master-your-craft-blog

[master-your-craft-blog]

Hi Diane,

Your review was a pleasure to read! I love that you included colour in your table as well as the total number of users currently on UberEats. This makes the review easy to read and shows that the app is popular, even before the reader gets to the substance of the table. Your descriptions of "WHO," "WHAT," and "HOW" were all very clear and make the piece easy to skim. The metrics of Design, Accessibility, Usefulness, and Performance that you chose were well thought out and I like that you included a brief explanation of each.

Your language and stylistic choices were perfectly in line with this writing genre. You are concise yet informative, making sure to touch on all the key features of the app and the options users have to give ratings and customize their experience.

The overall comments are very positive and star ratings are all very high. Although this may be a true representation of your opinion about the app, was there anything you wish that the app included or excluded? Providing suggestions for improvements not only helps individuals who are considering whether or not to download the app, but it may even influence the app developers to make some changes if many people feel the same way.

Overall, wonderful job! All the best with your revisions.

Thanks,

Lianna

Time-Starved (and just plain starved) Communicators

While this post might not be about internal communications, it is about internal communicators. 

It’s our job to understand our target audiences and find the most effective and current methods for getting our messages to and from stakeholders, no matter the time of day or night. So, I’m sure you will agree, the job of a communicator has become a 24/7 role…making many of us a bit-time starved for those other things in life - you know, like family, food and sleep! And while DIYs may be taking over the world, food prep is taking over my family time! Added to which, I can’t count the number of times I’ve burnt the chicken on the barbeque to take a call or respond to a social media issue that is trending. I thought to myself, there must be a better way. And I found it. 

I recently downloaded an app you may have heard about called UBEReats. The app allows me to get the food I want, from the healthy local restaurants I love, delivered to my door (or office when working late), at Uber speed. I can find the local flavors I crave or browse new restaurants for inspiration on feeding my family, all at the tap of a button on my iphone. So, if you’re looking to reclaim some personal time while feeding your family healthy local options, this app is a great place to start. Here is my review and overall thoughts on the app. 

Let me know what you think and if you would consider downloading it.

Thanks for reading!

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Hi Tracy!

Your app review is very insightful! You do a great job of clearly explaining what the purpose of Trivago is as well as its advantages over travel app competitors. I like your use of colour to split up the text. The target market of inexperienced and budget conscious travellers is perfect, just make sure to include this in the “who is it for?” section.You make a really good point about the challenges that advertisements have on the user experience, as they can often be distracting and annoying. 

Something to consider is whether or not the app is available on other devices. I’m just wondering if it is limited to tablet applications or if I could access it on my phone or laptop as well? Also, something you could add to the ratings may be their use of images, the quality of the reviews, and the time actually saved by using this app. These may be new categories or they can fit under your current ones. I’m also wondering if there is a way to be more descriptive about what a “modern design and clean look” constitutes. Again, these are just suggestions.

You make great points on the pitfalls of the app! I was disappointed to read that the providers are so limited. It doesn’t seem to align with the marketing and commercials I’ve seen for Trivago. Do the options for hotel choices expand beyond Expedia and Hotels.com when you change the destination site, or is this a consistent issue? Do you think Trivago would benefit from expanding their choices to include other accommodation options, or are sites like Airbnb and HostelWorld already too established?

Awesome job! 

- Lianna Marie

trivago Module 4 App Review

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A Daily DIY

Welcome back to Master Your Craft!

I’d like to propose that many of you complete multiple DIY projects on a daily basis. I can imagine what many of you are probably thinking: “Ha! I wish, but my schedule is too busy; I don’t have time to craft everyday.” Well, think again. One of the most important do-it-yourself projects is cooking of course! From deliciously sweet chocolate chip pancakes to savoury multi-layered lasagna, we all have our specialities that we tend to repeat each week. 

I recently downloaded an app that I wanted to share with all of you. It’s called “Yummly.” If you’re looking to spice up your meals and find new favourites, this app is a great place to start. I made this handy table to outline my review and overall thoughts. 

Let me know what you think of the app or if you would consider downloading it.

Thanks for reading!

Lianna Marie

[master-your-craft-blog]

Welcome!

My name is Lianna Marie and I’m a fourth year university student, currently completing my last year of studies in Canada. I’m very excited to join the world of blogging and try my hand at a new style of writing beyond the academic context that I’m used to. Over the last four years, I’ve learned that unhealthy levels of stress and overcommitment leave dangerously little room to pursue hobbies. As I approach the end of my time at school, I seek more balance in my life by making time for do-it-yourself decor, travel photography, and other crafty projects that I am excited to share with you. The goal of this blog is to encourage you to prioritize your passion, and share some interesting facts and studies about the benefits of crafting. It’s safe to say that Master Your Craft is about self-expression, sharing ideas, and exploring new techniques rather than focusing on a specific type of art. The media that has currently peaked my interest include calligraphy, printmaking, collage, quilling, and watercolour painting.

My interest in visual arts began at a very young age. As a child, painting was one of the only activities that could keep me occupied for extended periods and every notebook I owned contained doodle-filled margins (I’m sure many of you can relate). I moved forward with formal studies in high school by taking elective courses. These gave me a more academic understanding of art history and a greater appreciation for certain foundational concepts including proportion, harmony, perspective, colour, and composition. [Quick aside: Check out the book “The World of Writing,” by Mangelsdorf and Posey for some great insights about the elements of visual design including arrangement and emphasis.]  In the summers, I worked at a creative arts camp where I had the opportunity to plan and execute 10 weeks of arts and crafts programming. When I chose to pursue a business education in university, I knew that I would have to work diligently to make time in my busy schedule for creative projects.

My question to you is: what is your artistic origin story? 

In my opinion, social media has influenced the world of crafting and DIY in a number of key ways. 

1) Education: With the democratization of information, we have endless resources to help us learn about art history and its influence on the crafting and DIY spheres we’ve come to know and love. While I was working at camp, I took to Pinterest to find projects that were suitable for children but still would still give me the chance to teach. If you’re interested, feel free to check out my “Summer Camp Crafts” board. One activity, for example, was Andy Warhol inspired pop-art handprints; they were a huge success! (Full credit to the blog where I got the idea: http://kidsartists.blogspot.ca/2009/05/drukken-met-je-handen.html) 

2) Inspiration: Social media allows us to connect with like-minded individuals, who share similar interests, from all over the world. With different perspectives, we can become more creative by applying these new techniques and tips in our own lives. I constantly look for inspiration for personalized gifts online. Social media has given me a number of great ideas that I take and infuse with my own style and meaning. The Etsy shop Gericards, owned by Gergana Pencheva, gave me some fantastic inspiration for a quilling project. Definitely check out her shop for incredible work.

3) Careers: Certain social media sites are now considered exciting and viable places to build a career. Lauren Riihimaki, better known as LaurDIY, is a world-famous content creator that posts lifestyle videos on YouTube. According to a Business Insider press release, she has accumulated over “14.5 million followers across all of her social media platforms.” She recently worked with major Canadian retailer, Ardene, to release a line of sleepwear. She is a huge inspiration to me as I have been watching her channel grow for years. 

After reading this post, take some time to reflect on your own creative journey. Whether crafting is one of your hobbies or your full-time job, it can be a powerful tool for maintaining overall health and wellness. Jacque Wilson at CNN wrote a fascinating article about the benefits of crafting on the brain.  Highlights include reduced feelings of anxiety and depression, and protection against damages caused by aging. Whether your interest is knitting, painting, colouring, or writing, make your passion a priority. This is the first step to Master Your Craft.

Thank you for reading! 

----

Lianna Marie

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This notebook is stunning! <3 

27 / 12 / 17 - week 52

this week’s spread ✨ hope you all had happy holidays!

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This quote is so true!

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So cute :) 

First half of this week’s planner spread inside my Kikki. K.

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Such a simple idea - love this!

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Definitely on my DIY project list! 

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Beautiful desk inspiration <3