Put. Down. The. Pinterest.
This is the Pinterest rant I’ve wanted to write for years. Brace yourself.
So, you’re working with a designer. Like, one who you’re really excited to work with and you feel they get you.
Note: I really hope it’s me but even if it’s not, read on!
Especially if you’re a small business owner, you’re probably used to DIY-ing with Canva or maybe even Photoshop. Maybe you started swooning over Instagrams and Pins of brands that you love and are dreaming up what you think yours will look like.
Even if you’re not working specifically on a branding project, this applies to any creative project where you’ve hired a professional. And Pinterest isn’t the only culprit here (lookin’ at you, Instagram).
Not to rain on your pinning parade, but once you hire a designer it is officially time to take a break. Hear me out.
At some point, the endless scrolling, “inspiration gathering”, whatever you want to call it - is doing more harm than good. Here’s why.
Your brand (or project) is not the same as all the others you’re looking at. You don’t have the same product or service, target market, goals, objectives, style, or personality. What you’re looking at are things that other people have already built. They have their own goals, clients, and personality. You have yours. You may love a color palette from a coffee brand in Santa Monica but does it speak to your business in the same way? Maybe not!
Second, the endless scrolling and pinning is going to keep you both narrow-minded and distracted. If you only want to replicate what you see other people doing, you can’t let yourself be original. Starting the process with an open mind is crucial. Starting with a clean slate leaves the space needed for something new and entirely unique to come in.
It’ll also keep you distracted. You should be laser-focused on your brand. If you’re scrolling through pages and pages of other people’s stuff, you’re taking the focus off of you. Is endless Pinterest more fun than writing your brand story? Of course. But it won’t leave you with any more clarity on your own brand. Comparison is not your friend.
Finally, you are literally paying someone to do this for you. My chronic DIY-ers, take a breath! You hired someone and are likely paying them good money to take care of the design of your brand. It should be a welcome moment to know that your brand is in the hands of someone you trust. Have a little confidence in the hiring decision you made! Any good designer is not going to leave you with a project you hate. Rest in that.
My friend and fellow designer Andrea Woodlee and I were talking about this exact subject the other day and she said it perfectly. There’s a difference between hiring a designer and a contractor. That difference, in my opinion, is a shared understanding that you’ll honor a designer’s unique perspective.
So, how do I like to use Pinterest?
This doesn’t mean that I’m anti-Pinterest by any means. It has its place! I use it to get inspired before I dive into a project, discover new color combinations, fonts, and pull graphics for moodboards. Personally, I use it for recipes and home inspiration, too. But as soon as I start designing for a specific project, I put it away. It doesn’t serve me well as a designer either to be clouded by what other people are doing when I’m trying to create original work.
