8 Social Networks for Graphic Designers and Web Designers

Niche-based social media networks provide places for digital designers to network online. There are numerous online networks specifically designed for digital creatives. Each one gives designers a place to express themselves, find inspiration, explore new ideas, get feedback from other designers and improve their overall skills. Some of these social networks for graphic designers and web designers even act as social hubs for the digitally talented.

8 Sites Tailored-Made for Web Designers and Graphic Designers to Network Online

One of the best ways for designers to get online exposure and get valuable feedback from colleagues is through social media. Social networks also provide resources to help you improve your graphic and web design skills. They are the “go-to place” when you’re having design blocks. Niche-based social sites like the eight listed below are also great places to stay up-to-date on what’s new, what’s hot and what’s trending in your industry.

This is one of the best social networks for graphic designers and web designers to showcase their creatives online. Behance users can also discover the great works of other creative designers for inspiration or to hire artists.

Simply create your portfolio, and it’s there to showcase to other designers, other industry professionals and potential clients. Companies login to Behance to explore works on the site in order to hire talent globally.

Back in 2010, Mashable coined Dribbble the “Twitter for Designers” because of its “show-and-tell” visual style. This is a social network for graphic designers and web designers that acts as an extraordinary hub of inspiration and social activity. Here, creative minds come together to share screenshots of their digital work.

Known as “shots”, these allow members to give other users sneak peeks of projects they’re currently working on. Dribbble users can also give feedback on shots, as well as scout for talent.

Society6 is one of the most popular online social networks for graphic designers. It was designed specifically for buying and selling art on the Web. Hundreds of thousands of artists from around the world upload their creative works here to showcase their talents and sell their designs. Many designers use Society6 to showcase screenshots of websites and graphic designs they want to sell online.

This social site handles all the hassles of the transaction. You collect the payments for your works being sold. In 2015, Society6 teamed up with Uber to launch #S6RollsOut, an #UberArtist campaign which served as a mobile pop-up gallery in Los Angeles, CA, increasing the site’s popularity even more.

This social eCommerce network is a niche-based site designed just for artists. Graphic designers whose niches are related to product designs and shirt designs submit their works on Threadless. Then, those works are put to a vote, where points are scored based on those votes. Designs with the highest scores are then reviewed by Threadless staff members.

Winning designs are printed on various products, including clothing, and sold in the Threadless retail store in Chicago or its online store. All of this gives graphic designers a place to network with other like-minded professionals and get their works exposed through the site’s store and products being worn and used by customers. Plus, you get to make some extra cash at the same time.

Pinterest is one of the leading social media sites for the visually hungry. It allows users, known as Pinners, to share pictures, memes, infographics, cartoons and other images and videos with others.

Pinners share their own unique content, as well as visuals they stumble upon on the Internet. This has allowed Pinterest to grow into one of the most visually appealing social networks for graphic designers and web designers to showcase their works on the Web. And, just like Facebook, Pinterest allows Pinners to like, share (called repining) and comment on pinned works.

When Twibfy first launched as a startup in 2013, Pando called it the “Pinterest for Professionals.” As a niche-based social network, Twibfy was designed for what its executives call “career creatives” in mind. This includes graphic artists, web designers, advertisers, graphic designers, interior designers, etc… It’s a social platform where these creatives can come together to find, share and organize content they enjoy.

Twibfy users are encouraged to share compelling, beautiful and weird images to help inspire the imaginations of others working on creative projects. As Pando says, it’s like the professional version of Pinterest.

This visually-inspired online community is made up of artwork created by it users. DeviantArt acts as one of the social networks for graphic designers and web designers where users are encouraged to actually discuss exhibited works.

The DeviantArt platform gives talented artists a place to present original artwork, such as sculptures and paintings, and original digital works, such as anime, pixel art, digital art and films. Why the name DeviantArt? Well, the works showcased on this niche-based social site are generally out-of-the-ordinary, “dark” or extremely fantastic, making it… “deviant” art.

Many have deemed the Fontli app the “Instagram of typography” in the social media world. It’s one of the best places for those with a true passion for digital designing to network with each other online, and get access to… yes, you guessed it… fonts.

Its feed is similar to that of Instagram, whereas you see the feeds of those you follow. However, with Fontli, it’s the fonts in those feeds that users are interested in, not the images themselves. See a font you like in your Fontli feed? Get the designer’s info to contact her/him. You can even upload your own unique fonts to share with others, or those you find on the Internet and use photo tagging to spot the typeface.

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