The social media spiral

Love it or hate it

Social media is here to stay. We definitely have a love/hate relationship with social media. On the one hand, we can clearly see the benefits of social from a business perspective. Nothing before or in the pipeline has as far a reach when it comes to marketing your business. Augmented reality or another technology may take the crown one day, but social media has it for now. On the other hand, it is a minefield of self-doubt, fantasy and unrealistic expectations.

Feeling overwhelmed

We started in the design industry almost at the same time social media took off in a big way. The days when social was used primarily as a way to stay in contact and up-to-date with your friends. We have seen how it has evolved into the beast that it is today. The function of staying in touch still exists, but is overshadowed by the shifting of focus towards how people can provide more and more content. This has opened up a whole world of opportunities by turning social media into a far more lucrative business for platforms and individuals.

We are the content generation and consume it in huge quantities. There is too much content for any one person to take in on social and it has become much easier to be overwhelmed by it.

This rapid rate of content consumption can create potential problems. In addition to being overwhelmed by content, as designers, we know what it feels like to constantly compare our work to others. This is a very slippery slope and one that we have fallen down many times. Naturally we will always compare ourselves with others, but we will always keep in mind that it is not what makes us ‘good’ or ‘better’ than others but what sets us apart from them, that is most important.

Simon Dixon perfectly sums up this sentiment in a recent post of his;

“Far better to carve out a specific path that speaks to your passions and strengths. One that allows you to feel you are making progress, where you have pride in your output and in making a difference to the people you are designing for.

Simon Dixon | DixonBaxi

Balance

We are firm believers in balance and approach social media in the same way. In our view, social has many positives and negatives. It is how we use it or feel about it that tips the balance. In our experience, when we do start to get overwhelmed by it all, it is best to take a step back, stop scrolling and evaluate.

For us social media is a tool that allows us to connect with like minded businesses and individuals, allowing ourselves to be inspired by what they say, do and offer. This approach may not work for everyone though, and it’s best to find what works for you.

It is far better to be yourself than try to be as ‘good’ or ‘better’ than others. It is ok to be true to your design and remember, if you feel bad about your work or receive negative feedback, it isn’t a reflection of you as a designer or a person, but an opportunity to learn and grow.

Things to consider:

• try to be kind
• be true to yourself
• put things in perspective
• try not to compare yourself with others
• you are your harshest critic