Dribbble: A Show and Tell for Designers
I had been admiring shots on Dribbble and looking at designers showing off their spare invites on Tumblr.
For those that are unfamiliar with Dribbble, it is an invite-only social network for designers, described as a “show and tell” for designers – to showcase projects that they’re working off and to show off their work
It has also become a platform for employers looking to hire designers, Invitations are hard to come by and once in a while, an existing member will be given the right to invite one or two aspiring designers into this social network. Go onto Tumblr or Twitter and you’ll see people begging for invites.
Well guess what. I received an invite from Dribbble themselves. Not sure how that happened, but I did. I was delirious with joy. Best Christmas present ever.
Even more exciting is being featured on the Dribbble site! I tweeted about it the instant I saw the email in my inbox.
I got a @dribbble invite!!!! #Excited!!!!! More excited to put this on my resume than than #Wharton or #Cambridge..😁 pic.twitter.com/JuGAPDtuDP
— Deborah Kay (@debbiediscovers) December 28, 2015
The Dribbble team saw my tweet about this and asked if they could post it on the Dribbble! (My latest claim to fame…)
The language used in the network is similar to that of a ballers – where part of the “game” is your “debut” shot (i.e. your first post). This is your one and only big chance to impress the senior Dribbblers, many of whom are well known, and highly respected designers.
Here’s a screen shot from today’s debut shots.
Pretty high quality stuff. Some seriously talented designers here.
Dribbble Rebounds
Each time you post a piece of work, it’s called a shot. They also have a tradition called Rebounds, where a player can take someone’s work and basically remix it.
Dribbble Playoffs
Playoffs are when many players take part in a rebound. For example, in 2012, when Squarespace launched their new code-free website building editor, 6, they ran a play-off, with the first prize being a Macbook Pro. That resulted in over 180 rebounds. (Note: Squarespace are currently at version 7)
The best part about being on Dribbble however is when people appreciate your work. Which is one of the reasons I love designing and making websites. Yesterday, I got a big compliment and one of my shots was put into a “bucket” for “Best Shots”!
Totally made my day!
People actually like my work!
Stunning! In the Best Works Bucket!!
But as wannabe designer in me celebrates this, others in the industry lament over the dribbbilisation of design.