to be replied to, people cant!  This really frustrated me because the whole purpose of this blog was to be interactive, an exchange of ideas and opinions. There were many fantastic things about the template that I have used.  It is clear and readable, its use of white space makes the overall design inviting and the unified weighting of text and image is really effective.

I learnt how to link and URL to a word to avoid long web addresses clogging up space and appearing messy and I have gained a greater understanding of choosing images that are interesting but also relate to the post I am writing.

If I had the money I would buy a template to suit my needs yet alas, the financial struggle of the university student hindered that possibility.

[uni-bianka-feo]

Would you like my opinion of the business that is blogging?

As with all web 2.0 applications that allow user generated content I think there are some fantastic examples where blogs are informative, interesting, humorous and inspiring yet others are bland and vacuous. 

If a blogger has a clear voice and the ability to write in such a way that interests audience then a blog can be an incredible means of communication.  Personally, I won’t follow blogs where people compile images of cute dogs or cats.  I love dogs and cats but I don’t want to view blogs about them.   I enjoy blogs that showcase places and people, that discuss stories, issues, music and photography.   

The strength of blogging is that it is an effective, relatively easy and cheap way for a person to express themselves, to exchange ideas and to share information on a global scale.  It has created global communities of shared information and I cannot praise this enough.  Blogs are a creative outlet for people who may not normally participate in writing and they are effective for promoting business and enterprise.

As Dvorak (2002) explains, blogs can be vehicles for people that wish to be published writers, it gives an author, reviewer or writer a platform to use to convey their ideas about anything they desire (Dvorak article).

Having access to the Internet affords so many opportunities for individuals to create and blogs, they have become a booming and vibrant instrument for people to orchestrate an online artifact for whatever they desire.  I think that’s pretty amazing.

What do you think about blogs?  

[uni-bianka-feo]

East side bride does it better

Fun fact?  Wedding blogs can be nauseating.  If you aren't the kind of girl who swoons at the site of a pale pink polka dot, embarking on a wedding web blog search can be very alienating.  

Enter the East Side Bride (ESB), the blog for any non conformist woman who likes a little laugh and a look at high fashion.  The East Side Bride is such a fantastic example of a blog because:

It is an interactive space where people write in asking for advice & the ESB and any other bloggers can comment and advise.

It has an array of quirky photo inspiration for anyone that values originality in fashion and event planning.

ESB delves into travel advice: discussing different parts of the world with fellow bloggers and divulging privy information for particular hotspots and venues.

Its funny.  It doesn't take itself too seriously yet it has the ability to transcend a purely image based blog because the real stories shared and advice offered creates a sense of community among users.

The design of the blog is simple with new posts appearing daily and a left side bar of curiously names archives ensures a mix bagged of information for a viewer to scroll through and peruse.

The East Side Bride is such a wonderful blog because amongst an array of wedding ideas and inspiration, the core of the site remains steeped in camaraderie.  Woman sharing ideas, stories, heartaches and happiness all in a quirky world void of fake sentimentality or romantic notions.  

The blog is saturated in originality, it's author delivers each post with dry wit, no bull and keen eye. 

source: ESB

image: hitched

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Useful Links. My kingdom for a sidebar!

I would like to have these links displayed on a side bar within my blog yet alas, the restrictions of a free template. desktop publishing

typography & fonts

design principles

how users read on the web

five ways of reading

multimodal forms and new media

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The Professional Bloggers top 6 tips for effective document design

Document design is about visual communication.  Ensure your message is clear.

1. Alignment


Left align text is stronger and easier to read than center aligned text.  As Williams (2008) enforces, our eyes find it easier to read a document when it is aligned and ordered.

2. Mass/Balance

Imagine your document is composed of a series of shapes in a space.  A box of text, a rectangular image etc. Each shape within your lay out has a weight to it.  Ask yourself if the composition of your design is balanced (Bear 2013).

 3. Colour/Value

Although colour is not integral to document design, Parker (1993) explains that colour can be used effectively to create dynamic documents (Parker 1993, p. 195). Bear (2013) agrees that colours are used to add contrast and interest to a document and the value of a colour is its lightness or darkness, its dominance or subtleness within a design.

 4. Whitespace

It’s simple.  White space allows your design room to breathe.  It allows a reader to consider the information put forth (Bear 2013).  Designs that are too busy can be confusing and difficult to process.

5. Repetition/Consistency

Consistent use of typefaces and sizes gives a document a sense of cohesion.  Repetition allows your document to be easy to navigate and allows for readability (Bear 2013, Lovett 2013).

6. Contrast

Barnum et al. (2012) explain that when colour is used in a dynamic way it creates contrast and allows elements of a document to stand out.  Consider this black text on a white background.  This document is easy to read because of the contrast between the white background and black text.  Bear (2013) relates that contrast can also be created using size and pattern (Bear 2013).

Other design elements include but are not exclusive too: line, layout, repetition and typeface. 

    REFERENCES

Barnum, A, Haddock, S, Hicks, A & Oppen, F 2012, Graphic Design Australian style manual, McGraw-Hill, North Ryde NSW.

Bear, JH Desktop publishing guide 2013, viewed June 12th 2013. 

John Lovett water colour and mixed media artist, Elements and principles of design 2013, viewed 12th June 2013.  Parker, R C 1993, Roger C. Parker's one minute designer: over 200 before-and-after ideas for better looking, more effective ads, brochures, newsletters and training materials, Que Carmel, IN.

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Satorialist swoon. A blog that sparks my attention ten fold.

I have been following the Satorialist blog for a few years now and I cant help but feel like gushing like a school girl when I write about it.  It is, by far, my all time favourite blog because it transports me into the many worlds of fashion that are so foreign to me (I usually wear tracksuits and sneakers in little old Adelaide).  It documents the many cities that creator Scott Schuman graces on his pursuit of fashion and lifestyle photography.  The blog is a mixture of normal people as well as fashion elites, living their days under the romantic gaze of The Satorialist lens. The photos are always beautiful and interesting and the blog is layed out clearly.  The blog itself is as stylish as the people and cities that grace it.

It is primarlily an image based blog with small amounts of text that give some context to the photographs displayed.  The archives are easily accessible because of the use of tagging and key words to assist in exploration.  The navigation bar at the top of the blog allows easy access to many areas as well as additional information within the right hand column displaying twitter feeds, advertising and other links.  It is clean and easy to read with minimal advertising and it lends itself to a slow scroll down for pages and pages of photographic brilliance!

source: satorilaist

image: new york

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If you're thinking of designing text for the web...

Parker (2003) suggests that it is more difficult for a person to read information from a computer screen so there are specific design principles to assist the layout of a web document (Parker 2003, p. 273). 

When designing text for the Internet it is imperative the lay out is clear and concise with plenty of white space to enhance readability on a computer screen (Parker 2003, p. 273).  The amount of text should be minimal and easy to navigate because you do not want to bombard a reader or create a site that is difficult to use (Parker 2003, p. 271).  The ability to scroll, zoom and easily move through the website drastically improves a viewers attention to the content. 

Classic design skills still apply like colour, balance and hierarchy to order the information in a cohesive fashion yet it is important to distinguish the difference of lay out from a magazine or newspaper (Barnum et al. 2012, p. 44). 

Experiment by researching websites.  Navigate around them, think about what works for readability and what doesn't.  Take notice of the layout, the use of colours and the way that information is set out.  It is certainly clear when a website is well designed.

I have included some links below to some websites that have a strong layout and design.

website examples: SATC, STC, Bandcamp

image: website

Parker, RC 2003, 'Designing documents for web distrubution', in Parker RC (ed.), Dynamics in Document Design, Wiley Computer Pub, New York, pp. 361-441.

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Could Sony create a pear to compete with Apple?

Sony is investing millions of dollars into an advertising campaign to promote Music Unlimited streaming site but will this be enough to compete with the almighty Apple? 

For many years Apple technologies have dominated the market for online music sharing and selling and Sony consistently attempt to level the playing field.  It seems no other companies can trump the products and services offered by Apple and it will be interesting to see in the years to come, who is successful in creating a change and why.

Music Unlimited looks remarkably like iTunes...like a less polished, clunky version of iTunes.  The logo even looks a lot like the rainbow circle that appears on an apple computer when something is loading.

I question what Music Unlimited has to offer that iTunes does not.  I watch with keen interest and intrigue as developments are made concerning music downloading, streaming and sharing.  I am curious to see what is next.

source: the australian

site: music unlimited

image: sony/apple

[uni-bianka-feo]

The year that saw Michael Christian shamed and then given an award

Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has expressed his disgust over 2Day FM DJ Michael Christian being awarded the Southern Cross Austereo’s ‘Top Jock’ award.

Less than a year ago Michael Christian & Mel Greig of 2Day FM were entangled in a tragic scandal that is speculated to have played a part in the suicide of British nurse and mother of two, Jacintha Saldanhan.  The pair made an on air prank call that Saldanhan received at London’s King Edward VII Hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for severe morning sickness.  Saldanhan's suicide followed shortly after.

Senator Conroy was reported saying that it was disgraceful and in bad taste to bestow the award upon Christian because of the terrible and sad circumstances surrounding the event and I agree whole heatedly.  It sends mixed messages to those in radio broadcasting (as well as the general public) because Christian was held accountable for the poor choice made to publically prank call the hospital.

DJs make prank calls on air and I am not a fan.  The idea of calling an unsuspecting person and possibly humiliating them on air doesn't seem funny to me yet it is a part of our broadcasting culture. I think this is why BeyondBlue spokesperson Jeff Kennett has come forward in support of Christian because the ‘Top jock’ award is based on the development of the individual within the company and if the company allow on air prank calling, who is really to blame?

The media attacked Christian and Greig’s actions and displayed outrage, the pair were publically shamed and no doubt this caused a great deal of stress.  I understand that Christian would have been through an ordeal caught in the eye of the media storm yet it is ludicrous that the actions that caused this tragedy have been seemingly forgotten.

Perhaps it’s time for our media regulatory bodies to assess the appropriateness of some of the general standards of radio programming and practice.  Karl Sanderland’s and Jackie O involvement in more than one shocking story regarding on air antics comes to mind, something is a miss here.  I don't agree with the entertainment value of cold calling an unsuspecting person on air for a laugh. It’s time for Australia to ask the question, who exactly is laughing and what does it say about us as a nation?

  source: the australian

image: Michael Christian

[uni-bianka-feo]

Gruen sweat tastes of sweet success

The prestigious Rose d’Or Award for Best Entertainment program has been won by ABC’s television series Gruen Sweat. 

This is the second Rose d’Or Award for the Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder production company who previously won the award for the series Go Back To Where  You Came From that aired on SBS.

The Rose d’Or (Golden Rose) is thought to be  one of the most important international festivals honouring entertainment television and it is fantastic for Australia's media industry that Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder are creating world class televsion.

We live in a world where alot of mainstream broadcasting is of very low quality. The advent of reality televsion has certainly changed the games yet for the most part it is vaccuos and repetitive. Go Back to Where You Came From is a powerful example of how incredible reality can be, how it can educate and open people's eyes.

The Gruen series' have set a new bench mark in Australian television because it has an innate ability to capture the imagination of viewers and educate them to the tricks of the trade in the field of advertising.  As a student of communications I find the show fascinating and it makes me really happy that a television show like this is being awarded for it's intelligence and entertainment value.

source: gruen sweat

image: will anderson

additional info: rose d'or

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Thank you wix.com, websites are now free for all!

Welcome to the world of Wix where anyone can build a website for free!  

For a couple of years now I have yearned to create a fully customisable website without the fees and complications attached. My prayers have been answered with the new website builder wix.com that allows a remarkably quick and easy vehicle to create a personalised site.

Previously I have created blogs for my band to be found on the internet yet I always found the medium quite constrictive. Because a blog is designed in such a way that it is one flowing feed it always fell short because I wished I could have pages to organise information.

Being able to have a presence on the internet has complimented other forms of communication that publicise, in my instance, a band. Before the internet a band would only be able to put up posters, send flyers, brochures, media releases and business cards to create awareness. Being featured in local street press used to be integral for exposure yet now, having the ability to create a professional space online increases visibility. If someone asks me about my music I can refer them to our wix, youtube or Facebook. As the internet is global it has allowed people from other countries to view our profile and listen to our songs.

Arguably a band can generate publicity completely free from paper methods. Our wix site enables us to showcase our work and information regarding upcoming shows to perspective agents, bookers and fans.

Visibility means many things. The internet is saturated with countless people hoping to be seen for their music, and that’s fine by me. It creates an equal market in a lot of respects. I don’t expect our wix website to be discovered by the head of Interscope Records but what it does do is give us a professional platform and presence as a reference point when we approach media and music contacts.

wix website: coops & the bird website

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I don't believe everything I read from Fairfax Media

South Australian Liberal senator Cory Bernardi has accepted a ‘substantial’ financial settlement from Fairfax Media to terminate legal proceedings over a story published earlier this year. 

In January Fairfax Media allowed false information to be published claiming that Bernardi had failed to declare his alliance to a pro-tobacco and pro-gun group called the American Legislative Exchange Council.  This allegation gave the Labour party a huge amount of ammo to put Bernardi in a negative light.

This story illustrates the importance of media producers working diligently to ensure that their facts are correct.  Not only has this cost them time and money, the impact that the media has on public perceptions is prolific.  A story can permanently damage a person’s reputation and it is imperative that information is accurate before publication.

Although I doubt a financial settlement will do anything to enhance Bernardi’s reputation, the widespread disbursement of the story will hopefully alert the public to the error.  Will this tarnish Fairfax Media’s reputation to the public?  I am quite cynical when reading news stories, I question whether or not the information is accurate and wonder if the framing has impacted the message I am receiving.  It is important that people do not blindly accept the things that they read because sadly, not everything is written in the media can be trusted.

source: the australian 

image: Cory Bernardi

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Think before you put that pen to paper

Every writer should consider some basic principles before publishing any works.  Whether blogger or professional writer, the tips below will help.

As Putnis and Petelin (1996) explain, communicating a clear message when creating a piece of writing is integral (Putnis & Petelin 1996, pp. 223-224). 

A writer must consider what they are trying to say and who they are saying it too because this will inform their structure and approach (Putnis & Petelin 1996, pp. 223-224).  It is the responsibilty of each writer to refine and edit their work so that it is clear and consice for readers because it will allow their piece to be engaging and clear (Putnis & Petelin 1996, pp. 223-224).

It is inspiring to think of writing as an act of discovery, a form that allows the author to comprehend and consider a concept with the ability to reflect and refine the peice over a period of time (Putnis & Petelin 1996, p. 227).  We write for many reasons in many contexts, be it professional or personal and the form continues to be of upmost validity (Putnis & Petelin 1996, p. 227). 

It is important to consider the power of language and the way that something is written will dictate the connotative meanings found for a reader.  Before publishing a blog consider what your objective is.  What is the post about?  Who is it for?  Why are you writing?

So, structure, sequence, edit, think, rethink, research and reflect.  You will be the better writer for it (Putnis & Petelin 1996, pp. 223-229). 

Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996 'Writing to communicate' in Professional Communication: principles & applications,Prentice Hall, Sydney pp. 223-263. 

Photo: pen to paper

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Revenge is a dish best served...bold?

GUY Sebastian's backing vocalist Carmen Smith has boldly slammed television show The Voice with her new animated film clip.

The clip displays a cartoon villain in a chair blatantly similar to those the judges sit in on the show The Voice. The clip goes onto display Smith running on a hamster wheel as an audience of zombies looks on.

Smith was dropped from the hit reality show last year because she, "breached the spirit of the show" by appearing in Guy Sebastian's film clip for the single 'Gold'.

There are many factors that appeal to me about this story because I am a vocalist that regularly performs in Adelaide with aspiration to make a living as an artist. 

Smith has sadly had her career slightly tarnished by the program and I feel for her.  The music industry is a very difficult, multi-faceted institution and shows like The Voice lull people, specifically young people, into believing that there is a very easy road to success, yet if you delve deeper into these programs, generally contracts constrict artists and use them like puppets to promote their show and ultimately the television channel itself.

I feel for Smith and her experience and if this film clip is an artistic expression that gives her some reprise then that’s fine by me.  It’s bold and a blatant statement about the show and I give her credit for that.

The broader context of what it says about today’s music/music industry saddens me greatly.  The wave of reality television shows parading people in front of cameras, audience voting and tragic background stories to pull at the heartstrings.  The whole thing makes me feel a little sick inside, especially for the young people who believe these shows are the ticket to fortune and fame.

source: news.com

image: film clip