5 Key Benefits of a Design Community
It’s 2008, and I just graduated from college with a degree in sculpture (practical, I know). After university, my friends and I were missing a community of artists that we grew to lean for support and advice.
We wanted to talk with people who spoke our language and understood our unique struggles…questions such as, “Is this the right epoxy or not?”
Prototyping a Community
After many pivots from sculpture & museum education to website & brand design, I finally jumped into freelance work. There were a lot of firsts for me: The first time writing an invoice, setting my rates, and the first-time task of managing the project myself.
Finding support in this new, unfamiliar area was one of the biggest hurdles. It felt like 2008 all over again.
That’s when I started reaching out to people in the same situation as me. We could bitch about work, get advice and point each other in the right direction when we were struggling.
Many of them were more senior, and I could learn from their mistakes, and their support gave me the confidence to stand up to my stakeholders when I knew I was leading the project in the right direction. I was fortunate to find a community.
5 key benefits of a design community
Why should you join a community? Through my own experience and talking with the Fountain Institute community, I have come up with five key benefits of a design community:
Shared language
One of the most significant aspects of a community is coming together around a common interest. We use so many acronyms and shorthand in the design world that getting someone up to speed can take time before you can get into the meat of an issue.
Seeing different design processes
You can be unsure how it holds up when you only see your or your company’s design process. Maybe there are things that you are doing great, but maybe there’s a different way. That’s why understanding how other people are working can be an excellent level setter.
Feedback
Good feedback is hard to come by, especially if you are a design team of one. It’s invaluable to get input from someone familiar with the industry and, even better, the project.
Providing help
Sometimes, it can be hard to feel confident; providing support for someone else can help get over imposter syndrome. Realizing you already have a wealth of knowledge right now.
Sharing war stories
Having a place to let out some steam about work frustrations can be therapeutic. You feel not alone when you find out someone else is struggling with the same issues.
Join the Guild of Working Designers
Let’s be honest about design communities; many out there say they will provide all this for you, but you often join this “amazing” slack group of 6000 people. You don’t find your tribe, and you feel even more lost.
At the Fountain Institute, we might not yet have the best solution, but we are diving into the problem space of communities and experimenting with many things.
Our community is called the Guild of Working Designers, and it’s hosted in Slack & monthly online meetups. If you’re a design expert, you will fit right in!
