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The Social Arts - Social Media for Designers
The various ways a designer can use social media, both as a means of support and a way to publicize your designs.
If you're a graphic or Web designer (with a bit of programming thrown in), where do you begin with social media? How can you call attention to your work or how do you find support for questions you may have? In this article, Linda talks about the various ways a designer can use social media, both as a means of support and a way to publicize your designs.
Utilization
· 9rules: Paul "Scrivs" Scrivens, Mike Rundle, and Tyme White constantly change the 'rules' for this site. But, you might like this flux and the ability to be connected with artists and designers as well as with people who are into other realms such as science and business. The direct link to the design community is located at http://9rules.com/design/.
· Colour Lovers: The point here is to create designs and colour combinations and share them with other designers (and non-designers). Discuss work, learn colour trends and more with 229,715 other users. This could be a 'showcase' site, but it's more of a 'connect and blow off creative steam' type of site.
· ComputerLove: Use this platform to find inspiration, to share your work, so stay connected and to find a job. Each account receives a personal blog, RSS, gallery and portfolio management tools plus a networking engine.
· Coroflot: This community is aimed at designers and other creative professionals. This is an open systems with no membership requirements and that provides inspiration, support and the ability to find a place of status among such professionals as Frog Design, Microsoft, Nokia and more.
· CSS Beauty: From one CSS designer to another – this site was created for CSS designers to connect, share and be inspired.
· CSS Globe: Another CSS community site, dedicated to web standard run by web standards designer and developer Alen Grakalic.
· Design21: If you are a socially conscious designer, use this site to connect with like-minded peers in the business. Keep up with news, compete and share in this highly-organized platform.
· DesignerID: Launched February 2006, designerID.com is a web-based, virtual design community serving designers, design students and schools, organizations and suppliers. It provides members with an easy-to-use way to stay in touch with fellow designers and an easy-to-search design library.
· Design: related: This platform is used to build community among creative people from different disciplines and parts of the design world. Design:related serves to motivate designers to share ideas, inspire, and be inspired.
· DeviantART: This site encompasses a community that is into digital and fine art, photography, film and animation and game development. It's a great beginners' community and a way for newcomers to social media to learn more as well. Plus, the connections you make here may last a lifetime.
· Graphics.com: This site has slowly grown into a network that includes sites such as Liquid Treat and STEP inside design. Utilize the forums, galleries and news submissions options to promote and support your work.
· Lo8os: If you're into logo design, you can find like minds here, along with a logo gallery and a graphic design community.
· Open Designs: A hub for open source Web site designers from around the world. Share XHTML- and CSS-based Web design templates and discuss the merits of the designs or share hints to help make them better.
· Open Web Design: Join this community of designers and site owners who share free Web design templates as well as design information.
· Sitepoint: If you know nothing about buying or selling a site or designing the content or visual punch for a site to make it better, then join and listen in to the various conversations here. After some time, you'll learn who the movers and shakers are behind the avatars, and their advice to others can be an education for you as well.
· Typophile: If you love typography, then you might take a look at joining this community. Accounts are free, and you can learn and gain inspiration from this site's articles and interactions.
· Virb: Although this site initially focused on photography and music (as in band promotion), it is emerging as a hot community site for fashion, design and art. Take a tour, get inspired and join the fray.
Linda Goin
Linda Goin carries an A.A. in graphic design, a B.F.A. in visual communications with a minor in business and marketing and an M.A. in American History with a minor in the Reformation. While the latter degree doesn't seem to fit with the first two educational experiences, Linda used her 25-year design expertise on archaeological digs and in the study of material culture. Now she uses her education and experiences in social media experiments.
Accolades for her work include fifteen first-place Colorado Press Association awards, numerous fine art and graphic design awards, and interviews about content development with The Wall St. Journal, Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, and L.A. Times.