The problem with dribbble

I am likely to upset a lot of people with this post. Hopefully, a lot of people may agree with this post as it is a topic that has been discussed among designers since the turn of the year.

Inspiring

Firstly, don’t get me wrong, dribbble can be inspirational.

The problem I find is when people use the shots to help them with their own work when none of the shots posted have being designed to suit other persons requirements. This can lead to incorporating a visual that was never intended to express the views of your client. If this visual is sourced at the beginning of your project, it will inevitably become the source for the entire project and this will be reflected when the outcome does not mirror the brief initially set.

Is it relative?

The demand for dribbble invites and the social acceptance amongst peers for being on the dribbble “all star” list is gradually resulting in designers setting up a 400 x 300 pixel canvas simply to produce something for dribbble. No longer are people taking screenshots of their work, instead a trend of glossy icons or textured interfaces are swamping each screen promoting a false trend that rookie designers may adopt for their own work.

Nice guys finish last

Every designer who has a twitter account will be aware of a select group of individuals that speak at every event, are first to be asked to test and give their eye on a new web app and of course, are on dribbles “all star” list. I will make clear that I do not doubt their ability or their merit, however because of their status they immediately gain followers and in dribbble you are rewarded for the more followers you have. This prevents not so well known designers who produce high quality shots gaining their rightful status on the “all start” list.

False feedback

As a result of the above, some designers simply cannot put a foot wrong. Often their reputation goes before them and regardless of the level of a particular shot, other user’s can’t help but sing their praise to gain a reputation for themselves. It also leaves those without a reputation using dribbble for its original intention, seeking feedback for a particular piece of work they are currently undertaking and not receiving any.

Conclusion

Regardless of my points above, I still use dribbble and I recommend others to do so. However, ensure you use it for its original intention. Show shots of work you are working on. Ask for feedback and change your design accordingly. Please do not fall into the trap that so many users have and use it simply to try and enhance your reputation or create a piece of work with the only intention of receiving a dribbble invite.