IKEA, Pepsi, Dove

After looking at all of the given sites, I have found that they are all very different in their own way.

I would like to start by explaining my first reaction to the sites after glancing over them for a few quick minutes.

IKEA: This site seems to be very family oriented and has many different types of home furnishings that fit most middle class families. The prices are ideal and they have different styles that are unique to their brand.

Pepsi: Although Pepsi is a very established company; my first impression of their homepage is that it is too clustered. It seems to fit the younger generation well because of the way it uses Twitter to advertise their products.

Dove: As a male, I feel that the site is very welcoming to females. Although I do use Dove products, it seems that it is hard to find a male section located on the site.

            I’d like to start off by talking about the IKEA website. I feel that this website is the most appealing to me. I noticed that on their tabs, they have sections for children, as well as adults. It is welcoming and has reasonable pricing. The site brings you in by telling you to “Treat yourself to a makeover.” The text is simple, and there isn’t pushy advertising all over that distracts you. I feel that this site was the most appealing and does a good job bringing customers in. Not only does it make you feel at home, but it also feels like a family site that has good customer service because of the hospitality they show in their text.

            Pepsi was a little absurd to me. Not only was their site full of Twitter posts, but also the colors were off the wall. The homepage has a video that starts as soon as you load the site and that is a little obnoxious to me. Although you can tell the website is very professional, it doesn’t seem that it is easy to use. I think that if an older person were to view the site they would find it difficult to get to where they want to be. Over all, I think the twitter was what confused me the most. I think that it reminds me too much of advertising and that is not something that most people enjoy.

            Dove is a very simple site. I think that women are the main targets for audience appeal. I do find this a little unfortunate because I use their products yet I feel that the site has no masculinity. The site is easy to use which is good, and I didn’t see any type of other advertisements on the site. There didn’t seem to be any pop-ups and I felt that overall, this site had good customer appeal. 

I really thought that there was a huge difference in style between Hemmingway and the Smittenkitchen blog. I feel that when I read Hemmingway, the language didn't appeal to me. I like a more conversational tone and I found that in reading the Smittenkitchen blog. I thought that it was very creative in describing different types of food, along with kind of telling a story in the same way. Not only does the Smittenkitchen give personal family references, but the language is almost as if you're having a conversation with the writer, or atleast listening to a story.
Hemminway was too short and to the point with me. Not only was the read difficult because of the way it was set up, line after line, but there were periods after every five or so words. They were two completely different pieces but I would have to say that paragraph form is easier to read in my opinion. Also, I like the fact that pictures went along with the blog. Although that doesn't necessarily have to do with the style, it does appeal to the reader. I think that the Smittenkitchen blog was more reader friendly and I think it all comes back to the style. The way that the paragraphs interest the reader, makes it easier to bring the reader in and have them keep reading. In all reality, I find it hard to criticize Hemmingway. I think that although he has style that doesn't appeal to me, he still has a great skill in writing, and has enough uniqueness to appeal to a wide range of readers.

After reading some of H.P. Lovecraft’s work I came to find that it was a bit difficult to figure out if his persona projected onto the page. I know that when I write, I usually try to make my characters sound very unique and different than the “norm.” Trying to find my own voice is very difficult and I think that it is difficult for all writers, even if you are one of the best writers out there. Thaisa and Wall state, “Getting rid of your imposter voice may depend on silencing your critic.”(50) I feel that I always try to write in a way that isn’t necessarily me. I try to make myself sound impressive by looking up basic words in a dictionary, and using words that are similar, but more impressive looking. Thaisa and Wall say that you need to speak from the heart. I think that although H.P. Lovecraft is a well rounded writer, and he may have been able to stray away from his imposter voice, he still used his own persona to project a great piece in, The Madness from the Sea. When I was reading Lovecraft, there was a line that really stood out to me. “What has risen may sink and what has sunk may rise.” I think that this is something that comes from the writer’s heart. Although it may sound cliché, I still think that Lovecraft feels comfortable with his own voice and style. He can say things that may sound fit for the situation, but in reality, it more than likely is how he feels. I think that all writers get their ideas from the way they think and the way that they personally feel. If every writer didn’t take a piece of himself or herself with him or her when they wrote, then everyone would sound the same. I believe that Lovecraft projected his persona onto the page and I think that all writers have a little of their own personas’ in everything that they write.