I am currently double majoring in Interior Design and Landscape Architecture, so I decided to look up how media has changed and is used with Interior Design. I first found an article by Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2016/01/15/social-media-marketing-for-interior-designers-how-to-do-it-right/#2d5808c938ef, on how interior designers can market themselves on social media. It goes through important steps when trying to brand oneself on social media. It starts with making sure to have a purpose when using social media, like trying to increase brand awareness or establishing credibility or connecting with your audience. The second step talks about picking a platform and realizing what each platform with do for the brand. It says Facebook is the widest used media platform, so it’s a safe bet for any business. It talks about Pinterest being good for sharing visual content and Twitter being a good platform to connect with other designers. The third step explains how to create image-centric content because visuals and photos are essential to any designers social media strategy. The article goes on to talk about various ways and places to get inspiration to help designers start their media brand.

The second article I found is about the five major ways technology has impacted the interior and home design profession, http://www.psfk.com/2014/09/5-ways-technology-impacts-home-interior-design.html. The article first talks about the way technology has bridged the gap between people who could and couldn’t afford a professional interior designer with the creation of online interior design websites. These websites allow people to communicate with designers and are sent links to merchandise that the designer picks out for them. It is all done over the internet using pictures and preference quizzes. The second topic the article covers is the media changed the search and discovery patterns. 40% of consumers look online to find merchandise and the creation on platforms like Pinterest make it easier now than ever before. The third impact of technology is the creation of e-commerce cites. The formation of e-commerce cites has allowed consumers to narrow down products using parameters, such as “fabric” or “price” or “color,” to find the exact product they are looking for. Popular cites like this include, Wayfair, Joss and Main, and “Hayneedle.” The fourth topic is the way technology has improved the shopping experience. It is proven that online catalogs and apps produce purchases that match and exceed those of in-store purchases. The use of new digital features, like 3D overlay and computer generated designs, and the collection of data allows companies to create websites and catalogs that make it fun and more efficient for shoppers to shop online. The fifth impacted talked about is the bridging of online and offline purchases. Companies realized where their customers were looking first and created platforms to make shopping easier for them. It demonstrates the adaptability retailers must have to appeal to the consumers. Apps like Houzz and To The Trade have allowed consumers to find one-of-a-kind items and unique products online while still having a design collaboration with a  professional interior designer.

With wanting to be an interior designer, these articles have opened my eyes to the importance media plays on this profession and how crucial it is to stay relevant with evolving technology.