Dribbble + Constructive Comments = Stronger Designers
Now I’m not one to take pot-shots at something like Dribbble without some basis behind my argument. It’s forever getting mud slung at it for very fickle reasons. I’m not aiming to do that with this article. Let me fill you in on what I think is the issue out on the court.
Ok. Dribbble is doing the job it was created for. Simple as that. It’s enabling designers to learn the ropes, improve their skills, and get their work at whatever level they may be at, under the noses of potential employers or collaborators. And the job it does it does pretty well.
I see designers slating it for the quality of material on there, but you’ve got to remember that the majority of designers posting to Dribbble are just starting out. That’s the one jumping off place that most will automatically turn to, it’s like the holy grail because it’s been around so long and it’s one of, if not the ‘go-to’ outlet for a designers creative thoughts to be unleashed.
It’s the lack of constructive comments that are not pushing the designers there in a meaningful manner. There needs to be more of a detailed critique in place, otherwise yes they’re getting their work out there in the world but apart from that it’s not helping them improve and grow as a designer.
“Looks great.” Who the f**k is that helping? Yeah it could look great as you just mentioned but if the designer there is creating stuff that is physically impossible to actually make it into a finished product then you’re not helping matters along. Now, yes, designers should be allowed to have a little fun, test the waters, and get their ego stroked from time to time, but not at the expense of having them be under the illusion that the designs they’re creating are actually going to work in the real world.
I don’t want to be Mr Grumpy McGrumpFace and piss on the party, because at its very essence Dribbble is about having a little fun, letting off a little steam, and just throwing things up there, but it would be nice if we could show a little more purpose instead of unleashing designers on a self indulgent path of nothingness when it comes to the real world. Too much praise is the fuel that ignites massive egos and we don’t need anymore of that in the current climate.
This will benefit the industry as a whole. It won’t create and unleash designers who have a skewed view of what they’re creating is going to cut the mustard in the real world. Better, constructive commenting creates better designers, better designer/engineer relationships, and a stronger industry as a whole.
Does Dribbble have its place in the design Eco-system? Of course it does. If you’re a young gun just riding into town then being able to create and throw your ideas out there and receive feedback will make you grow. It’s the kind of feedback that’s being handed out that’s not helping things here…
“Wow that looks cool.”
“Awesome.”
“So clean. So smooth. So clean and smooth.”
Or to the other extreme…
“That sucks, go back to your day job.”
“Why bother dude? What’s the point.”
“Really? What is the point with this? I don’t get it.”
The first selection of comments do nothing to guide a designer in the right direction. You become a false prophet to them. “Oh yeah everything I do looks cool. I’m all good. Come get me world!”
And the second selection knock confidence, when confidence in those earlier stages is much needed to keep a designer moving forward and becoming better in the industry.
This is where the issue lies. So how do we solve it?
I think firstly we need to, like I’ve mentioned before, for the older more time served designers to step up and take some responsibility. Show a little maturity, and for younger designers to look to them and seem them acting in a manner that is more responsible and appropriate. For them to know its not acceptable to act like a dick in this industry. We’re the ones that they will look to first so we need to filter down the right kind of attitude so it hopefully begins to permeate through to those designers just getting on the first rungs of the ladder.
But we also need to teach them to take criticism, and not have them wrapped in this bubble, because yes, these younger designers stepping into the industry are a little more fragile than when I first stepped into the game. But they need to understand right from the start it’s a tough old world out there, and there’s not a unicorn at every charging point.
Dribbble is just a bit of fun. A release. A mind map of sorts to just let all of those creative thoughts to spill out on to. So let’s not completely piss on that parade. It does a job, and has been doing it quite well, thank you very much, for quite some time now. But something a little more substantial (not counting Behance) with a fresh perspective on things, would be a welcome addition to the party.
If you don’t have nice shit to say. Don’t say anything. Go for a walk. Finish up that project (Remember the deadline is Friday, put down that PS4 Controller). Show some maturity, empathy and tact, and hold off on those keyboard mashings this one time. That one comment that took you all of 2 minutes to devise and type, can affect someone for much longer, and that’s not cool.
We’re not in the playground anymore, we’re grown adults right? And you wouldn’t tap some dude on the shoulder in the street and tell him his choice of blue pants, looked a little shit. Why? Because you’d be probably get a smack in the jaw, that’s why.
So if you’re one of those folks who sometimes takes that rash decision to start button mashing, hold up and think about how you could rephrase the comment you’re about to unleash upon a fellow designer. It really doesn’t take much to show a little constraint, empathy, and maturity.
Dribbble has its place and does serve a purpose but it’s our role to improve on the comments that get posted up there. Please have fun with it, post your works in progress, and keep that footloose and fancy free element to it, but just hand a little more in the way of constructive commenting, so the designer showcasing their stuff and hoping to learn something is not kept in this bubble of nothingness, and understands there’s a little more than just designing shit and expecting it to work in the real world. The fun, loose element can remain within Dribbble but with an element of learning attached to it, not just vapid comments that don’t push designers along.
Now back to tweaking that perfect gradient. Oh the unending stress my dear. I can’t take it no more!
Thanks for reading the article,
Marc
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