It's the message
on online communities and
social media for designers
mad-Faculty - Belgium
• Academic Media, Arts & Design Department• Belgium > University College > Faculty of University of Leuven• Educational programs:
– Photography – Television/Film – Animation - Graphic Design – Product Design – Jewelry Design – Interactive media Design
Social Spaces Research Group
• Cross-disciplinary research group (25 researchers – graphic designers, social scientists, “code doctors”, video artists,...)
• Projects in art – media & design – cross-disciplinary• Domains: textile, health care, social design,
methodologies• www.socialspaces.be
Social Spaces Research Group
• Each medium goes through three stages:TOY – MIRROR – ART (Levinson)
• George Melies - Place de l'Opera in Paris• from reality transcription to popular art – Le voyage
dans la lune
The stages of media
Tools & Technology
Online Community & Social Media
• Online communities: places online, where you go for friendship, support, sense of belonging, information > Third Place
• “The feeling of logging into the WELL for just a minute or two, dozens of times a day, is very similar to the feeling of peeking into the cafe, the pub, the common room, to see who's there, and whether you want to stay around for a chat.” - Howard Rheingold (2000)
Online Community & Social Media
• Social Media linked to ao Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, StudiVZ, Flickr, Orkut,...
• But, which media are a-social• Sociable Media – media which enables to be social
(Donath)• Anne of Cleves – Hans Holbeyn – Henry VIII
Online communities & Social media
• The coming of online communities and social media have been perceived as disruptive for some professional worlds
• Napster > music > popularization of peer2peer principle
• The coming of online communities and social media have been perceived as disruptive for some professional worlds
• Howard Dean – politics - 2004 Democratic presidential nomination – Grassroots fundraising
Online communities & Social media
• The coming of online communities and social media have been perceived as disruptive for some professional worlds
• Where is Raed – journalism – embedded journalism - blogs as alternative sources for news
Online communities & Social media
• There are some opportunities...• But, there are some issues we should take into account
as well...
How will the coming of OC & Social Media affect you, a
designer?
• Online media are perfect portfolio places• Show & gain respect
Opportunities
• Social media like social networks help you to connect to other designers in your domain
• Mostly portfolio-based and not “person”-based (like Facebook)
• To get inspired, find new opportunities for collaboration, comment on each other's work, find a new job,...
Opportunities
Opportunities
Opportunities
Opportunities
Opportunities
• Get rid of the people/companies-in-between• B2designer > direct from commissioner to designer• Crowdsourcing: asking the “crowd” of designers to help
out
Opportunities
Opportunities
• Get rid of the people/companies-in-between• From designer to consumer > sell your work directly
Opportunities
Opportunities
Opportunities
• Get rid of the people/companies-in-between• From designer to consumer > direct contact with your
consumer
Opportunities
• Get rid of the people/companies-in-between• Stepping outside traditional business model• Open sourced financing of your projects
Opportunities
• Get rid of the people/companies-in-between• Direct link to production line• Eg. shapeways > 3D printing of objects
Opportunities
Opportunities
• Online communities and social media as places for collective intelligence
• Helping each other out
Opportunities
Opportunities
• Sharing online gives the possibility for a copy-paste!
– Still, open source projects (like in computer software)
– Creative Commons licences– No share, no spread, no inspiration
Issues
• Getting rid of the people in between• Direct contact commissioner & designer• Is it a good idea? No pay for all your work?
Issues
• It is not easier!• Costs time and (some) money > build it and they will
come won't work• A mixed media approach is the best strategy• There still is a huge competition (larger maybe > global
scale)
Conclusion
• You still have to be good to be a winner...• It's not the medium, it's the message: you still need
passion, quality, professionalism,...
Conclusion
• Open Garments – FP7 – funded by EC• an online system and a new business model that will
enable the consumer to act more directly in the garment supply chain
An example
• Thank you
– niels.hendriks @ khlim.be
– twitter.com/nielshendriks
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