Hypothesis
Western digital artists do not have a preferable social media website to post and share their original character-related art online with other artists, due to outdated and fading websites monopolizing the demographic and promised alternatives failing as a result of unrelated issues (financial reasons, poor management).
This need is basically only possessed by digital artists who create original content related to character design, world-building, and other concept art, ESPECIALLY if this work is collaborative with others.
Many social media websites such as Tumblr and Twitter are useful for an artist via gaining an audience for advertising and networking. However, they are both poor for keeping track of the flow of art and information between groups of artists in one centralized place. Neither of these websites are ideal for posting art in the first place, either, and challenge artists with quality restrictions.
On the primary art-sharing website, DeviantArt, art can easily be shared, though the community has been in decline of both quantity and quality. Groups also exist for different users to add and share their art to, which works fine, but communication methods are outdated and faulty. As a result, artists turn to other social media to communicate with, such as Twitter and Discord.
Basically, those who work on collaborative storytelling and world-building need something more to help them communicate their ideas in the same place where they share high-quality art.
For some, the hierarchy of needs between an up-to-date website, a quality place to post art, and a solid social media can vary. My goal is to just make a modern, attractive website with a solid organization and chat function for artists.
________________________________________________
Post-interviews
After interviewing some artists online who partake in collaborative storytelling, I have gathered that most are concerned with a modern website and a place where they can both communicate efficiently and post art in, though there was clear emphasis on the communication and modern aspects. In the past, potential websites just like this that have popped up had hundreds of people flock and move almost immediately, even while still in beta testing. It gives me confidence that there is a definite audience for my idea.
Hi Haley.
ReplyDeleteThis idea is intriguing because I honestly don't know much about art or the community around it, so I'll bring an outsider's perspective. While I understand the comparisons you are drawing with social media websites like Tumblr and Twitter, you also make a comparison to DeviantArt. This begs the question of what type of website you are making. Will the primary goal be to share your art with other artists? Or will the main purpose be to share your art with non-artists?
Another thing to consider is where you mentioned how other websites similar to your idea have popped up. While they have had business, they must not have had the mainstream success that you are shooting for, or another website wouldn't be necessary. I would suggest researching those other competitors and seeing what caused them to not grow beyond the small niche they have. That way you can use what works and avoid what didn't.
Haley,
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting idea! I think that even some people who may not actually be artists would be interested as well, if you are interested in a platform that shares with non artists as well. You should definitely see what happened with those other websites and see what went wrong for them and what you can offer that is different.