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Digital tools for communication and collaboration
Digitalization is all around us. In order to fully contribute to a digital society necessary are the right digital skills and the knowledge on the right digital tools. Only then will you be able to successfully communicate and collaborate. Digital technologies have an important place in innovation, contributing to change, offering flexibility, but also transparency, as well as creating a more modern society. Since the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) are among those innovative ones, the lack of digital skills in the creative industries will result in the lack of sensitivity to changing cultures. Therefore, digital tools give new possibilities, but are also a challenge. Further speaking, with big amounts of data and the more users online, you as a crafter can benefit from the exchange of knowledge, initiate collaborate or simply communicate with others through digital tools. Especially collaboration has grown in importance with the increase in remote working and staying connected regardless the location. The situation has also provided for increased flexibility and increased use of technology, and distance is no longer a constraint to communication.
When you think about communication, it is about staying in contact.
When you think about collaboration, it is about sharing resources, cooperating and inspiring others.
But what digital tools can you use for communication and collaboration?
Still one of the most basic digital tools you should make use of are emails, since nowadays everyone has an email. It is recommended to have a web mail provider and that it is Gmail, since you will already have access to other Google products that can support your professional activity, e.g., Google Sheets for calculations, Google Photos for storing your pictures, Google Meet for online calls or the well-known YouTube acting as a stepping stone to start speaking to your potential customers. The Google account is also beneficial in such a way that you can use it for verification on other online portals. However, emailing is not a digital tool for immediate response.
For immediate response you can use WhatsApp, Skype or Messenger, the instant messaging solutions.
While you can use those previously mentioned also for video conferencing, some other examples are Click meeting, Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Useful tools for document sharing are also Dropbox and WeTransfer.
Did you know?
Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook were the first digital channels for the creation and sharing of user-generated content, and with the assumption in 2005 that Internet use became more social and communal. Internet no longer a new media in 2007 “was disturbed” by the iPhone. And in 2022 over half of Internet traffic was on mobile devices (60.66%).
Have you heard about social intranet tools?
Digital communication is also supported by the co-called social intranet tools. These digital tools include blogs, forums, wikis, and they are intended to increase collaboration.
Blogs offer more personalized contents in comparison to websites or newspaper articles. Through blogging you can address specific needs, sharing own perspective or localizing your product. A craft blog also serves as a guidance or inspiration (DIY crafts blogs), while it can also be a platform for promoting your work and networking with others.
Forums will support communication and sharing your insight in a shorter text form when compared to a blog post. Forum can also be platforms to start selling craft products or network with other crafters.
Wikis plays the role of a knowledge-based tool and is built by queries of the most FAQs.
Some examples of social intranet tools for crafters:
Spruce Crafts is an example of a DIY craft and hobby blog.
Etsy Journal is a blog to explore ideas, buy material and network with crafters.
Craftvillageblog is a collection of stories of crafts from all over the globe.
You can find ideas to get inspired to create your own blog exploring the 80 top blogs on crafts (dated 2022), by visiting the blog post available under this link [URL: https://www.mavenart.com/blog/blogs-on-crafts/].
Lettuce Craft is an online community and forum for crafters and DIY ideas and advice.
The choice of the digital tools you will be using also depends on the form of communication / collaboration.
- Intrapersonal communication, to oneself, using clouds to store files and Google Sheets, Photos, Calendar to keep records of data or manage time.
- Interpersonal communication, with peers and close collaborators, using Google Drive to share documents, holding online meetings via Microsoft Teams, Zoom or Skype.
- Group communication, with 3 or more persons, using cloud sharing solutions like Dropbox, WeTransfer or Google Drive, and any kind of video conferencing platform.
- Public communication, when passing on information to a wider audience, through social intranet tools – on blogs or forums.
- Mass communication, when a larger audience is involved and through various online media, through advertisements or the Internet.
Remember that you should not use a digital tool just because it is available, but after you consider what you need it for. Then you can focus on the activity. Also keep in mind the requirements, if you need a subscription or Internet access, for example. Not neglected should be the preferences of others, therefore the availability of the tool, and your flexibility to adapt to the channels of communication most of the representatives of the sector are using.
Communication and the Cultural Creative Sectors (CCS) are interconnected.
This means that through their objects, the form of their work, design, colours, etc., crafters or artisans are communicating their emotions, feelings, opinions, interpretations of the world around them, and digital tools can support the process, with more (or new) audience finding out about them (and their works).
