Peek-a-Boo - The Pinning Addiction

Have you caught the bug yet?

If not.."well just you wait, Henry Higgins"..after reading this post I can assure you that you will not be able to resist.

All via PinBoard here

It's slow at first, as it starts to take shape and you begin to collect and "pin" more and more..and then..
WHAM! you can't stop yourself and you are a "Pinner" and these three young men are the ones responsible.

From left, founders Paul Sciarra, Ben Silbermann, and Evan Sharp - via Mathew Scott for Bloomberg Businessweek

What am I talking about? Well, the online pinboard,

of course. The very same that 'Time' magazine called one of the five best social media sites of 2011, and the topic of today's Peek-a-Boo post.

After it's launch nearly two years ago the traffic has increased nearly sevenfold in only the last five months as well as venture capitalists bringing over $30 million into the company in October 2011.

Here is how it works:

1. Become a member, which is free and extremely simple;
2. Create a profile and automatically connect with friends to help filter the pins, either via twitter or facebook;
3. Install in seconds the "Pin It" button and Voila, you are ready to begin pinning. Any site on the Internet, any image will be 'pinned' via this tool and you decide how to organize and / or share it.
4. All the images are automatically linked back to the original site, however you can always add in details which through the @ or # symbol can help the search engine once again filter the information. All with the click of 1 button. Couldn't be more user friendly!
5. Begin creating Boards - mood boards which become the visual libraries that define you as a pinner and are the key factor to this phenomenon;
6. Embracing the your inner "Voyeur" and begin following and navigating the image libraries.
7. Filter them or search by topics ranging from DIY > Style & Fashion >  Pets > Kids > Travel>Weddings> Home Decor ..and the list goes on;
8. As you select each image, you have the option to Repin (onto your own board), Like or Comment (similar to Facebook, as everyone has access to these)

The options and images from which we can draw inspiration are infinite - and the more you share there bigger and better this virtual library becomes.

Here is what it looks like..just a snippet of how my Mood Boards are coming along.




And then as you select one of the boards ..all the images within that board are neatly organized with text boxes, and "repinning" and "likes"

So how does this relate to the profession of interior design??

Without stating the obvious, it archives and stores the sites of origin of each image and makes all those folders full of cuttings that fill almost every designers office a thing of the past. All those images become instantly readily accessible and with the added advantage of instant archiving and searching with keywords or by folder.
Simply put, it is a fantastic and still somewhat underused marketing tool for all businesses.


What better way to provide a sense of who you are as a designer - what your style, taste, aesthetic is all about, than a virtual visual library that potential clients, publishers, magazines etc have access to?


Through our own website there are always limitations to showing and displaying all of our work. There are issues with not having the possibility of photographing the clients home (especially in residential design) or simply not having the quality suitable for that type of publication.


Through sharing a collection of images, whether of a tablescape

or your Fashion sense

and of course through interior design and decoration

These mood boards are an endless source of wealth to trend watchers, designers and bloggers whom through careful observation of repins and likes of one image within the abundance of options - we can pick up on the earliest signs of a new trend.

A compilation of hand picked images acting as a window into who we are: with a selection of styles, color, and layout inspirations that instantly reflect who I am as a designer. And although many images may not be of my own work, especially as it is frowned upon to use it simply for promotional use, they reflect my choices and design aesthetic, which is very powerful indeed.

Some vendors have begun to expand upon the use of the site by creatively using the site to reach it's direct customers, free of charge. Etsy, West Elm, Arteriors or online shopping sites such as VandM or Gilt Home, to shelter and online magazines like Rue and Lonny only to name a very few - all use this site to get their message through images directly to you!


True sharing is when everyone benefits >> Pinterest has this figured out and because of this will undoubtedly be one of the biggest advancements and online visual libraries of 2012.
Nothing makes me happier than receiving the notification emails of repins and likes..it's just a wonderful way to start your day, knowing that there are other people like you that share the same interests, likes and creative spirit.

So Start Pinning..
http://pinterest.com/decaporter/