are.na

I have just fallen into the biggest internet rabbit hole since ffffound. Please everyone, welcome Are.na, an online platform for collaborative research. Here’s how they boldly talk about themselves: “Think of it as a visual Slack, or Pinterest for smart people. It sits in a unique position between a productivity tool and social media platform. Launched as a side-project by a developer at Artsy, Are.na has gained significant traction amongst designers, programmers, academics, and agencies.” While the ‘smart people part’ might rub some people the wrong way, I am impressed by what they are building. It seems to be improving daily. Love seeing folks pulling their sleeves back, building a new platform by pouring their hearts into it, guided by a strong mission and values statement: I am impressed by their vision for 2018.