{VP Guest Post} Pinterest: Crowdsourced inspiration

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Today’s guest post comes to you from Angela Costanzi, Vice President of Creative Services at Movéo.

From recipes and weddings to fashion and dream destinations, Pinterest makes it easy to find, organize and access areas of interest. The personalized media platform has become one of the fastest-growing social networks online. While the site is used mostly by women searching for the latest tips and tricks, its use in the business world is growing.

The pinboard-style, photo-sharing site has proven to be a reliable resource for those in the creative profession. Aside from using it to promote visual portfolios, designers around the world are using this tool to get inspired. Whether you choose to follow and browse the work of other designers or use Pinterest to create and house your own style boards, inspiration abounds.

Sure, you’ll likely see cupcakes, cute puppies and crafty knickknacks, but anything appealing has an interesting way of inspiring the creative mind. Like the color used for frosting? Find a PMS match. Think a puppy could serve as a brand mascot? Maybe. How about a polka-dot laundry basket? Could make for a cool die-cut on a print piece. Or a little DIY? Repurpose an old pallet to build a room divider for a creative space.

Pinterest makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. Designers can search by category (print, typography, digital design, etc), project type (logos, packaging, websites, etc) or even by agency to get creative juices flowing before diving into their next project. Re-pin brilliant examples to boards you can reference later.

Here are some tips to using Pinterest for professional purposes:

Create individual boards to keep pins organized

  • Color
  • Typography
  • Graphic design
  • Photography
  • Infographics

Make an industry-centric board

Keep knowledge close at hand by creating a board to bookmark websites and industry articles — all your info will be in one place.

Try using Pinterest to create a private project style board

Upload color palettes, photographers or illustrators, typefaces, patterns, animation effects, etc. The digital format, which maintains associated links, will not only serve as a great visual guide, but also keeps contact info and design details handy. Plus, you can share this link with your client to ensure you’re heading in the right direction. The comment feature makes it easy to keep your notes where they belong — with the project.

Whether you decide to narrow your search or browse the whole enchilada, you’re sure to find something you like. And who knows, 12 cool ideas for a black-and-pink teen girl’s bedroom just might serve as the inspiration your next assignment needs.

Image credit (cc) via VAStateParkStaff

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