Social Media apps get worse and worse
Elon with the quick worst rebrand ever
Hey Friends
I have been a little too chronically online this week so here are some thoughts.
More Social Media Shitshow
Elon has done it again by changing the beloved Twitter bird to this shitty x logo.
As a designer not only do I think the Twitter bird is a much stronger logo but it had so much brand power already built into it. Everyone recognized the twitter blue, the bird, and using the verb “tweet” is def in the zeitgeist.
What will be the verb for sending an “x”
The templated animation is hilarious too
Regardless of what you think of Elon’s other pursuits I have never seen someone speedrun ruining the public image and fanbase of a company as fast at this.
“SPEEDRUIN”
As Designers and artists online we begrudgingly have to play into these social media sites’ games to further our artwork’s reach, gain new clients, and connect with like-minded creatives in the community.
It’s already hard enough trying to figure out sites like Twitter, Instagram, and youtube without the added variable of the owner completely changing it each week.
That is why I have always been so adamant about owning your own place on the internet.
With things like newsletters, personal websites, blogs, and so on.
It may not have the groundbreaking reach that a TikTok or IG Reel does but building a community that you can control and have more confidence the content will reach them is a great feeling.
If you’re interested in starting a newsletter check out this video I made:)
Not only does Twitter suck but Threads (the alternative) seems to be a wasteland after just a few weeks. I was so excited about that app but even with the wild decisions happening over at Twitter they are definitely still the top dog.
I am starting to realize a connection too between my lack of personal work and my distain for these shitty apps.
I know in a perfect world I would get all my validation from the work itself but I believe anyone who posts art or design online would be lying if they said they didn’t like when a post pops off.
It’s an exciting feeling to see something you created be loved by people all over the world.
However, sites like Instagram lately have dropped My reach (and a bunch of my friends) by like 80-90%
The frustrating part of it all is I KNOW the work I am creating now is better than ever, but I had mediocre posts popping off just a year or so ago.
And YES
I have been super busy with youtube and client work, but I think the lack of confidence in these apps makes me less motivated to create personal work to post on them.
How do you all feel about the state of these social apps for design or even this Twitter rebrand??
Long Form
Let me switch to a more positive beat for a second.
In a world of ever-evolving social media technology and people’s attention spans getting smaller by the day, I love the medium of long-form content.
This is what has kept me hooked on youtube all this time. It is so much more rewarding and engaging from a creator and community standpoint.
I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without starting my journey on YouTube.
One thing I have been missing though is doing long-form interviews.
If you are new to me at all you may be unfamiliar but on YouTube (and all audio platforms) I used to have an interview show “The Jesse Nyberg Podcast”
I recorded over 95 episodes with different designers, artists, and creatives across the world. This was a big passion of mine for a while but the pressure to post a new episode EVERY SINGLE WEEK finally caught up to me.
Not to toot my own horn that much but I never missed a week for those 95 episodes and I am very proud of that.
Anyway my point is, I don’t think I want to do weekly episodes anymore but I have been craving that long-form format and am cooking up some interviews for you all behind the scenes.
I am actually recording one today with an amazing designer and youtuber: Can you guess who??
I loved the format of podcasting and am so stoked to get back into doing some occasional interviews with people I find creative and interesting. I will try my best to make them the most engaging and entertaining to still live on my main channel as well.
If this piqued your interest at all too, feel free to go check out the back catalog of episodes Here
Much love and see y’all next week!
Stuff to Check Out
Fav Design of the week below
Dope collages by Sam Balaban
Weekly Wrap Up
How I Succeed as a Graphic Designer | Q&A: Freelance, Clients, Internships
Thanks for reading!
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Loved all of this! So much social media has gone downhill. I finally decided to give up on Instagram and feel so free. Long form is so much more fulfilling. And amazing that you found a better way to make podcasting work for you, and the interviews sound fun! I'll have to go check it out :)
That's why everyone should switch to Fediverse, I guess.