Nowadays, under the rise of technology, everyone can take a picture easily with a phone or a camera. Just as easy as the way you find my blog and read it every week. (hope so 🌹) And it’s not just easy taking photos, sharing photos is also a piece of cake with the connected network. But back to 1930s, Henri Cartier-Bresson, the founder of modern photojournalism, didn’t take his amazing photos that easily.

“Sometimes it happens that you stall, delay, wait for something to happen. Sometimes you have the feeling that here are all the makings of a picture – except for just one thing that seems to be missing. But what one thing? Perhaps someone suddenly walks into your range of view. You follow his progress through the viewfinder. You wait and wait, and then finally you press the button – and you depart with the feeling (though you don’t know why) that you’ve really got something. Later, to substantiate this, you can take a print of this picture, trace it on the geometric figures which come up under analysis, and you’ll observe that, if the shutter was released at the decisive moment, you have instinctively fixed a geometric pattern without which the photograph would have been both formless and lifeless.”

Annotated Bibliography Assignment 01

Nguyen Thu Huong s3705374

I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog Reflections

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Annotated Bibliography

How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?

Selected Text 1 – Affordances (word count 509)

Norman, D 1998, The design of everyday things, Basic Book, New York (Sections: Preface vii-xv; Chapter one 1-13; Chapter 4 (constraints) 81-87; (computers) 177-186).

The book covers the psychology of everyday things and makes an argument about the gap between products’s design and users’s experience. Norman explains all fundamental principles that a designer need to consider in the process of designing (such as affordances, constraints, feedback) to shorten the gap. It is clearly explained in the text that the importance of a good conceptual model is critical to a good design.

The main idea expressed is providing information to identify all factors which affect the quality of a design and how designers can use this knowledge to reach the whole new level. The author introduces the strong theoretical point about the struggle of human with everyday objects. His opinion is supported with practical examples from daily life, conveyed in the colloquial writing style, to make a persuasive presentation for his target audiences as people who included in the design process, regardless of which job they have. There’s a misunderstanding that anyone with great intelligence will have no trouble in understanding the way machine works “You would need an engineering degree from MIT to work this,”
… Well, I have an engineering degree from MIT. (Kenneth Olsen has two of them, and he can’t figure out a microwave oven.)”. This also probably the reason people blame themselves when they fail in undertanding a bad design while the true problem doesn’t lie in them. The true problem lies in the lack of intelligence use of affordaces and constraints, feedback and other assistance in the design process. And not only just everyday objects like projectors are mentioned to strengthen the theoretical point, even the big social media platform Instagram’s design, which allow users to easily have multiple functions, is analyzed. The author sheds the light on different perspectives of problems occured in the designing process and proposes an improvement using basic factors like affordances, constraints, mapping. All case studies are utilized to demonstrate the difficulty in creating a good design and the importance of a good design to daily life. However, the explanations of the psychology behind product interaction are incompletedly organized and dry sometimes, which leave the book a bit confusing and textbook-like. There is also an easily noticeable repetition of theory in the last part of the book.

The findings of this research is especially helpful for consulting as it gives a completely refresh look at design, brings theory to life with a clear explaination about essential factors in design process (affordances, constraints, mapping,…). It especially helpful for my study about how Instagram design affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network as a Networked Media student. With the knowledge gained from the book, it’s not difficult to apply “affordances”, “constraints” and “mapping” in analyzing the design of Instagram or any other similar social media app. We can directly link the theory in DOET to the prompt of this course and explain it properly. In summary, the book is a timeless source for anyone interested in design with practical principles which can easily apply in a contemporary situation.

Selected Text 2 – Network (word count 557)

Lister, Martin, et al. New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge, 2009. (Networks, Users and Economics 163-169/ Wiki Worlds and Web 2.0 204-209/The Long Tail 197-200/User-generated content, we are all users now 221-232)

The article is an encyclopedic introduction to the history, culture and key issues of new media. Specifically target at students, the book analyze the term ‘new media’ as well as address all new changes has been made in the constant changing digital world. The authors explore numerous topics such as: new media’s effect on social, cultural and political field, new media’s characteristics, new media technologies and economy,…. This is an excellent contribution to the study of new media and technology.

The authors give students a historical context then concentrate on providing a range of key issues in new media world. New media is gaining huge attention, becoming the target of many researches and analysis and without doubt playing a fundamental role in constructing society. However, media field, like all other fields, is thriving in the emerging process and the research addresses all contested issues which have risen over two decades.  In section Networks, Users and Economics (pg 163-169), the article proposes an insight look at the interaction between culture and the rise of web 2.0 and other social networking sites “These forms of advertising are designed to cultivate engagement’, investment in brand identities rather than merely exposure.” Instagram is an excellent example in this case. Instagram has constantly upgraded its app with new features like 24-hour story and album- organizedbut smartly remained the basic design. The affordances and constraints of Instagram’s design create an effective network to authorise and publish photos/videos, utilize the cultural aspect to grow its own community. With the characteristics of the Web 2.0’s creation, Instagram also allows users to easily share data through its network, which connected with many other social media channels including Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter. “Web 2.0 innovation because it allows users to more easily upload to a site and because of its flexible potential to link applications,”. In the chapter Wiki Worlds and Web 2.0 (pg 204 -209), the authors examine the term “web 2.0”, “the long tail” and demonstrate the difference between web 2.0 and web 1.0. He also analyse the affordances of the net based working and its effectiveness in modern media distribution. “Here the technology becomes invisible in the new era of technologically mediated self expression. Content will be delivered by us, by ‘people who don’t have technical skills’, ‘by people with no technical ability’.” All case studies are utilized in the textbook are updated, radically support to the main theoretical point about new media’s aspects and applications. The main limitation of this article lies in the fact that it hasn’t applied the persuasive theory into analysing famous social media channels or network, which can be more accessible and related to modern students.

The findings of this research is a powerful source to consult as it gives an in-depth look into all the basic terms and the key issues risen in a constantly changing new media world. It especially helpful for my study about how Instagram design affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network as a Networked Media student. Although not directly analysing social media platforms, it still provides fundemental knowledge for students to access the changing of media and its current issues. Technology has become a part of media networking. Therefore, understanding the way networking works is essential in media study and the book has made an excellent contribution.

Selected Text 3 – Social Media (word count 560)

Siapera, Eugene. Understanding New Media. SAGE Publications, London 2013.(pp.1-16 )

The article covers the essential role of media in the technological revolution of human history. The author makes a strong argument about the importance of understanding media, which is not only equal understanding technology but also understanding the societal changes as media and society are unseperatable. The author specifically explores the term “new media” and compare it with other related terms (digital media, online media) as the media is changing and transforming into a new kind. The leading question about the commitment between society, media and technology is also analyzed to acknowledge the nature of this complex relationship.

The main idea expressed is the fundamental role of new media in society structure and the influence of technology in the process. The world of technology and telecommunication is undergoing a revolution and profound change and the media is strongly influenced by it. The process has been happening for decades. “People tend to overestimate what can be done in one year and to underestimate what can be done in five to ten years.” J. C. R. Licklider, 1965. Applying this theory to life, Instagram make an excellent example as it has grown to become one of the largest social media platform. As a great creation in the age of web 2.0, Instagram gives public the chance to communicate and upload artefacts about their lives extremely easy without costing any fee. Not only allow people to engage with their community but Instagram’s affordances also provide retailers and brands a great place for marketing if they can exploit the cultural constraints effectively. The engaging theoretical point in the article is supported by up-to-date case studies and the work of four great thinkers (McLuhan, Kittler, Stiegler and Castells) to deeply examine the study of media and technology. While McLuhan and Kittler bias technology in the relationship between media-technology and human-society from different standpoints, Stiegler’s research shows the importance of both sides and strongly confirms the irresistibleness of the relationship. However none mention how new media and technology create numerous changes in our modern society. Technology doesn’t determine the society but undoubtedly affect it. And that aspect is covered in Castells’s work. Eugenia Siapera has successfully utilized four important researches to support and strengthen the analysis about new media’s characteristics and the various shifts it constructs across cultural, social, political side in our daily life. Furthermore, the article gives a brilliant fore-sight about the future of networked media world in the accessible writing style. Although the text is rather dated in a constantly changing world, the accuracy and relevance remain true for educational purpose.

The findings of this research is a powerful source to consult as it gives an in-depth look into mediatization and the complex relationship between society and media in the new world. The terminology helps me understand and clarify all the confusion about new media. The analysis of four famous thinkers’s work explores all neccessary aspects, provoke me to think deeply about the dynamic and constantly changing world of new media as well as the coming future. The research also directly related to the prompt of the course as web 2.0 is the outstanding chapter in the revolution of networked media. Furthermore, student can link the knowledge gained from the reading to analyze how Instagram, as an essential communication tool, create affordances, interaction, cultural constraints to communicate with target public in digital world.

This week brings us to the new term “new media”.

Before this week’s reading Siapera, Eugene. Understanding New Media, Im always confused between new media, digital media and online media. I actually think all that terms are the same and Im probably not the only one.

In order to help readers get the full idea of new media, Siapera explains the main characteristics of other two alternative terms. While digital media has all information or date encoded in numbers, which lead to the result that we can read books, watch TV online, compress, access and manipulate data in the way we couldn’t imagine before, online media is another word for the internet that everyone has already been familiar with. How about new media? What differ new media from old media? New media can merely understand as the interactive digital media include two-way communication, created by using different forms of computial technology. We are working with all these terms everyday and yet many of us don’t know the difference.

“But the term new media further signifies a shift in media logic, which denotes a certain degree of novelty.” 

In this week’s class, we discussed a bit about the lecture’s slide then Nash, our tutor, asked each group an interesting question about the unusual way to use Instagram. That reminds me of the simple yet innovative instagram of IKEA.

This is the whole instagram of IKEA but its not the normal instagram account. IKEA had come up with the idea of using Instagram as a website. There are 12 images in total, 6 of which represent brand’s catalogues such as “brenches”, “table”, “light”,… If you click into the images, you will see each product is “tagged” and each tag will lead you to different accounts for IKEA’s products, where will be more images, information and the link to shop at their actual website.

Just like this, IKEA created the one of a kind Instagram account, which is simple and innovative just like their products. When I first looked at, I was so impressed with their unforgettable idea. Then I was even more impressed when I linked it to the lesson we had learnt about Instagram’s affordances. Only until studying this course and think about the leading question that I realize how powerful the design of Instagram is. For so long, we have taken it for granted but now we can start being aware and taking advantages of our time spending on Instagram.

The gap between virtuality and reality is getting smaller and smaller day by day.

References

Siapera, E. (2012). Understanding New Media. [ebook] London: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp.2-16. Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y_1hqJsCQg6owP0qFMSw6GRGQgT1j_yL/view [Accessed 8 Aug. 2018].

It’s Robin again. Let me ask you one thing:

Do you sometimes wonder:

Did I leave the oven on?

Well, I don’t know the answer to that. You should probably go check.

But I do know the answer to this question:

Is web and Internet the same thing?

9/10 people will say yes. Are you one of them?

If you are, you stay in the right place. I completely understand as I used to think that also before I learnt this week’s lesson and realized the answer is no.

If you aren’t but you stay this long to read all these random thoughts, I think you’ll stay also.

“How do the affordances of Instagram affect the way photos and videos are authored, published and distributed in the network?”

How many time did you dress up all classy and confident but then fail to open a door in public and feel like a completely idiot? Did you blame yourself for that embarrassment or you blame the design? If you blame yourself then it’s time to read the bookThe Design Of Everyday Things about product design from the view of product users.

To be honest, I haven’t encountered the term “affordances” before and surely haven’t thought much about it in design. An affordance is understood simply as how an object may be used. After the first time reading The Design Of Everyday Things (Norman, 1998, 9), I gained a deeper understanding over affordances in design. In the reading, Norman uses to term to describe the perform functions of a design. For example, an affordance of a key is to be able to open the door. I think its really interesting to consider it and it can change the entire design industry. But the second time round is the one that blow me away. I truly get the important of affordances, not only in design but also in life. “Affordances” exists in everyday things, just like Norman discovered. Affordances exists in communication, in relationship, in the way life works.

Going back to the question, I have spent times to think about how Instagram’s four affordances which are upgraded constantly to helps it stay relevant. It has a very simple design: on the bottom left there is the “feed”, which features photos from people you follow and also advertising sometimes. Next to that button is the “search” icon so you can explore anyone or any hashtag you want. In the center, you can easily spot the “add” icon which allows users to either upload or take a photo or video easily. Finally in the left is the “notifications” button, which shows you all the likes and comments for your account. Recently, Instagram designed a new feature called “story”. That allows users to upload short videos which will appear in the top line of the feed and disappear after 24 hours.

In this case, affordances are Instagram’s properties that give users a clue about how this social media channel can be used.

The affordances in Instagram is really clear and upgraded constantly but not too quickly to bother its audiences. Thats probably one of many reasons explain for Instagram’s success. Instagram isn’t just a place to share memories anymore, it has grown into a community.

References 

1. Norman, D. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things. New York: Basic Books.

As a rockie in the blogging world, I want to say “Hi, Welcome to Robin’s messy blog”

Normally, I dont write about my personal life in social media. That’s probably the reason why this is my first blog post ever. And still, I wont talk about my personal life much to bother you, over the next few weeks this blog will simply be all about what I’ve learnt in Networked Media course. Because if there is one thing I love more than eating chips, that would be spreading good lessons.

I guarantee you will see a huge difference in the way you think and use media after reading my blog.

Back to the day I was just a little child and first discovered how to use Internet, I got hooked immediately. Internet opened the whole new world beyond my wildest dream. It also opened some dark sides inside me which I dont even know I have. But it was not until now that I know the internet was first made for sharing scientific documents by sir Tim Berners-Lee. It has grown from a sharing tool to become the whole technological revolution and still growing fastly nowadays. Internet affects almost every single person’s life and change the way we communicate, even the way our brain works. Whether we like it or not, it remains true. Thats why Im so excited for this course.

The course starts with week 1’s reading “Blogs in Media Education: A Beginning” and the task of creating a personal blog. I find this task is especially interesting and practical. Although Im not much of a blogging person, I can see that only by doing the task, students can show their ideas in the creative way and understand deeply the way social media works. It can also helps classmates know part of each other’s personality and feel more engaged throughout the course.

So thats how we are all here. Im here rambling and you are here to read me rambling.

Stay tuned for more over the coming weeks. Thanks for your time 🌹

References

1. Wikipedia. (2018). Tim Berners-Lee – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://taggedwiki.zubiaga.org/new_content/b55ef090781aceedd1a70697d74d242d [Accessed 5 Aug. 2018].