Like many designers out there I like collecting images of good graphic design, but I have a problem with current image bookmarking services. So I decided to set up my own system.
Who doesn’t love looking at clean, simple, beautiful graphic design? I’m obsessed with discovering great talent and great design. Ever since I can remember wanting to be a designer I’ve collected and/or cataloged bits of designs I find inspiring and useful. Like many of you however, I’ve struggled to find the perfect solution for my image bookmarking needs.
Over the last few years I’ve been using web based services for my design bookmarking, and while there are some good solutions out there, non are perfect for me.
The Problem with Current Solutions
My biggest issue with current image bookmarking services is their lack of simplicity, both from a design perspective and the features they offer. All of these services ffffound, imgspark, vi.sualize, emberapp, while good solutions for most, are just not what I’m looking for.
I want a service that let’s me focus on the images themselves and not it’s related content/metadata. I don’t want to see how many people liked a specific image, or if it has other related images, or how many tags it has etc. I’m there to consume the visuals, the image!.
A Note on Dropular
Dropular is an image bookmarking service that showed promise, it had a simple interface and a very elegant solution for bookmarking images via a simple bookmarklet. I started using the service last year and I finally felt I had found the perfect solution. That is, until they destroyed any confidence I had in them. Not only did they shut down for several months promising a new and improved service, but ended up launching a completely useless website. I respect the people behind dropular, but they really let me down.
After the dropular fiasco, I figured it was time to find my own solution.
Enter Visual Bits
Visual Bits is my own personal image bookmarking website. I had one goal in mind when setting it up, it needed to be simple, it needed to feel simple.
The site is powered by tumblr and it’s using a custom tumblr theme I designed that basically eliminates any other piece of data associated with the image and leaves the image and source intact. No related images, no tags, no followers, no “likes�, etc.
It’s perfect.