A reoccurring theme that surfaces in my work day an in all of my classes in my Master’s program in Interactive Media and Communication is how media and technology have influenced our culture. This is a broad statement that encompasses our culture in our daily life, in the work place, and includes both positive and negative effects.

The Positive

Technology is not the enemy…it’s actually here to help. There are countless ways technology has increased our ability to spread information. With the rise of AI, technology has the ability to create advertising copy, to expand images in Adobe Photoshop, and to make visuals become interactive through motion.

Because we have now have access to so many tools in our digital world, there are endless possibilities and media opportunities to take advantage of in the marketing world. There are countless mediums to market a product or service using online social platforms. AI can even be used to interpret social analytics and target specific demographics.

However, choosing the right copy, image, or medium of display can be daunting when creating a marketing campaign plan. One thing that has been a theme throughout all of my classes and work experience is identifying clear messaging. Taking a minute to zoom out and identify if an image or copy is sending a clear message to it’s viewers is something that can get lost in the shuffle. Being succinct, relatable, and clear in every animation, image, or copy line is even more important than creating a complex visual.

The Negative

In “Deep Work and Digital Minimalism: Less Screen Time,” Hannah Aster says, “Social media, and much of the internet in general is designed to get you addicted to its content” (Aster, 2021). She comments on Cal Newport’s theory of digital minimalism and how there is a lack of deep work or the ability to concentrate on one task for long periods of time without getting distracted. In the marketing world, information and ideas move very fast and it is important to learn how to focus on one task at a time without getting lost in the fast-paced whirlwind. When you take the time to focus on one task at a time, it gives you the chance to thoroughly analyze visuals for clear messaging with an uninhibited eye.

In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari refers to the “switch-cost effect” when he describes multi-tasking. When multi-tasking, Hari says your performance drops and you’re slower because “your brain has to reconfigure, when it goes from one task to another” (Hari 38). Marketing is a fast-paced environment and multi-tasking is an unavoidable. Before further researching this during this Master’s program, I was very guilty of multi-tasking when working in the marketing world because there are so many assets and deliverables to keep track of. However, after taking a closer look into multi-tasking and analyzing how our minds are being challenged in our current digital world, I have learned to complete one task before switching tasks to make better use of my time so my mind does not have to take extra time to refocus.

The Future

The skills I have learned in this program have been immediately applied to my career almost daily. By learning to focus on one task at a time and focus on more deep work, I was able to take a step back and question the true messaging of copy or an image. As a result, I have developed a stronger eye to analyze new content, new art, and new copy.

For instance, in my graphic design and motion classes, the major takeaways all came down to developing and creating visuals with clear messages for your audience. In Graphic Design for Everyone, Cath Caldwell taught me to develop a strong verbal brand made me aware of the psychology of color and how “the right colors in the right place will invigorate the design and help the audience connect with the message” (Caldwell, 73).

During one of my writing classes, I also learned to decrease the clutter and truly pair down my thoughts to the simplest and easiest to understand words for your audience. In On Writing Well, William Zinser says, “the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components” (Zinsser, 6). In both of these examples whether visual or in writing, developing clear messaging was the bottom line.

As I move forward in my career, I will take the knowledge I have learned in this program a lead with a more strategic eye. First, I will lean into the access we have to spreading information and awareness using technology and media. When creating and sharing content, I will take a higher perspective and examine its clarity and simplicity to be most clear and direct to a specific audience. In order to survive in the fast-paced and rapidly changing world of marketing in the digital age, I will make informed and strategic decisions using the overarching clear storytelling skills I have learned in graphic design, motion design, writing, content creation, data analysis, UX design and podcast creation.

Citations

Aster, H. (2021, April 4). Deep work and digital minimalism: Less screen time. Shortform Books. Link

Caldwell, C. (2019). Graphic design for everyone. Dorling Kindersley Limited.

Hari, Johann. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again. Crown, 2023.

Zinsser, W. (2013). On writing well. Harper Paperbacks.