DESIGNERS TALK: What impact has the internet had on your work as a designer?
We asked some of our favorite designers: “What impact has the internet had on your work as a designer? How did it help or harm your sales, career or work?”
With the explosion of internet our world has changed dramatically in just a short period of time. The majority of today’s rising and established designers most likely comes from the last generation to remember the life before internet. They are here to give us the valuable insight about the internet age from their point of view and consider the pros and cons of its impact on their work.
Product: Game On Rice Bowls
Lucie Vostalova, Nalejto: Internet makes the communication with your customers way more easier and gives you the opportunity to make yourself visible to the wide range of people and to establish new partnerships on the local as well as international level. On the other hand often times we can lose the personal contact with the customer, which can be unfortunate.
Product: Wooden Wall Map
Lukas Balik & David Hartl, Delast Design: It is an infinite source of inspiration and nowadays also a huge opportunity to present and market your products worldwide with no limits.
Product: Metal Diptych Composition
Ondrej Belica, Studio Gimonfu: For artists and designers the possibility of presenting the work online is the most effective way to show their work and gain exposure. The current digital era allows the whole field of design to be more visible, sell more and share inspiration. The artist can easily tell the story of his work and share it with others. As Austin Kleon once said: " The myth of a lone genius is gone. Show your work!” This platform may also pose a threat if you let it consume you and too much of your time. Being offline is becoming a luxury.
Product: Teabag Purse
Pavla Zimmermannova, Teabag: Thanks to the internet I can easily offer my products to customers, find suppliers, monitor the market and my field, get inspired. This increased availability is also its weakness at the same time. It is easier to copy (with or without an intention) plus it requires discipline for each user to not waste too much time with it.
Product: Wooden Origami Mobile
Alzbeta Zimmerova, Alizi Design: It helps me to build awareness about my brand and products whether it is through my own website, articles or other e-commerce. Also it provides a way to get feedback that leads to better development of new and existing products. It is a strong communication channel, through which I meet my customers and through they get all the needed information about me and my work. It is an opportunity for me to get my products recognized worldwide. I can’t say that the internet would harm me in any way. What can cause harm are just envious people, which use the power of internet against you - which in my case luckily did not happen.
Product: Necklace Satin White Nuts
Lucie Rezbova, mju.: It is clear that the internet along with social media are phenomenons that struck all industries - fashion is no exception. The use of it can help the brand to be recognized globally in relatively short period of time. Due to the type and price of our products, we believe that the best way to sell our products is through offline stores, where customers are given the proper care and more information about the product. Thus, we prefer the personal approach. On the other hand we still promote and sell our products on the online platforms which we assess according to their portfolios and references.
Product: Premium Wine Glasses
Jiri Chocholousek, Chocholousek Studio: Internet and mainly social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest atd.) can help you big time when you are a designer. Firstly as a marketing tool when presenting new design products, secondly as an analytical tool - you get some valuable feedback from your potential clients in relatively short period of time. That can be with a certain exaggeration measured. Thanks to this data you can redirect your focus and target the right group of customers. Some can see the internet and sharing your work in progress as giving ideas to others who will walk around you and realize them on their own. But it is not that simple - when it comes to technological processing you have to take your time in understanding some parts of the development and production - that can’t be copied.
Product: Leaves Porcelain Brooch
Sarka Schmelzerova, SarkaS design: For me internet equals freedom. I can easily promote my products from home - anytime, anywhere and for anyone. It is my no.1 marketing tool for promotion and it was all the way back when I started to build the brand. I don’t have a store so I sell primarily online. Overall I don’t feel like internet harmed my business in any way. Maybe one thing - social media can distract your focus from work. Time to time it is necessary for me to take some time off from the internet.
Product: Dose & Egg Holder Mojo
Miloš Nemec, Nemec Design: Its advantage is definitely the accessibility of information and easier marketing presentation. The disadvantage would be the high possibility for your work to be copied.
Product: Duo Recycled Notebook
Michaela Klihavcova a Sara Bergmannova, Reformat: Internet is surely helping us in marketing promotion, advertising and closer contact with our customers. Thanks to internet we see what is going on around us, we get the idea about the new trends and customers interests. That serves as a driving force for fresh ideas, innovations and creativity. Competition is healthy and the fact that similar products often times appear on the market is nowadays very common.
Like us on Facebook and let us know your opinion on the topic!