Twitter by Design
It seems to me, for whatever reason, a lot of people I know (some who are avid Facebook users) have been slow to adopt to Twitter. I understand, it is kind of a difficult concept to grasp unless you’re super tech-savvy progressive or until you’re really waist deep into it. But once you are in it, and you get it, it quickly becomes the hub of your online existence. Rarely do I surf the web anymore without first starting with my Twitter feed and following links out from there.
I think another hurdle people have is that they compare it to Facebook, and think they need to follow people who are actually their friends. It’s a totally different beast, and that is really the beauty of Twitter – it’s completely open, you don’t need to know someone to follow them…I’ve started following people and become friends with them, I’ve even gotten a job interview via Twitter. As one tweep (@D_H_) recently put it so eloquently: #facebook is for suckers.
Here’s a tip, don’t bother with the celebrities who have 1,000,000 followers. Those are a one way street – instead follow people who offer some insight into what you do and might follow you back and engage in a dialogue. As a graphic designer, I’ve enjoyed following some of the industry heavyweights and other design community notables. Here’s a partial list of some of my favorite tweeps to get you started:
@nopattern Chuck Andersen is a Minneapolis based designer who’s effectively taking back the rainbow. His multi-colored photo manipulations have appeared on apparel for Burton, browser themes for Google and interface and packaging designs for Microsoft Windows 7. Despite his sunny appearance he has a taste for the dark side as well and often posts about metal bands you haven’t heard of (I’m half kidding).
@icreature Invisible Creature is a Seattle based design studio with a punk rock edge and an amazing portfolio of illustrative work. Some of their notable clients include U.S. retail giant Target and the Sasquatch music festival. Follow their tweets for a sneak peek at their new work and glimpses inside a really cool design studio. That and their invisible man icon is really creepy cool.
@fchimero Frank Chimero is a fantastic illustrator/designer who’s done his amazing work for some amazing clients including Nike, Wired Magazine, and the New York Times to name a few. Probably the most personal of the tweeps listed here, he runs the gamut. Today he tweeted about some guy who makes illegal pizza made in a hacked Weber grill (really a fantastic read on it’s own). How can you not get behind that?
@kitsunenoir Bobby Solomon operates under the online banner of Kitsune Noir, including his fantastic blog and the awesome Desktop Wallpaper Project. Follow him for his industry insights, some choice picks from all over the design world, and a few indie rock choice cuts.
@grainedit Grain Edit is a cool little blog out of Oakland with an eye for retro chic design (good design in Oakland? Ya, I know). They post links to designs that are generally in the retro vein that they feature on the blog, and by following them you’ll be first to know when they post something new or have a sweet new giveaway.
And a few locals:
@ctoverdrive Connor Turner is the man behind Armadillo Studios, a local web collective. He recently did a little case study on how local watering hole, The District, effectively used Twitter to promote their now famous buckets of bacon and other offerings. He’s definitely worth a follow as he is a pretty bright guy (despite being a smoker) and he’s got some pretty good stuff to contribute in the local marketing and design vein.
@jaydorn Jason Dorn is one of the more active Twitter users on the local scene, and one of the few people I follow who I actually knew beforehand. He’s a Calgary-based freelance interactive designer who’s engaged to a rollergirl and an all-around solid guy. Follow him to hear him whine about the Flames.
So there you have it, a Coles Notes list of the people you should follow on Twitter. Now get on it! But if you’re going to get started, don’t forget to keep me in the loop: @camhoff
One Response to “Twitter by Design”
Jason Dorn - March 25, 2010
Hey I only whine about the flames when they do things like lose to the islanders and don’t make the playoffs… oh wait.
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