Creating a personal social platform
Instead of working in isolation, this series will involve you in the thought process behind designing and building a small platform. Together, we’ll explore how things develop and determine what works.
You're reading this from my brand new, Ghost powered, platform. The goal is to create a space where I can post and share - my own little social network. After a couple of weeks of designing and building I've got the basics working. However, there's still much to do. But why go to the effort of building this when I could use Twitter or Instagram?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
In the early 2000s, platforms like YouTube and Facebook changed how we used the internet, letting us actively create and share content online. We could post, tweet, and upload instead of just being passive users. People could subscribe to creators and see their content as soon as it was shared, while creators had a direct connection with their fans. Followings grew, and all was well.
Fast forward to the 2010s, and these platforms began prioritising content based on engagement algorithms, breaking the direct creator-fan relationship. TikTok's "For You" feed abandoned subscriptions entirely, serving users a stream of algorithm-curated videos. This model forced platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to follow suit, further eroding the creator-follower connection. Suddenly, the things I share might not reach the people who subscribed to see them. The gods of these platforms dictate how our content is shared, presented, and distributed, as well as who sees it; becoming more like media companies than social media platforms.
As my work becomes more art-focused, I want an environment that keeps me motivated and accountable. A place where I own my content and have freedom in how it is presented, distributed and posted. One tool I use are monthly newsletters, but I want to go further. Inspired by the concept of "1,000 true fans," I aim to create my own corner of the internet, showcasing my work as I want curated to people who want to see it. In time, this will grow to include paid memberships, allowing me to be less dependent on client work and more focused on the work I want to create.
This is the first in a series where I explore, design and build this space.
