Social Networking For Designers

This is the year of social networks according to the media and Wall Street. A US Web stats company, Compete, recently conducted a study that revealed 2 out of every 3 people online visited a social networking site in June 2006. If you’re a college student or young professional, you are probably already a member of facebook.com or myspace.com. Then there are the newest virtual worlds like there.com or Second Life that take social networking to a completely different place online. Plus Reuters reported today that LinkedIn, the business-networking site that claims to have 12 million users, will be one of the first to take their social networking site public in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) later this year.

Let’s face it, there is no shortage of social networking sites and new ones are being launched daily. The barrier to entry is so low that all you really need is a good business plan, designer and programmer. InfiniteIDs, the company my partner Matt Keith and I created in 2006, launched designerID to help designers share, grow and connect with other designers worldwide. We plan to roll out niche social sites for runners, cyclists and swimmers later this year. Any social networking site contains tremendous power and influence if it is harnessed properly.

Many people (even designers) underestimate the power of online social networking. As designers, we understand that it is important to network at the local level, but often fail to see or more importantly realize the benefits of being connected to a much larger community of like-minded individuals.

So, if you are planning on joining a design site like DesignerID, Coroflot, Designrelated, or any other social networking site, then the following tips can help foster interaction and personal/professional growth:

Information – Provide good and accurate information about your professional background and keep it updated. It is good to include some personal information, such as hobbies or activities because it can lead to easier introductions with other members if you share something in common.

Content – If you are going to post work to a site then make the effort to post it at the right resolution. Also supply background information about the projects and upload a few samples of work that communicate your design style. You should always try to take the same care with an online portfolio as you would with a physical portfolio.

Commitment – If you decide to join or register on a social networking site then commit to being an active participant of that community. This includes, but is not limited to, contacting other designers, posting new work on a regular basis, providing comments or posting personal news.

Network – This should be the main reason you decide to join a community. You want to network with its members, and most importantly, with the people that those members know who may not be on the site.
(An example: Say you want to work at a top package design firm in Cincinnati, Ohio. Make a point to reach out to a designer already with that company to better understand the culture, clients, work process and people to determine if it is a fit. If so, then you may be able to learn who the key decision makers are in the hiring process and gain some important background information about them, which can help you in the interview process.)

Resources – This is one area where designers tend to discount the value of their online social networking experience. If you have done a good job networking on a specific site then those contacts go with you from job-to-job, or job-to-business (if you decide to freelance or start your own business). If you know quality freelance designers, illustrators, photographers, web developers and printers, then your value with your current employer may rise above other similarly experienced designers.

Brand YOU – You must think of yourself as a brand and control all messages you send out. You may do a good job keeping it professional on a design related site, but have fun with friends on your myspace.com page. It is absolutely imperative to clean up all sites you exist on because all an employer or client has to do is Google you and start to dig through sites to find out about YOU (the brand). Seeing that picture of YOU drinking with your buddies may send the wrong message to a perspective employer or client.

Connect – Make time to be on social networking sites, as you will soon realize that it will enhance search results for YOU. This is especially important if you own your own business. The same keys points apply, so you want to commit to only those sites where you can be actively engaged and benefit from the network.

Feel free to connect with me on designerID, LinkedIn, Xing, Twitter, Ryze, Ziki and InfiniteRunners (after we launch in August). Have fun and make a point to sign up on a social networking site today. It really is about who you know.

Designer Specific Social Networks

DesignerID
Design Related
Design 21
Create Network
design snack
Coroflot
Computer Love
Lounge 72
Graphics.com

If you know of other design specific social networks feel free to share them in the comments and we will add them to this list.