Two years ago, if I said “I just spent an hour Pinning” you would have thought I was crazy. You may also think that now, but I digress. Like other social media platforms, Pinterest has altered our vocabulary. We have made almost every common social media site into a verb; Just Google it!

Pinterest offers more than a new addition to our dictionary; it enhances productivity and career development, especially if you are a graphic designer. Pinterest combines visual creativity with organization. Graphic designers can use it to put their ideas into creation faster. Here’s how:

Find

As a designer, you are inherently creative. This means you constantly look for inspiration. Right? Pinterest is a visual hub of inspiration. From artwork to quotes to photographs, there is no end to the creative stimulation you can find in Pinterest.

Pinterest can also serve as a source of information. If you are handed a project that you don’t know a lot about, look it up on Pinterest. Images will appear that can help you gain a better understanding of this topic outside of the traditional Google search. You don’t just read about it, you see it.

Create

Creation is the key to any graphic designer’s job. Pinterest helps you not only get work done, but do it well. The site acts as a mood board, where you can place visual ideas that apply to a project. When you come back to it, you have all of your thoughts organized in one place, and can get to work.

It’s not just about the work that is created, but the connections as well. Pinterest is called a social network for a reason… wait for it… it’s social. You can interact with other graphic designers or artists to gain expertise and industry information. Networking is the most important part of any field. Pinterest makes networking easier.

Share

Pinterest is used in the same way as other social media platforms, to share. What separates it from other sites is the content that is shared: Images.

You can use Pinterest to share your work. With blogs, personal websites and online portfolios, many designers work hard to create their online brand. Pinterest provides an additional outlet for this. It is a place where you can easily store and share your artwork, allowing the world to see what you are capable of.

Pinterest is also a great place to share ideas. We all love finding books, websites and articles that help further develop our career. Now, when you find something that you found helpful, you can “Pin” it and show other designers that it’s worth a look.

There are many resources to help you get started on Pinterest: you can find out which boards to follow and designers  to connect with. From there, you can Pin all you want! You can also connect with Corel on Pinterest. Note: We don’t have that many followers as we just recently created the account. Please don’t judge us… yet.

So aside from providing a source for DIY coat hangers and five-minute recipes, Pinterest can help you maximize your time and work more efficiently. And let’s face it, it’s addictive. If you’re going to spend hours on a site, you can now make that time a little more productive.

Has Pinterest helped you get work done or develop your career? Whether you are a designer, artist, business owner or work in a totally unrelated field, drop a comment below and let me know how you’ve used Pinterest.