So I’ve been at this for a couple of weeks now, and adding content to this website has really made me realize how meticulous and indecisive I am. At this point, I’ve created a contact page, a resume page, and added some of my writing samples here. With each new addition, I’ve spent a long while making sure everything looks perfect (this has often required downloading a plugin, or going back and editing previous documents before uploading them). As tedious as it has been, however, its honestly been pretty fun. With each step, I see my site getting closer to this ideal picture I’ve conjured up in my head.
Along the way, I keep finding myself thinking about media theory. As abstract as a lot of media theory is (I’m looking at you, Marshall McLuhan), I’ve stumbled upon it in a large number of my English courses over the past 3-4 semesters. Comics and Graphic Narratives, Literature and Media, Films about the South, Shakespeare and Media, and Writing for the Web have all dealt with the subject in some fashion. While a number of media theory concepts easily connect to my experience creating a website, one immediately comes to mind: Bolter and Grusin’s idea of “hypermediacy” and “immediacy.”
Simply put, “hypermediacy” refers to the nature of media to make the audience aware of the medium they are using. Think of advertisements during a TV show, for example. When they come on, most of your immersion is lost as you’re reminded that you’re watching TV. By contrast, “immediacy” refers to elements of media that remove focus from the medium and place focus on the content. Think of how you feel watching a movie in a theater. No distractions. Just you and the movie.
I think these ideas are going to be pretty integral to the design of my website going forward. Today, so many websites are flooded with navigation menus and advertisements that remove focus from what’s important: the content. I want my website to have a sense of immediacy that makes my content shine. I think that’s why I’ve gone with a very minimalistic approach thus far. As a writer for the web, I want my writing to be your focus, and I hope I can maintain that going forward.
I love how you explain concepts so clearly, that’s writing at its best: one read & you’ve learned something you didn’t know when you started. Def looking into Marshall McLuhan.