Personalization

When looking at social media from a personalization perspective, there are three main components: text, images, and audiovisual media. These are used contextually in direct or indirect dependency on one another.

I have recently searched through a box of letters, postcards and other memorabilia. The written word was placed on printed stationery, business paper (large format advertising pads), oversized sheets of paper and postcards. Pre-printed cards with options to tick the appropriate content and posters (images) on which this mood resonated have stood out.

Today’s postal vote is limited in your individuality to given options: comment functions with a predefined maximum number of words, forum contributions and the classic functions of a social media platform (text, image, audiovisuals). Emoticons take away the sobriety of the writer’s flair and snapshot.

I am concerned with the indistinguishability of the word by the writer.

Handwritten pieces differ in their tone of voice and visual individualization: large, small, oblique, shaky, lying on the left, with their own fonts (based on e.g. Art Nouveau), imitating calligraphies and much more. The orchestra of colors, tonalities and unique packaging (envelopes with stickers, wrapping paper, etc.) testify to the individual creativity of the writer.

Although the moving image (audio-visual) could not be transported and the static choice of images (photos) remained limited: this journey through time into the world before social media existed was impressively colorful and witty.