TASTY CREATIVE COLLECTION
PINTEREST ALTERNATIVES FOR CURIOUS MINDS
Designers are, in many ways, natural collectors of images. Whether consciously or not, they curate a vast array of references, visual ideas, and influences that they draw upon in their work. Elizabeth Goodspeed frequently touches on this idea in her writing, especially how designers use tools like Pinterest or mood boards to build their personal "visual libraries." These collections shape not only their tastes but also their design output.
The rise of platforms like Pinterest has made it easier than ever for designers to collect and organize their influences. Yet, this accessibility has led to what some, including Goodspeed, term "the moodboard effect"—a tendency for designs to converge on the same visual trends, leading to homogeneity in branding and advertising. Designers may unintentionally replicate what they see, feeding into a cycle of visual sameness rather than creating something unique. Goodspeed suggests that this is because designers often present "proven" visual references to clients before the actual design process begins, reinforcing reliance on pre-existing trends instead of fostering originality.
However, new spaces like (https://www.are.na/) offer a potential antidote to this trend. Unlike Pinterest, which often encourages surface-level curation, Are.na is a platform designed to promote deeper connections between ideas. It allows users to create collections, or "blocks," that aren't limited to images but can include text, links, and even abstract thoughts. This encourages a more thoughtful, process-oriented approach to image collection, enabling designers to build a more nuanced and individualized set of references. By fostering more deliberate and meaningful connections between the things they collect, platforms like Are.na help designers avoid the "cookie-cutter" effect and create work more rooted in their personal tastes and research.
This shift in how designers collect and interpret images has a profound impact on both individual practice and the broader design landscape. The more intentional the curation, the more original and innovative the design outcomes.
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