Five Reasons Every Designer Should Use deviantART
deviantART, frequently referred to as dA, is a mixture between a file hosting service and social media website focused around the creation and enjoyment of digital art. According to Alexa, deviantart.com is ranked 126th in web traffic, placing it close to the traffic levels for companies like Walmart and Bank of America. For web designers, dA offers a few benefits to turn your websites into high quality, unique creations.
- Website Layouts
- Access to Artists
- Multiple Media Formats
- Art and Creative Commons Licensing
- File Hosting
If you are looking for a fresh new layout or simply want some inspiration for your own, dA features a layout category with choices that range from professional to veritable artwork. You can find the layouts in the design section when looking through the categories.
Sometimes, the available resources are simply not what you are looking for to spruce up your website. With close to 25 million active artists, dA has a massive community that includes skilled painters, writers, digital artists, photographers, and even programmers. Many of these artists have expansive galleries on the site, effectively giving you access to a talent repository with a visible resume for every potential artist.
dA is known primarily for image hosting, but there are dozens of categories to choose from in media formats like text, video, flash animation, applications, and more. If you need a background for the site, a new brand identity, or a song to play to users while they browse, you can find it on dA.
According to the dA website, they are currently hosting close to 250 million files amongst all the media types it supports. The site gives the option for users to post their work under the Creative Commons License, which means there is a massive gallery of content that may be free for use.
Not only can dA help you find content, artists, and ideas, but it can help store your content. It is no substitute for a dedicated hosting service, but it can serve as a secondary hosting option for images. You can even embed films hosted on the site into your web page, similar to how you would do so with YouTube.
Lastly, if you really want to get your hands dirty, watch this video from ComicCon on “How to: Supercharge Your deviantART Profile Like the Masters” featuring an expert panel.