My Journey Through Digital Media Design

3D printing is a seemingly complicated process but, it can be simple once you break it down. 3D printing is the process of hardening plastic or resin fibers into the desired shape. In order for 3D printing to work, you need to be able to use G-code. G-code is “the programming language that plots specific coordinates on the print bed where your model will be manufactured” (Craft Cloud) Basically, it is the code that tells the printer where to print. Unfortunately, every printer is different so you may have to learn specific details or quirks about each system. There are many options for free printing software. Some options include:

1. Tinkercad
2. Blender
3. Fusion 360®
4. Cura
5. FreeCAD

Where Did it Come From?

The first 3D printer is dated back to 1981. The inventor was Dr. Hideo Kodama. He was the first person to use resin in layers to create a design repeatedly. Years later in 2006, 3D printers became commercially available. 3D printers are used in a variety of applications, aerospace, architecture, manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, construction, and just for fun.

Why is 3D Printing Useful?

3D printing has revolutionized the production of the same object over and over. It leaves less room for error than a traditional manufacturing machine and it is much more cost effective. 3D printers are easy for all ages and kids as young as grade school have found ways to make money out of creations. It also allows for more complex designs as it is built layer by layer as opposed to molding a single piece of metal or plastic. 3D printing is constantly improving and changing.

3D printing does have a few disadvantages. It can be hard to find the right materials to use. They must be able to melt and harden at certain temperatures. Many of these materials aren’t recyclable so if there is a mistake it can be a challenge to reuse it. There is a limit to the size of your product. It can only be as big as the platform in the printer. Although the layer-by-layer way of printing allows for more complex designs, it can also cause weakness. When the object is small it is susceptible to breaking.

The Future of 3D Printing

Believe it or not, you can eat 3D printer creations. 3D printing food is now possible. It is in the fairly primitive stages right now but, it has a promising outlook. A popular example of this is the Pancake Bot. It uses a material, pancake batter, and builds the design programmed into it. 3D-printed food is mostly found in fine dining establishments where consistency is vital. It may be a swirl design on top of a dish or a decoration on a dessert but, there are advancements every day. There are rumblings about 3D-printed pizzas and plant-based meat. The future of 3D printing is bright, and tasty!

Sources

What is 3D Printing?

Software Details

Free Softwares 

History

Pros and Cons

Food

Mobile phones hold people’s entire worlds nowadays. There are many apps out there to help people have seamless use of their devices. With so many options, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth your time and which ones just take up space. Here are two apps that I have found that are worth more of your time than others. Google Calendar and Spotify.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an organizational app that helps keep all appointments and events in line. I use it to keep track of classes, work, doctor appointments, and other monthly reminders. With Google Calendar you can set recurring events, share events with family and friends, and set reminders for events. You can also choose from a variety of colors to categorize events or types of events. For example, I have a class every week, and an hour before class time, I get a reminder. This is useful for someone like me who gets distracted easily, even when I know I have something coming up. There are a couple of groups that could be classified as the target audience for Google Calendar. Busy students like me may find it helpful to keep track of school, work, appointments, and due dates or deadlines. Another group would be families. With family sharing, you can link your calendar to others and share important events to keep everyone on track. Organization is important for both groups and Google Calendar can provide that.

Google Calendar itself doesn’t bring in money but, Google Groups does. They make money off of Google One subscriptions however the bulk of their income comes from advertising. They don’t have ads on the Google Calendar app so the experience is not changed for you as the user. Google Calendar is a fairly seamless program however, I do have some tips and tricks to make it even easier.

• Make use of the color coding. Set specific colors for each type of event. For example, orange is school, green is work, red is appointments, and purple is other.
• Set additional reminders for events. The default is 30 minutes before.
• If you are an IOS user, add the widget to your home screen so you can see upcoming events and stay on track easier.

Spotify

Spotify is an app used to listen to music, podcasts, and other auditory entertainment. Spotify is free with ads however, you can also purchase subscriptions for student, single, or family plans. You can follow artists, sign up for alerts about live events, and even shop for merch. Spotify allows you to make playlists and listen to radio stations based on a certain mood, artist, or song. Spotify is a mobile app but it can also be accessed on a laptop or desktop. Spotify’s target audience is definitely younger, Gen-Z. It is marketed toward younger audiences with bright colors, flashy ads, and colorful playlist covers. You can listen to music with friends, have collaborative playlists, and see what your friends are listening to. As a student, I know that the $ 5-a-month plan is a lifesaver. I love music and it is extremely affordable.

Spotify makes its money through advertisements and through its subscription services. Spotify is also a fairly straightforward program but, there are some things that I have found that make it even easier.

• Pin your favorite playlists. It makes them easier to access especially when trying to readily get music playing.
• Download your music. If it’s not downloaded, streaming takes time and data that can be frustrating to wait or pay for.
• Make use of Spotify’s AI playlist creator. It can be hard to find new music that you like so using this tool is extremely useful.

Sources

Google Calendar

Spotify

A lot of our lives are stored in “the cloud” nowadays. Mine is no different. Cloud-based applications are also sometimes referred to as distributed systems. Cloud system is a term used to describe a system that transfers access from a database to a user through the internet. These can be public or private. Most people use them every day without even realizing and without recognizing the benefits that come from them. There are two specific services that I use that are cloud-based, Google Photos, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Google Photos 

Google Photos is a service that uses the Google Cloud to store images and videos. For $29.99 a year, you can receive 200 GB of storage space. This is the plan I use. They also have options for 2, 5, and even 10 TB of storage. This service is extremely useful for someone like me who takes photos of everything. It gives me the availability to take as many photos as I want on my phone or even on my DSLR camera. Although these photos are stored in the Cloud, I am able to access them at any time on my phone. Without this cloud service, I would have to store all 145 GB of my photos on a separate hard drive as my phone does not have the capacity for that. I also wouldn’t be able to access the photos so readily.

As far as security goes, I have never had any worries about my photos being accessed by others. Google is very diligent about informing you when your account has been accessed and it is very easy to remove a device from being able to access your account. Even when I log in to another app using my Google account, I receive an email within seconds informing me my information has been accessed. I feel confident that if anyone were to try and access my photos, I would know immediately and be able to shut it down.

Google Photos is an extremely useful tool for me and the ease of it being cloud-based is unmatched. I will continue to use Google Photos to store all of my memories and I recommend you do the same!

Google Cloud Services Pricing 

Adobe Creative Cloud 

As a budding graphic designer, I am becoming well-versed in all things Adobe. Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign are no strangers to me. As I learn these programs and continue to work with them, I have quickly realized that I need to keep all of my work safe and easily accessible for reference or as portfolio pieces. Adobe Creative Cloud (ACC) is perfect for this. Since it is already an Adobe program, my files are automatically saved and backed up to ACC. I can access them at any time through the various programs or through the ACC application. This has been extremely useful to me in reviewing my work. Sometimes I can remember the name of a project or what it looks like but not what application I made it in. With ACC I can look up the name or visually search through all of my files to find it.

In regards to security, I have never had any issues with ACC. I can easily access my files and have never received any indication that anyone else is also trying to access them. Because I am still in school, I sign in to ACC through my school-supplied account. If anyone was able to get that login information, they could access my files but I also have everything backed up onto a USB drive so I have no issue with this possibility.

Adobe Creative Cloud has been great for my needs as a student. While it can be pricey, I believe it is worth it and if you are considering a future in graphic design you should definitely look into it.

Adobe Creative Cloud Pricing

Social media can be an extremely useful tool if you know how to use it properly. A key to using it to your advantage is understanding demographics. According to The Oxford Dictionary, demographics are described as “statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.”  If you can correctly identify the target demographic or, the audience for your social media platform you can use it to advance your business even further. There are three major social media platforms that we will look into as we review their target demographic, popularity, and growth potential. Let’s dive in.

1. Facebook

Average Monthly Users: 2.989 billion 

What is it:

Facebook is a social networking site where a user is able to share photos, messages, and other information. You can create groups with friends, read the news, and connect with new people. Other websites use a Facebook account as a login method. Facebook is a useful tool for connecting with friends and family who live far away, ones that you might not see often, and even with companies and celebrities.

Main Demographic:

Facebook’s main demographic is male 25-34 year olds. 17.6% of their users fit into this category, followed closely by females ages 18-24 at 12.6%. They don’t have many users under 18 or over 55.

Growth:

Facebook has experienced very steady growth since 2010. In 2010 there were about 130 million users and currently, there are almost 3 billion. Its current growth rate is 7.8% per year.

Average Time Spent:

The average user spends 35 minutes a day on Facebook.

Main Access Point:

98.3% of users access Facebook through their mobile devices.

2. YouTube

Average Monthly Users: 2.70 billion

What is it:

YouTube is a video-sharing platform. It is used by a wide variety of people from content creators to teachers. On YouTube, you can subscribe to certain channels and stay updated on videos you may enjoy watching or learning from. Along with long-form videos, YouTube also has “Shorts” that are 60 seconds or less. You can create and upload your own videos easily, choosing to make them private or available for public access.

Main Demographic:

54.4% of YouTube users are male. The most common ages for users is 25-34 at 20.7%. Following is the 35-44 age group at 16.7%. The smallest age group is 65+ at just 9%.

Growth:

YouTube’s growth has declined from 13% in 2013 to only 4.9% in 2021. It is believed that the numbers will stay steady at this percentage. Although there is a drop in growth, YouTube is still popular and adding users yearly.

Average Time Spent:

The average user spends 41.9 minutes a day on YouTube.

Main Access Point:

70% of users access YouTube from a mobile device with the other 30% coming from computers.

3. WhatsApp

Average Monthly Users: 2 billion

What is it:

WhatsApp is a free messaging app. It is extremely useful for international connections as there are no fees for calls overseas. You can use it on Android or IOS on mobile devices, and computers. It is one of the only cross-platform messaging services. You can send photos, videos, or messages. WhatsApp doesn’t decrease the quality of longer videos that you might not be able to send any other way.

Main Demographic:

34.75% of WhatsApp users are aged 25-34, followed by 18-24 year-olds at 25.96%. 53.46% of users are male.

Growth:

WhatsApp has experienced fairly steady growth from 10 million users in 2010 to 2 billion in 2021. Since 2022, there has been a 10.5% increase in users. The projected growth is 18.4% for the next 2 years.

Average Time Spent:

The average user spends 28 minutes a day on WhatsApp. The average Android WhatsApp user spends 38 minutes a day on the app.

Main Access Point:

WhatsApp messaging is accessed on smartphones and mobile devices as the main use is free international calls. WhatsApp is more common on Android devices than IOS.

Sources:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/            https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/facebook101/what-is-facebook/1/                                                                          https://www.statista.com/statistics/376128/facebook-global-user-age-distribution/                                https://www.statista.com/statistics/247614/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/        https://backlinko.com/facebook-users                                                                                                                        https://www.statista.com/statistics/805671/youtube-viewer-number-growth-world/                                  https://www.mixbloom.com/resources/average-time-spent-on-social-media                                                 https://www.cooby.co/post/whatsapp-web-statistics                                                                                              https://backlinko.com/whatsapp-users#whatsapp-usage-frequency                                                                  https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/youtube-users-statistics/#demographics