Design Method
How wakelet can help you organise the internet & showcase your work
We all seamlessly create and share content across a myriad of platforms and on multiple devices. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, WhatsApp or more traditional formats such as SMS and email, the process of sharing is starting to look in need of an upgrade.
A UK startup called Wakelet is attempting to fix our first world online problems by enabling users to organise links from the web into visually appealing collections called Wakes. The content curation platform is aiming to make online knowledge-sharing more visually appealing.
For example, If I had 5-10 URL links to photos, videos and news stories that I wanted to share with you through email. Typically, the links would be passed into the body of the message and the recipient would be greeted by five underlined links in blue.
A lack of preview or context of where the links will take the reader is less than ideal. Each time a link is clicked, they are also forced out of their mail client and into the browser and having to repeat this process for each URL. There is an argument that the process is broken or dated at best.
Wakelet allows you to paste all of your links into one collection and share the single URL to your friends or colleagues. Anyone that is willing to admit that they have spent too far long trying to rediscover a post but unable to remember what platform they initially saw it on will be quickly won over by its organisational capabilities.
However, there is an increasing number of journalists and creatives that are using the platform to manage their portfolio. The ability to showcase their work in one place makes it easier to engage with audiences or even for securing new work.
We are all bombarded with content every time we look down at our smartphone. One of the most important methods of getting your voice heard is to niche down. For example, a tech writer no longer just writes about technology, but they will cover hot topics such as FinTech, AdTech, EdTech, HealthTech, etc. The ability to split these industry trends into different topics and showcase accordingly is invaluable.
Students are also using the platform to organise content into topics containing lectures, revision notes, and academic papers to tidy up the research process. Athletes are using the platform to manage their media coverage that typically gets lost in news feeds and search engines.
The management of our personal brand is becoming increasingly important. As a result, Wakelet appears to be tapping into the 21st-century requirement of showcasing work in a concise manner that is also aesthetically leasing.
We are living in the age of the algorithm where even Facebook will determine what you will see on your social media timelines. Google will also use similar techniques to ensure it delivers the information that you request, but Wakelet is trying to make it easier for you to organize it.
Wrestling a little control back from the ubiquitous algorithms is top of the agenda. The ability to organize anything users create or curate by showcasing content they read, view or listen to in a way that’s useful to both themselves and others feels remarkably refreshing.
Although 2017 will be remembered as the year of artificial intelligence and machine learning, its people, not algorithms that can personalize relevant and contextual information. Sharing authentic content in a compelling way is what brings real value to individuals and their niche communities.
Wakelet is frequented by users across business, sport, music, and academia that are all finding diverse uses for the platform. The fact that the Wakelet is not “just” a portfolio site or method to quickly and easily share links is probably its biggest appeal.
How we arrange important information allows us to celebrate our unique insights. The useful and practical use cases seem to be just the beginning for Wakelet and where it goes from here is anyone’s guest. But, is that really such a bad thing?
Despite there being an increase in scary news headlines this year that AIdriven robots are waiting to take our jobs. Maybe, it’s time for the algorithms to move over because the humans are coming to organize the internet in their own way.
Do you use Wakelet to organise the content you discover online? Or Showcase your creative work and projects? Please share how you use the platform by commenting below.