Sunday, June 28, 2026

When Your Audience Out Innovates You

No matter how much experience I have with digital health communication, there's always something new to learn.

Sometimes I share a quick tip or reminder and someone replies with something much more engaging, like a meme, a trending sound, a clever graphic, or an app I didn’t even know about.
They spot trends, new features, and cultural moments faster than I do. Watching what people share has taught me a lot about how Web 2.0 actually works in real life.

What I think is going on

  • People catch different trends than I do; nobody sees everything
  • They share things that feel fun, timely, or super niche
  • They experiment with tools in ways I haven’t tried yet

How I’m adjusting (in real time)

  • Letting go of the pressure to be “trend-perfect.” I don’t need to know every meme.
  • Paying attention to what people share. It shows me what actually resonates.
  • Using their creativity as clues. It helps me understand the culture I’m designing for.
  • Accepting that learning never stops. Web 2.0 is always shifting and that’s normal.
Curious: Have you ever seen someone use a Web 2.0 tool in a way that made you stop and think, “Okay… I  wouldn’t have thought of that, but I love it” ?

1 comment:

  1. My 17-year-old daughter amazes me with the way she uses Instagram. She is able to keep up with her friends who live hours away. A year after we moved, she is still in contact with them and going strong. She curates content for a closed group of friends, and while I am more of a lurker, I am grateful to her for letting me see her from a different perspective.

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