How We Are Killing The Graphic Design Community

There has been much debate surrounding whether some people’s actions are effectively killing the graphic design community or not, but lately it seems that those who are arguing that this is true are getting the upper hand. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who try to use the community to their own advantage, often causing those who are passionate about design to turn away and look elsewhere for enlightenment. So, what sorts of actions are effectively killing the design community?

Blog Comments
Whilst most people use design blogs as a way of finding out what is new in the industry and keeping up to date with the ebb and flow of trends, others use them for ferrying spam. This includes posting comments under names like ‘graphic design Melbourne’ or ‘artistic creations’, using fake profile images (often of a celebrity or something cute), telling everyone that they were the first comment (even if they weren’t), and proclaiming that the original poster is wrong without explaining why.

Reading Articles
Really, this point should end with ‘or a lack thereof’, because there are plenty of people out there who don’t even read a graphic design article that they have bookmarked and shared through all of their social media platforms. They won’t have any idea of whether the article is a quality piece of writing or whether it is even correct – they’ll just bombard all their Twitter and Facebook followers with it.

Shallow Content
Those who are passionate about graphic design will enjoy reading in-depth blogs and articles about the techniques and trends that the industry is experiencing. Those who are just out to market themselves will hate having to research these kinds of pieces so will instead opt for shallow content that gets them the hits they’re after. This includes posting list after list (usually full of images with no explanation), not explaining the reasons for their views and sticking to ‘safe’ content.

Is it any wonder, after reading the many tactics that some people are choosing to utilize, that the graphic design community is being slowly slaughtered with every passing day? What is truly amazing is that the people who believe that the above sort of spammy tactics will actually get them followers and success. Don’t hide behind pointless blog posts that don’t even feature your own name; don’t share information that you haven’t read first; and don’t post content just because you think it will get hits.