We have learned how to create an online presence throughout this semester, and I believe that through “ChainStitch,” I have accomplished this. I have published new articles about every possible subject about fashion through my blog, and through this, I have learned how to find, relate to, and engage with my audience. An initial task to learn how to express my thoughts and interests professionally and engagingly has evolved into so many things for me, from learning about fashion through my research of my articles to job opportunities in the world of fashion.
When I began to create my publication, I was faced with choosing what subject my content focused on and how I would be presenting myself to my audience. Deciding how to “frame, curate, share, and direct (an) engagement stream” (Campbell) would be the first step in building my cyberinfrastructure. When choosing the topic on my blog, I chose one where I could speak on the topic with both passion and knowledge while still allowing myself to learn about the topic speaking on it. I also thought about how I would frame my digital garden; I knew I had a space where I could talk about my opinions about my interest rather than stating facts. I wanted my audience to understand that I am not above them, but instead we are equals, learning about this topic together(Suler 2004).
When I first began, I imagined my audience as those who were interested in fashion but had not been able to learn due to the elitism that the fashion community has. I decided to begin my first set of writings to be very basic, not using any jargon as not to alienate those who have not yet been introduced to the world of fashion. I would then begin using more niche terms and writing about more complex topics that would require past knowledge or reading my previous articles. I then realized that my audience was far more vast than previously thought. I saw those who didn’t even care about fashion, people who have worked in the industry for years, or people who knew far more than me. I saw how my blog was not for those who wanted to learn about fashion but rather for people who wish “to see and be seen, to socialize, and t feel as if they have the freedoms to explore a world beyond”(Boyd 2014)
If my blog were to be about fashion, I thought it important for my website to be very visually appealing. I used earth tones which recently have been extremely popular in manner, I added a playlist that ties into my blog. I also added a list of interesting pieces which I update regularly. Taking what I learned from Lecture Six (Designing yourself), I focused on my blog being simplistic with a consistent and unified design while still easy to use. Using what was established in class, I understood that most readers would only view one to two pages. Using this I used pictures and bold heading to help grab my audience’s attention, allowing for more engagement.
To address my audience directly, I thought it would be essential to have a casual conversational tone in most of my pieces. This helps establish a solid relationship with my audience as they know who they are listening to rather than some faceless, nameless entity. By using everyday language, I feel that it creates a mismatch with the serious tone that high fashion has. This helps break the stigma of my topic while fostering a community of respect between the creator and audience. I also added my personal social media to the site to put a face and personality to my blog, so my audience could better relate to me.
My thinking about publication has significantly changed since taking this course. At first, I had a straightforward and minimal understanding of how to relate to an audience. I was nervous and wary of putting my fashion knowledge to the test by showing it to an audience. Still, after receiving feedback from my peers and my audience, my confidence in the online presence I have created and in myself has grown dramatically. While I won’t be continuing with this blog in the future, I believe I have gotten so much out of this, the most important being an actual career in fashion. Through my blog, I was connected with an individual who works in fashion design. They saw my blog and offered me an apprenticeship in design. I believe this shows how a robust online presence can reach thousands of individuals you would have never met in real life.
