Design Inspiration in the Digital World
http://www.behance.net/BackyardCreative
Online communication provides the very visual world of design with unlimited opportunities for exposure of company portfolios. Social media offers designers and web developers work opportunities, an ability to get their name out there and collaborations on projects.
Backyard Creative is a thriving graphic design company with an impressive client list including Saltspring Coffee, UBC Sustainability Office, Annick Press and Innovive.
Lisa Hemingway, Designer and Creative Consultant with Backyard Creative, says: “Social media has become a part of every day – for personal matters (friends, family, events). I use Facebook most often. Professionally, I use LinkedIn for contacts, work experience and references. Twitter I use for ideas, sharing, conversations, time-sensitive information, etc. Twitter is probably my favourite. Intuitively I curate things that are of interest to me on topics such as sustainability, design, technology, education, and events. I talk to and follow people who have good ideas. I’ve collected a large enough list of people whom I follow; it’s like reading a custom newspaper. I can find out what’s of primary focus on any given day just by scanning through my feed.”
As the internet becomes crowded with data – how does a business sift through it all? “There’s so much information out there,” says Lisa. “Twitter helps me filter through all the crap and focus in on what I’m interested in without worrying about who is friends with who. Pinterest is probably my second favourite. It’s a way to collect images online, but keeping the sources tracked. You can ‘pin’ any image and throw it into your collection (without losing where it came from). It’s great for mood boards and just general inspiration. Recently, I started to use Tumblr too — which I use to post personal inspiration photos to a blog.”
As social media expands, businesses are feeling the benefits. See all of the BeeLinkt Social Business series to learn more about the networking experience of BC businesses who have enthusiastically embraced social media marketing.
