While few people can doubt the success of Twitter, the wide-spread acceptance of the 140 character communication tool isn't necessarily going to present a professional benefit to Graphic Designers.
Unlike other social media tools, Twitter doesn't offer the Graphic Designer an opportunity to quickly and easily showcase work. It can, however, be a useful source for information and inspiration.
Keeping Up With Industry News
Following the movers and shakers in the graphic design industry is a great use of Twitter. This gives a Graphic Designer an insight into the important developments in the world of design.
This can also offer the opportunity to find out about job or work opportunities. As well as following key people in the industry, a simple search using key search terms on Twitter will return tweets that people have posted about a subject.
What People are Talking About Now
One of the great benefits that Twitter offers a Graphic Designer is that they can keep up to date with what people are talking about instantly. Trends are immediate, therefore a Graphic Designer who is pitching for business can prepare a proposal that is bang up to date, featuring ideas and subjects that people are talking about now in virtually real time, not based on old news.
Inspiration From Tweets
People tweet about anything and everything. Therefore a Graphic Designer who wants to get a feel for how people are talking about a product can simply log in to Twitter and pick up the latest vibes.
This can be useful when looking for inspiration as it gives an insight into how the wider market views a product, company or service and can help in the concept stages of design.
Research Using Twitter
Another valuable way that Twitter can be used by a Graphic Designer is as a research tool. A Graphic Designer can research and find out more about an individual or company by following them on Twitter.
This will provide an insight into the issues that they they find important and worth tweeting about. Looking at any retweets (where someone forwards a tweet to their followers) will also show what someone finds interesting. This knowledge can be especially valuable before making a pitch to a company or an individual.
These are largely passive ways that a Graphic Designer can use Twitter. Participating in the community and making regular tweets and building a presence can offer more and far reaching benefits.
However for the Graphic Designer who is short on time, or who simply doesn't enjoy the social aspect of social networking, passive participation in Twitter can offer valuable results.
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