My Comeback Code to the Job Market: Resetting My Digital Identity

I first launched museumbuzzy.com in 2011 to explore postmodern museology, audience engagement, and critical social thought.

Over the years, it organically became a personal hub — an irregular archive of academic, creative, and multimedia work, pulled from platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Spotify, and print publications. However, as I quit full-time working, it became clear that I needed more than a blog — a new digital identity matching my scholarly depth and interdisciplinary creative services.

This post shares the story behind @museumbuzzy_#rebranding and offers practical insights for freelancers in academia, social media, and creative industries looking to pivot or build a digital presence.

Information Architecture

I first restructured my site’s Information Architecture (IA) to rebrand effectively. The goal was to ensure each page reflected a specific function:

Home: A snapshot of my latest work.
About: The narrative of my academic and creative journey.
Portfolio: A showcase of selected projects and services.
Approach: A unique breakdown of my methodology.
Services: What I offer is tailored to freelance markets.
Blog: Ongoing reflections, updates, and insights.
Shop: Planned for a later edition, to sell publications and print materials.

Informed by UX design thinking, I grouped these sections by theme, audience needs, and engagement goals. I didn’t just want to redirect visitors — I wanted them to stay, read, and connect the dots between my scholarly work and freelance services.

At the core of my IA lies a 360-degree data-driven content approach — “remix-remake-repost.” It’s about developing one piece of work and repurposing it across formats — whether as a blog post, social media thread, or talk — enhancing accessibility and visibility. This strategy stands out in a competitive job market by presenting layered expertise using cohesive storytelling.

Differentiating About and Portfolio Pages

Separating the About and Portfolio pages was one of the biggest design dilemmas. However, I ultimately realized that their functions are distinct.

The About page is where I build trust and relatability. It’s the narrative arc of how a sociologist with a PhD in [Digital] Humanities evolved into a multidisciplinary freelancer. It tells my story in a way that invites visitors in.

The Portfolio page, in contrast, is evidence. It demonstrates the impact of my work — curatorial projects, publications, digital campaigns, and teaching. The synergy between story and proof helps users explore more deeply.

The video introduction will be launched in @museumbuzzy_rebranding_vol002 and will present my journey in an audio-visual format — complementing the textual narrative already featured on the site. Rather than repeating content from my About page, I’ll repurpose a recently written cover letter from a job application. This alternative version offers a fresh perspective and helps avoid redundancy. Publishing the video on YouTube also allows me to translate my story into other languages, expanding accessibility. Moreover, by combining a Canva-designed presentation with voice-over narration, the video will embody my 360-degree data-driven cross-media thinking — demonstrating how I adapt content across formats to deliver more inclusive, dynamic, and multidimensional communication.

Dividing My Portfolio and My Resume into Different Folders

Traditionally, portfolios begin with a list of education and jobs. I flipped that script. Instead, my site opens with impact — a dynamic presentation of my work, from design projects and editorial content to academic research and social media strategies. These are then separated from my resume, which lives in its own tab and offers deeper dives into grants, certifications, tools, and memberships.

Why does this matter? Because clients and employers often scan, not read. Leading with accomplishments helps establish authority quickly.

Moreover, integrating media appearances in @museumbuzzy_rebranding_vol003 will enhance my credibility and reflect the broader impact of my work. In future editions, I plan to list, embed, or link to each feature whenever possible — ensuring visitors can directly engage with the full range of my contribution in to literature.

Each piece of media content supports my narrative and shows how I turn academic rigor into public-facing storytelling through workshops, infographics, blog series, or publications.

Customized Templates

Unlike platforms like LinkedIn, Behance, or Wix, where content layout is constrained, my self-hosted portfolio site allowed complete template freedom.

I established a consistent visual structure across all pages:

A bold header
A warm welcome row
Main content, with internal links and sub-tabs

These sub-tabs act like mini landing pages, cross-referencing content and increasing dwell time — a critical metric for SEO. My CTAs (call to action buttons) weren’t generic either. Each one — “Explore My Portfolio,” “Discover My Approach” — was contextually crafted and linguistically distinct to prevent redundancy and improve clarity.

This distinction in tone and CTA intent sets museumbuzzy.com apart from one-size-fits-all platforms.

Reflecting on the Journey

Rebranding my digital presence wasn’t just about design. It was about rethinking how I present and package myself. Dividing the relaunch into volumes gave me structure, allowing for iterative development.

This journey reminded me of how deeply UX strategy is tied to personal storytelling. I welcome feedback on the design, navigation, and content. Soon, I’ll publish a separate post exploring how my mood board and style guide aligned with the revised IA.

Key Insights

Solving your own branding problems is often more complicated than helping others — objectivity is elusive.
Iterative design — make, remake, re-remake — is essential for consistency.
Being a one-person agency taught me the full lifecycle of a digital product, from IA and copywriting to visual identity and WordPress installation.
Writing remains my anchor — but if writing weren’t my area of expertise, I would absolutely seek support to ensure clarity, consistency, and SEO performance. Strong communication matters, and in many cases, hiring a professional copywriter isn’t a luxury — it’s a wise investment. That’s precisely why I offer this service: to help others express their value when the right words don’t come easily.
My website isn’t just a content archive — it’s my flagship project. Beyond displaying my work, it demonstrates how I apply information architecture, design thinking, and cross-media communication in practice. It’s the most comprehensive example of what I do and how I do it — strategically designed to present my expertise and actively convince, convert, and communicate my value to potential collaborators and clients.

Conclusion: Every edition evolves my digital presence further

This rebranding is just the beginning. @museumbuzzy_#rebranding_vol001 was about setting the foundation. Next Up: