Tourism and web design: they go hand in hand. As a tour operator, you need to show the best of your tours and the places you are through the best images and videos(opens in a new tab) possible. But it is not only that. Web design covers many areas but essentially it’s how websites are displayed on the internet. It incorporates appearance, layout and enhancing user experience. So whether you’re looking to build a website through modern web design(opens in a new tab), or even cheap website design, Pinterest could be a good starting point for web designers to gather inspiration and ideas.
So as a web designer, how could you use Pinterest to your advantage?(opens in a new tab) Andie Lopez, Tourism Tiger’s Lead Designer, talks us through why she uses it and also offers advice to those who aren’t that familiar with the image-sharing social media platform.
1. In your opinion, can you describe what Pinterest is?
Pinterest is an online platform where people can pin and share articles, news, videos and images on different themed boards. Pinterest is my favourite source of inspiration, a place where I can look at what other people are doing, gather ideas I want to try out and get inspired with content tailored to my own interests. It’s my favourite corner of the internet!
2. How do you use it for the work that you do?
When I’m designing a website for a client, my creative journey begins at Pinterest’s search bar. I tend to look up examples of other websites in the same category as the company I’m designing for. If I’m not focused, I can spend forever scrolling down, lost in the millions of beautiful, inspirational images! When I have a problem or an issue I can’t seem to find a solution for, I go on Pinterest categories and try to find out how other creatives have done it. That can go from Kanban board automation (Kanban is a new technique for managing a software development process) to project management cheat sheets, successful mood board guides, web design’s best practices, design brief’s key questions (questionnaire clients answer to in order to get a better understanding of what they’re envisioning) for a successful rebrand, the list goes on!
3. What are Pinterest’s biggest positives for you?
I’d say the way it works in a board/folder kind of system. It helps to keep your findings organised, themed and relevant. I also love the fact that it will present you with new suggestions that are visually similar to what you’ve pinned, based on your history and your preferences. This could be creepy for some people, but I feel like Pinterest can read my mind and will show me stuff that I love and I’ll 100% pin it on my boards.
4. Would you say there are some negatives?
Apart from the fact that it probably knows me better than I know myself, I’d have to say that you have to be careful with what you use/believe in. Just because you see a funky cool design on your ‘Dream Website’ board suggestions, doesn’t mean the design itself works like magic, or it’s the most user-friendly, or it’s going to fit for the design you’re working on. It’s all about balance, getting inspired but also following your instincts, trusting your knowledge and experience.
5. How big a part does it play in modern web design?
Just like other inspiration/portfolio websites, like Behance or Dribbble, Pinterest has the potential to showcase and keep the community updated with the latest trends and practices on web design. The crucial part here is that Pinterest is made out of contributor’s content – people like you and me, who come to Pinterest and pin their favourite online findings on their boards, which is completely subjective. I think when these best practices are exposed and shared on such large platforms, more and more designers benefit from them, take them as inspiration and create the revolution that is today’s web design.
6. What would be your advice for other web designers considering using Pinterest?
Pinterest is a sea of inspiration, ideas, advice, rules and resources, all in one place. What you make out of it is up to you! Just remember to always double-check with your developers to see if those wonderful designs are possible to make! Pinterest is a place where imagination and inspiration overflows, so keeping your head grounded but your creativity ignited, that’s the best recipe for an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind website design.
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