Dribbble Review: Is It Legit or a Scam?

By WFHR Editor

Published on December 4, 2022

Last updated: July 5, 2024

For anyone looking to make a name for themselves in the creative industry, Dribbble is one of the best platforms out there. It’s a place where digital creatives can show off their work and network with other professionals. But before you dive in, it’s indispensable to understand what you’re getting yourself into – so let’s take a closer look at this comprehensive Dribbble review.

Customer reviews of Dribbble show a mixed response. Many users appreciate the platform for its ability to inspire, networking opportunities, and professional development.

Testimonials highlight how Dribbble has helped designers grow in their careers, enhance their skills, and even get their foot on the industry’s door. Some users express concerns about account management, support, and the effectiveness of paid subscriptions.

What is Dribbble?

Dribbble is a popular online platform focused on building a community for creatives, specifically designers. Launched in 2009, the platform provides a space for design talent to share their work, grow their skills, and potentially get hired by innovative brands in various industries. It boasts millions of members. If you’re eager to find top talent or hire someone for your project, Dribbble can be a great resource.

The primary mission of Dribbble is to establish the world’s best community for creatives, and it has remained a bootstrapped and profitable company since its inception. Some of the industry leaders and the world’s most renowned design-forward companies, like Apple, Airbnb, IDEO, Facebook, Google, Dropbox, Slack, Shopify, and Lyft, use Dribbble to showcase their design teams’ work and hire expert creatives.

Dribbble’s unique features include a drafting system for new designers, which adds an exclusive touch to the platform. This system contributes to the high quality and relevance of the images its users share. By maintaining its semi-exclusive nature for a short time, Dribbble ensures that the designs showcased on the site remain striking and relevant.

Although initially focused on promoting designers and fostering communication within the design community, Dribbble’s business model has evolved. Some users consider the platform a monetized talent agency, diverging from its original intentions.

Key Features of Dribbble

Dribbble is a popular online platform for designers and creatives globally, launched in 2009. It offers multiple features that foster connections, inspires creativity, and provide growth opportunities for its users.

Discover and Connect with Designers

Dribbble showcases the works of talented designers from diverse fields, such as graphic design, illustration, UI/UX design, and more. It enables users to search and discover new design talent, follow their favorite creatives, and engage with other members through the platform. They can also leave comments on others’ works or participate in design conversations.

Job Opportunities

The platform provides an extensive job board where companies can hire product design professionals, and employers can post job requirements and hire experienced designers. Designers can browse job listings, apply to relevant positions, and increase their chances of finding suitable employment opportunities. Dribbble also offers a Pro subscription that grants access to exclusive job postings and enables freelancers to showcase their services.

Design Challenges and Contests

Dribbble periodically hosts design challenges and contests, offering opportunities for designers to hone their skills and showcase their work. These events promote creativity and can lead to professional recognition and potential job opportunities, such as the typography and color system approaches.

Educational Resources

Dribbble education courses and resources of the ability to enhance designers’ skills through video lessons and mentor sessions. They provide a part-time, live online UI Design Course and a Product Design Course covering multiple topics within the creative process of product design, including design thinking, UX/UI research, wireframing, flow diagrams, and Figma design.

Dribbble is a multifaceted platform catering to the needs of designers and creatives worldwide. Its many features help users connect with others, showcase their work, find job opportunities, and even to level up skills and design industry skills.

Pros and Cons of Dribbble

Dribbble is a popular online platform for designers to showcase their work, network with other professionals, and find inspiration. This section will discuss some of the pros and cons of using Dribbble.

Pros

Inspiration: Dribbble hosts a vast collection of design work, making it an excellent source of inspiration for designers looking for fresh ideas or solutions to design problems.
Networking: The platform has a large community, allowing designers to connect, collaborate and engage with other creatives. This can lead to beneficial relationships and potential job opportunities.
Feedback: Users can share their work on the platform and receive feedback from their peers, which can help them improve their skills or validate their ideas.
Visibility: Designers can gain visibility by showcasing their work on Dribbble, a popular platform with good brand recognition among potential clients or employers.
Online Product Design Course: Dribbble offers a part-time, 16-week product design course highlighting key areas like design thinking, UX/UI research, wireframing, designing in Figma, and more.

Cons

Service, Value, and Quality: Based on reviews, users have rated Dribbble’s service, value, and quality at 3.33 out of 5 stars, indicating room for improvement in these areas.
Limited Scope of Work Representation: Dribbble’s format centers around short visual snippets or “shots,” which might not showcase the full extent of a designer’s skill set, as it may not highlight their abilities related to research, problem-solving, or strategy.
Competition: With a large user base, it can be challenging for new or less experienced designers to gain visibility or recognition on the platform.

Dribbble Alternatives

When comparing Dribbble to similar platforms, there are several factors to consider, such as target audience, pricing, and ease of use.

Behance

Behance is another prominent platform catering to the creative community. While Dribbble is often compared to LinkedIn for the design industry, Behance can be likened to the Instagram of the design world, focusing more on a community-oriented environment. Behance is an excellent platform for beginner creatives and those seeking peer collaboration and feedback.

Carbonmade

Carbonmade is a popular alternative to Dribbble, with more than 1.9 million portfolios on the platform. This platform is easy to use, featuring drag-and-drop layouts, making creating a portfolio quick and simple. Carbonmade is best suited for those seeking a straightforward and user-friendly platform primarily to showcase their work.

DeviantArt

Another alternative to Dribbble is DeviantArt, a massive online social community for artists and art enthusiasts. With a more extensive and diverse range of art genres, DeviantArt is perfect for those who wish to connect with a broader network of creative people, share their work, and get inspired by other artists.

Here is a comparison table of all Dribbble relative to its competitors.

Platform	Target Audience	Pricing	Ease of Use
Dribbble	Creative professionals	Hiring plans from $49 to $399	Moderate
Behance	Beginners & community	Free	Easy
Carbonmade	Portfolio builders	Varies by plan	Very Easy
DeviantArt	Artists & Art enthusiasts	Free & Freemium plans are available	Easy to Moderate

Dribbble Reviews and Legitimacy

Is Dribbble Legit

Dribbble is a well-known online platform for designers to showcase their work and collaborate with other designers. It has been around since 2010 and has established itself as a reputable platform for creative professionals. Dribbble is a legitimate website for designers to showcase their portfolios, network with other designers students receive personalized feedback, and find job opportunities.

Dribbble.com Reviews

Dribbble.com has received mixed reviews from its users. Based on the information provided by various review websites, here is a summary of Dribbble’s ratings and reviews:

On Sitejabber, Dribbble has a rating of 3.33 stars out of 5 from 9 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases.
As reported by Trustpilot, 30 people have reviewed Dribbble, and their experiences seem varied.
Dribbble has an overall score of 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 42 Dribbble reviews, incorporating customer ratings, brand popularity, price competitiveness, and quality of features.

Some key factors users mention about Dribbble services include:

Service: Users seem to have mixed experiences with customer service, with some finding it responsive and others expressing dissatisfaction with profile deletion or account management issues.
Value: The value of Dribbble’s paid subscriptions has also received mixed reviews. Some users note the benefits of increased exposure, while others may not see significant returns on their investment.
Quality: The quality of features offered by Dribbble, such as the platform’s design capabilities and networking opportunities, appear to be generally well-received by users.

Remember that individual experiences may vary, and a user’s satisfaction can depend on their specific needs, expectations, and interactions with the platform.

Footnotes

Final Verdict: Is Dribble Legit?

Dribbble has proven to be a valuable platform for designers and creative professionals to showcase their work, network, and gain inspiration from fellow designers. It offers a robust design community, fostering the sharing of design knowledge, trends, and techniques. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize the limitations and drawbacks of the platform as well.

One aspect worth mentioning is the element of competition among designers. While healthy competition can drive growth, it can also lead to a focus on creating visually appealing shots rather than functional design products. Aspiring users should approach course projects on the platform with this in mind and strive to balance aesthetics and usability in their projects.

Furthermore, the invitation-based membership model can be challenging for newcomers to access the platform, potentially limiting the diversity of design perspectives. Nonetheless, not only the mentor side, this model allows Dribbble to maintain a certain level of quality in the projects showcased, which can benefit both users and visitors.

Overall, if you’re searching for an online platform to show off your creative work or find talented freelancers for projects, then Dribbble could be worth checking out,

FAQs

What is Dribbble and how does it work?

Dribbble is an online platform where designers showcase their work, discover new talent, and find inspiration. It’s like a digital playground for creatives, and I’ve found it super helpful for staying up-to-date with design trends and connecting with other designers.

How do I sign up for Dribbble and become a player?

To sign up for Dribbble, visit their website, create an account with your email, and fill in your profile details. To become a player, you’ll need an invite from an existing member, which you can either request from someone you know or score by impressing someone with your work.

How does Dribbble compare to other design platforms like Behance or ArtStation?

Dribbble focuses on quick snapshots of work (or “shots”) and has a tighter community feel than Behance or ArtStation, which feature more in-depth project presentations. Dribbble is wonderful for quick visual inspiration, while Behance and ArtStation cater more to comprehensive project showcases.

How do I effectively use Dribbble for networking and growing my online presence?

To effectively use Dribbble for networking and growing your online presence, upload your best work regularly, engage with other users by liking and commenting on their shots, join the interactive learning sessions, and follow designers you admire. I’ve found that being active and genuine on the platform has helped me build valuable connections and grow my presence in the design community.

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