The impact of social media on the latest architectural trends has come a long way. For starters, there’s simply no denying that social media is an almost omnipresent facet of our lives. If anything, the presence, impact, and influence of social media in our everyday lives are undeniable and unrelenting. Architecture, and the construction industry as a whole, have not been spared either. Here’s how popular media is changing how the construction and architectural industry as a whole.
Critical and Real-time Feedback
Unlike ages ago, when you probably had to wait for ages to gauge the market perception of a given construction or architectural viewpoint, social media has provided a reliable avenue for getting almost instantaneous direct or indirect feedback. The rise of ‘instagrammable spots, for example, gives project designers and managers a visual representation of what the target market thinks of their construction or architectural language.
Connecting Creative Designers and Architects
Here’s the thing; before the inception and rise of social media, creative designers and architects used to struggle to connect with each other, and this gap was more than apparent. On the contrary, now almost anyone can come up with a creative design or artistic impression of a prospective construction project, post it on Facebook, YouTube or TikTok and connect with millions of would-be architects or project managers and bring the design to life.
Access to a Global Audience
Before social media, conventional print media was virtually the only way an architect would connect with prospective customers or audiences. That implied that books and glossy magazines were the only way you could share your carefully-curated images with the outside world. Not only was this quite expensive, but also very inefficient when you were trying to target and reach a global or international audience. Fortunately, the invention and adoption of social media have provided a relatively inexpensive yet very effective avenue for connecting with millions of people on an international or global scale.
The Democratisation of Architecture
Before the sporadic rise of influential media, architecture and the construction industry used to be rather guarded and inaccessible industry. The end customers had literally no say or worthwhile contribution to make to the adoption of new insights in the market. Luckily, the rise of image-led platforms like Facebook and Instagram has ensured this is no longer the case. Case in point, social media has taken control out of the monopoly of the curator, architect, or even the print magazine editor and given to almost anyone with access to the internet.
References: re-thinkingfuture, Bi-zopMedia
