designfeedr

The Behance network is a social networking site where creatives of all types gather to showcase their portfolio, inspire and be inspired and do the usual chit-chatting. Expect to find creatives in design, illustration, photography and many more, hell, I even found a few game industry artists on the Network. The difference with normal social networking sites lies in the fact that the Behance network focusses on showcasing your portfolio.

Sounds good doesn’t it? It is actually, but I think those of us who have been active on social networking sites like Myspace and Virb are inclined to be somewhat pessimistic. Myspace sometimes seems like a virtual dating site with profiles designed by five year olds. Virb on the other hand has a great clean look, is easy to use but has a very small user base so it never really feels alive. So how good is the Behance network really when we examine it critically? And why should you care about being on a creative specific social network? Read on.

Benefits of being on a social network site built for creatives
There are a lot of reasons you could have for social networking. We’ll get into some Behance specific reasons in a bit, first I want to say something about getting work and generating direct leads through social networking. To be blunt, it doesn’t happen often. I’ve interviewed quite a bit of creatives in my time(not just on Designfeedr) and I’ve often asked if social networking led to any real leads. They all said no. Even though the Behance network is slightly different and is set-up to give good exposure I still feel that the average user should not count on this hapenning on a regular basis (if it happens at all). It is however a good way to build an online presence. A strong portfolio with a good online presence(Something I will get into in a future article) will lead to job opportunities.

So what good things do come from networking on Behance? First is of course the chance to be amongst your fellow creatives. You don’t need to filter and search to find the right people in a huge sea like you would on a general social networking site. This means that from day one you can have conversations with people that have the same interests as you. You can get and give feedback, you can even ask for it if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s an excellent way to be inspired and see new trends emerge before the general public catches on and it’s a good way to attract the attention of the press and bloggers like myself.

Closer look at the Behance network
Below I’ll give my take on a few elements which I feel are critical to a creative social networking site like Behance.

Design
If you’re building a site that’s going to host the portfolios of thousand of creatives it had better look good. While most of us are on Myspace which has poor design and horrid usability that doesn’t mean that we’ll easily switch over or add another site to our daily routine if it looks as bad. The target audience of Behance is also very image minded so a good design is essential. Fortunately the Behance network looks great. It has an excellent clean semi web 2.0 design with it’s own character but never overpowers the portfolios of the users on the network.

Usability
Looking good is one thing but a smooth operator keeps them coming back for more. This is especially important on the web where users have built up a certain resistance because there is so much mediocrity and spam around. While I am no usability expert I feel that the Behance network holds up nicely. Whether you’re browsing, communicating or changing your profile most actions can be easily done without much searching or button hovering for tooltips. The configuration options are placed logically and you’re not buried under a ton of settings. The profile and project customization tools are also very intuitive in use while being relatively powerful, more on that below.

Good example of a customized layout

Customization options
While the Behance network is portfolio driven this doesn’t mean that a personal touch in the presentation is not an important element. One creative may design typefaces for a living while another might earn his money doing cute character illustration. Both need to be able to make a profile that they feel represents them properly. The creators of Behance on the other hand wants to ensure that the site doesn’t end up looking like some of the worse Myspace profiles do since that would turn certain people of. This of course calls for a tradeoff.

Behance gives users the maximum amount of freedom without letting them touch any Html or Css code. There is a visual editor that allows you to edit color, font types, font faces, add images, edit background colors and the like, all live. Personally I feel the decision to take out the option of editing the code is a very wise move on Behance’s part. It keeps the network clean and makes it so that people who are not into web code don’t feel like 2nd class citizens.

Membership by approval
Behance is membership by approval, if you want on you fill in a small form and your application will be considered. This approach has it’s pro’s and it’s cons. If you let everyone on the site you’ll end up getting a second Deviant art. You’ll get a site where there’s a lot of great work, but let’s face it, also a lot of crap. Membership by approval solves this problem, but does make it harder for the user wanting to immediately get into the thick of it. Some people are used to instant access to online services and the approval process will turn some people off. In the case of Behance though I think it turned out very well, the somewhat elitist approach is one of the key elements that gives and ensures Behance’s professional look.

Communication options
When you dissect behance on a very basic level you get a social networking site that has replaced the option of adding photos with portfolio pieces. This creates an environment where one is not judged by how he looks but by what he creates. Users can comment on work or on a profile, can give work the “thumbs up” and can send you private messages. You also have the option to send your entire circle of friends a message. All in all very similar to other social networking sites, which is fine since that’s how the medium works.

One downside I’ve experienced is that when you have a large circle of friends the amount of mail you get can sometimes be downright annoying. You’ll get mails which notify you when someone in your circle has posted new work but you’ll also get mails when someone has left you a message. This in itself can be annoying, but when someone posts five new portfolio pieces and then also sends their friends list(with you in it) a message to inform them they have new work up you’ve just gotten six mails in your inbox. And this is only one person. At first I felt this was rather broken, but when I took a good look at the settings I noticed you have the option of turning a weekly notifications on instead of the default instant one. I haven’t tested it yet but if it works like I hope it will that’s another problem solved.

Conclusion
If this article sounds very much in favor of the Behance Network I can only say that, yes, it is. Not because this is a sponsored post or anything, I have no ties to Behance other than the fact that I’m on it to promote Designfeedr. The thing is, if you’re looking for a social networking site tailored especially to creatives there is currently nothing that rivals the Behance network. With great design, portfolio based profiles, solid communication options and a nicely sized user base why would you not be on it?

That’s it for my positive rant on the Behance network. Stay tuned for a showcase I’m working on that spotlights some of the best work on the network.