The Proposal

My first project experiment is going to be an interactive and informational website focused on reclaiming the word “millennial.” In today’s culture, to be called a millennial is almost an insult — as the word has become so equated with a stereotypically “lazy,” “entitled,” “annoying” generation. There are so few genuine representations of millennials in media and so few (if any) places where millennials can go for inspiration, information, and advice on how to overcome the millennial stereotype. That’s why this website is intended to be a haven for millennials to spend time exploring some of the ways that their generation has acted positively and has been represented positively in pop culture. Millennials need to engage with media content that allows them to connect with/relate to other millennials’ experiences and uplifts them, instead of content that berates them or mocks a “broken” generation.

My website, titled “Millennial Moment,” will include a landing page that defines and provides factual information about the millennial generation, as well as a variety of tabs that will take the user to different subsections, similar to the format of a digital zine or magazine website. The ideal audience that would interact with this website would be millennial-aged people (roughly 18-35), especially those seeking encouragement or empowerment in their professional or personal lives. This website would give a platform to millennials to refute and debunk the negative stereotypes society places on them. Some millennials, including journalists, bloggers, and social media influencers, have already started this conversation to try and take back their generational identity. Most often, they have to fight against older generations and internet trolls who keep trying to perpetuate harmful and demeaning millennial stereotypes.

Ultimately, this project experiment matters to me because I am fed up with the generalizations that are placed on my generation and have hindered me from getting certain opportunities/jobs or believing in my fullest potential. When millennials are consistently told, time after time, that they are collectively a “lazy,” “privileged,” “good for nothing” generation, the words can sink deep and begin affecting what goals millennials strive to achieve. I just want to reveal to the broader world that millennials are a savvy, smart, unconventionally successful generation with confidence and passion in the way that they speak and present themselves.

 

Genre Analysis & Research

• It has been difficult to find sources that list definitive conventions of an informational website similar to the style that I want to create, but I think researching the conventions of a magazine website will line up pretty closely. So far, I have found that the content of informational websites usually parallel that of what you would see in a brochure or magazine. Websites of this style usually challenge or promote a particular idea, and simultaneously provide a space for people to share their own personal experiences and express themselves (“Smashing Magazine”). The design of these websites is eye catching yet clean, contains several pages with tabs, and uses a combination of text, images, videos, and hyperlinks to engage (“Smashing Magazine”). A homepage needs to make the right first impression, with easy navigation, a prominent title, banner, and ‘about’ section, a ‘contact’ box, and the links to any related social media accounts (“Smashing Magazine”).

• While there have definitely been books, articles, and other forms of content published recently that have worked to defend millennials and debunk their common stereotypes, there are also still plenty of articles being published accusing millennials of “being entitled and narcissistic, self interested, unfocused and lazy” (Firoz). Most often in publications, being a millennial is associated with being raised by praising helicopter parents, not knowing a world without the instant gratification of the internet, and taking criticism too seriously (Butler). These stereotypes have been common for around a decade now, ever since the digital age and internet culture began to boom (Butler). Further, members of the Gen-X and Baby Boomer generations are also starting to call millennials “whiny” because of the way that many have began to vocalize their dissatisfaction with the aforementioned negative stereotypes and try pushing back (Firoz). My experiment expands on and amplifies the voices of these millennials, who want to reclaim an empowering generational identity and disagree with claims that our entire generation is coddled and corrupt. But, instead of just pushing back with words, my website will create a space for millennials to engage with actual instances of other millennials proving their stereotypes wrong.

• One example of a genre model is “baltigq.com” which I found in researching online zines. This website is a digital platform that aims to “generate a space for the LGBTQ+ community to challenge common stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding people of non-traditional identity.” The website’s goal “is to give exposure and online representation to marginalized groups through photography, fashion and interviews,” which parallels nicely what my website aims to do for millennials’ voices. Also, just the overall visual aesthetic of this website is similar to what I hope to create, as it incorporates color, images, and interactive tabs for users to click on and learn more. Another genre and subject model I found is a blog called “Jennifer Chronicles,” where a Gen-Xer dedicates a whole tab of her blog to identifying with being a member of Gen-X, defining the generation, and working to debunk myths and common claims about her generation. One final subject model that I found is a post on the blog/infographic site Venngage titled “Millennials Don’t Suck, You’re Just Old and Hate Change,” which uses the rant-like, impassioned voice I want to embody to defend millennials. This source also provides a lot of different graphics to debunk millennial stereotypes and some advice on how to push back.

• To grow my understanding of my subject, I need to further research certain instances in pop culture (TV, movie, music, business, sports, etc.) where millennials directly challenge millennial stereotypes to accomplish a goal. This information would go in the articles, photos and videos in the various tabs of my website.

 

Sketch

Completing this project in its entirety seems somewhat ambitious and in-depth for our time frame, so, as T and I discussed this experiment may be something that I revisit for my capstone, if it still intrigues me. To accomplish this project, I would need to create all the individual content that would go under each tab. As of now, the tabs I have in mind are as follows: Home/About, Origin, Pop Culture, Interviews, Advice, Contact. The Home/About page would include the title and banner, and a cover image and text that explains what the aims/goals of the website are and a little more about me, the creator. The Origin page would be the “definition” page about the millennial generation, providing factual information about who comprises the generation, what some common attributes are, and what it often means to be a part of millennial culture. The Interviews page would include interviews (in text format) done with other accomplished millennials, famous and not, that aim to inspire and encourage millennials to reach for their goals. The Advice page would include various little articles, infographics, or blurbs of common advice for millennials, such as “Tips to Beat the Millennial Stereotype in a Job Interview” or “How to Face Rejection.” The Contact Page would include my contact information and the links to any related social media accounts (if any are created). Below is a visual sketch of how I envision the website to look from the Home page.

 

Sample (landing page screenshots)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflection

After creating this experiment, I have been left a little conflicted. Part of me wants to continue on with this website project, transforming it into a fully functioning website/magazine that accepts submissions from other millennials. But, the other part of me knows that creating both the content for the website as well as upkeeping the interface of the website itself is a somewhat daunting task for the time frame. As I still feel more connected and excited about my other remaining experiments, I do not think I will choose this experiment for my final project (though I may still revisit it sometime in the future).

Throughout this experience, I really enjoyed creating and designing the website, trying out various fonts, media types, and accessibility/interactivity options to make it the most aesthetically appealing. It was fun to try my hand at a more visual form of writing and creating content, and learned a lot about creating websites and online portfolios, which will surely come in hand in my future endeavors.

One obstacle that I faced through this experiment was rooted in my own doubt. I was worried that I was creating more of a vehicle for content instead of actual content itself through my website. But, my peer small group helped assure me that there would be many opportunities to include personality and actual writing on the ‘Home’ and ‘Who Are We?’ pages of my site. I ended up feeling very proud of the visual look and appeal of my home page, as well as of the personal touches within the content that welcomes users to my site. If I had more time, I would have even liked to add more content to my sample, completing the second page of my website to give more explanation to my definitions of “millennial” and “millennial culture.”

 

References:

Baltiq. (n.d.). Retrieved from baltiq.com

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Butler, J. (2019, April 04). 8 Millennial Stereotypes Debunked With Data - Setting the Record Straight. Retrieved from https://jeffjbutler.com/2019/04/04/8-millennial-stereotypes-debunked-with-data/

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Firoz, S. (2018, August 27). Tired of the Condescending Label, 'Lazy Millennial'. Retrieved from https://theascent.pub/sick-and-tired-of-the-condescending-label-lazy-millennial-de5b4630b711

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Millennials Don't Suck. You're Just Old. [INFOGRAPHIC]. (2018, June 27). Retrieved from https://venngage.com/blog/millennials-infographic/

 

Smashing Magazine. 10 Principles Of Good Website Design. (2008, January 31). Retrieved from https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/

 

Who Is Generation X? Posts for A Lost Generation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.jenx67.com/who-is-generation-x

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“50 Ideas for Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.” That You Can Start Today | LinkedIn Talent Blog, business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/diversity/2017/50-ideas-for-cultivating-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace.

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Berger, Lauren E. “How to Land Your Dream Internship This Summer!” Find Internships with Internship Expert Lauren Berger, Intern Queen Inc., 11 Dec. 2017, www.internqueen.com/how-land-your-dream-internship-summer.