Assignment: Peer Review #1 (“ReRouted”)

For this week, I will be peer reviewing Reace Mok’s blog, “ReRouted.” After reading the “About” page as well as his first process post (which were both very well-written), in order to fully understand what the website involves, these aspects truly showcase Reace’s ability to engage with his audience. He clearly states his intentions going forward this semester and indicates a deep understanding on how to approach the business/branding side of running a blog. The entries he has posted thus far are ideal introductions for a new blogsite.

I personally believe the concept regarding people’s experiences as ever-evolving humans who feel they are currently undergoing or have already gone through a particularly significant “shift” in their lives and would further like to share it on this platform is an intrinsically compelling topic, especially when carried out through the method Reace utilizes in facilitating them. Since he states that he has previously taken PUB 101 and recognizes the differences between the goals of PUB 101 and 201, he is aware that the content he plans to produce is a redeveloped version of his original blog that formerly focused on his own personal “story.”

Navigating ReRouted is quite simple because there are only three different pages: “About,” “Podcasts” and “PUB 201” making it user-friendly, contributing to the site’s appeal.

Reace evidently demonstrates a clear sense of professionalism and the way he conducted an interview during the podcast episode that I listened to, “The Experience Seeker, Mr. Geordy Reid,” essentially reinforced this initial presumption.

Also, “Documenting a change of pace” ingeniously explains what ReRouted entails that is simultaneously descriptive, but additionally is a suitable length for a tagline. On the whole, a strong marketability factor is evident when assessing the different components of the site.

The only critique I have is that ReRouted is lacking a distinct logo or image/symbol that is unique to the brand. The Slack Team (2019) emphasize the importance of “visual identity” and a logo being “instantly recognizable.” Although he is consistent with the site’s colouring, I feel the site generally is not as eye-catching as it deserves to be and believe it is an important part of branding. I understand ReRouted is still in its the emerging stages and am unsure as to whether he intends to change this attribute of the design. Overall, I am absolutely amazed by the content he has shared already and look forward to what is in store for the future of this blog.