Bēhance: A Website for Artists by Artists
As a marketer tasked with the job of rebranding a company where would you go to find inspiration? (I normally go straight to Canva). Artists often go through periods of zero inspiration. Similarly, I think marketers specializing in branding also go through periods of zero inspiration. (I mean how many unique logos, colors, websites, and paintings can anyone create?).
Do not worry though because Behance has your back. Behance is a website created for artists to share their work with other artists. Everyone from marketers to interior designers have the ability to create their own portfolio on this website to share with others. Similarly, on the opposite end of the tunnel, anyone looking for inspiration for their next project can browse the website for endless inspiration. It is a part of the Adobe group in an effort to build a community of not just Adobe photoshop users but, also all other artists looking for inspiration or to share their work. (Pull marketing for Adobe’s products).
Let’s talk about User Experience:
Simply put, UX (User Experience) is how one feels when one interacts with your product/service. In this case, the website. So how did I feel going onto this website? (I sure felt inspired). The website itself is beautiful. At first glance, I know that it is a website for people to upload their creative projects. Why should I stay? To inspire and be inspired. The aesthetics are on par with it being almost a social platform for artists. The artistic personality of the website is conveyed well with the projects being the focal point of the home page. They also have the call to action buttons on the top left which is consistent with any website these days. The home page changes every week according to the most trending projects which keep frequent users excited. Lastly, there is no use of an AI/Chatbot. (Weird because I feel like every website has it these days. That annoying chatbot that pops up without permission.)
Let’s talk about UX Design:
Behance is extremely easy to use. (It is like a “website for dummies (beginners)”). The home page has pretty much everything a visitor would want. Want to create an account? Top left. Want to discover projects? Top right. Like one of the projects and want to hire someone? Top right. Want to search for designs on a specific topic? Just use the search bar! You get the point. This makes it extremely easy for users to surf the website and also makes them spend more time on the website when they don’t have to go looking for things. If it wasn’t obvious already that it is a website for artists, then clicking on any of the headings will make it clear. The headings make sense for the website because people looking for artistic inspiration are going to either want to discover or hire. People looking to share will sign up, and a user will straight head to the For You page.
Putting all this artistic content on the homepage makes it easier for the website to convert visitors. Putting the week’s top projects makes the website more credible for visitors by seeing the BEST content as soon as they land on the homepage. I felt convinced that this was the best place to find inspiration, so I signed up. It makes this a website for Artists by Artists!
Behance has been consistent with the content quality by making the content relevant for the visitors. If they feel they want to dive deeper into something then the search bar is at the top center and so are the filters which help visitors make the content more relevant to exactly what they came looking for.
Additionally, it is adaptive to all types of devices; mobile, laptop, phone, etc. Behance does have an app for those that prefer apps (people like me with a gazillion apps on her phone) however, for those wanting to surf the website on their mobile devices, it won’t be a problem. (I hate how target’s website doesn’t adapt to my phone. UGHH). This flexibility and a highly responsive design make it even easier for visitors.
Final thoughts:
Notice how I didn’t mention if it conveys the brand message/purpose? That’s because it doesn’t! Weird right? Every website today normally has it very noticeably on the homepage. Therefore, I suggest putting their brand message and purpose on the homepage to make it clear to the visitors what Behance is. I couldn’t find the About page so I would HIGHLY recommend putting an about page on the website.
Overall, I felt great going on the website and will definitely be going more often now. It hits all the right points in terms of UX and UX Design and definitely achieves the business objective. If you guys do happen to head over there, let me know: Did you inspire or were you inspired?
