The Best Slack Channels for Designers
Over the past year, Slack has quickly become a favorite form of communication for many designers and creatives. It makes communicating with coworkers and friends fun, effective, and effortless.
But one of the best parts about Slack is that people have joined together to create communities focused on specific topics. In other words, you can connect with other creatives from around the world to talk about the things you care about, like user experience or coffee.
If you’re ready to join the conversation, here are 16 of the best Slack channels for designers.
1. Dear Designers
Dear Designers is a private Slack channel to help you figure out your next step as a designer. There’s a wonderful mix of experience in this group, from beginners just starting out to those who have been in the industry for a while. It’s the perfect place to ask questions and hear real-life stories to learn and grow from. Plus, you’re sure to meet some awesome designers! Hello, networking and new sources of inspiration.
2. #Startup
This global startup community is a wonderful Slack channel for any upcoming entrepreneur. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with over 3,000 founders and investors and hear their stories. Plus you’ll be able to gather feedback, tune into AMA’s, and join in the discussion yourself. Who knows, you might just make your big break thanks to the connections you make in #Startup.
3. Midwest Dev Chat
If you’re a developer as well as a designer, and especially if you’re from the midwest, the Midwest Dev Chat was created just for you! It’s an invite-only, Slack powered message group all about development, with a special focus on developers from the midwest. This group is cool because they have lots of channels within their group (over 50!) including channels like #perl, #students, #nebraskajs, and even #pets.
4. #Workfrom
If you’re a freelancer or someone who travels frequently, the #Workfrom channel is a useful place to be. The team from Workfrom, a site that will help you find charming coffee shops or coworking spaces in your area, created their own Slack community to help connect remote workers. For $5 a month or $50 a year, you’ll gain access to the Slack channel, plus get exclusive discounts and special offers.
5. Midwest Design Chat
Inspired by the Midwest Dev Chat group, this Slack team is a place for designers, particularly those in the midwest, to connect. With over 150+ members, this group is the perfect place for designers to chat, share tools, and get feedback. It’s moderated by AIGA Nebraska, so you know it’s full of awesome people and great inspiration.
6. Designer Hangout
Any designer that’s interested in user experience will love this UX community on Slack. With over 5,800 members, this is a huge community that consists of quality people – every member is pre-vetted to ensure an awesome community. Bonus: This means there are no recruiters or spammers! Just high-quality discussions, debates, and resources.
7. Team Sketch
Calling all Sketch designers! This community was made just for you. It’s the perfect place to talk about tips, tricks, projects, and to get inspired by what other people are doing with Sketch. It’s also an easy way to receive feedback on your work from people who know exactly what you’re doing and what you’re working with.
8. Coffee Talk
Alright, so this one isn’t specifically for designers, but I have a feeling many of you have a special place in your heart for this magical beverage. Join together with other coffee enthusiasts to talk about all things coffee, including espresso, cold brew, beans, and more! While it won’t necessarily boost your career or provide portfolio-changing advice, this group could be a nice break from the typical design talk.
9. Design Talks
Design Talks is a place to talk about all things design, including UI/UX, web design, illustrations, and more. It’s a fabulous community to learn from others while also sharing knowledge from your own experiences. Plus, you can gather valuable feedback on projects that you’re working on. Join Design Talks to, well, talk about design!
10. Pttrns
This is another Slack community where you can talk about everything related to design. Pttrns is a place to discuss tools, trends, resources, or just to connect with other designers. It offers a single warning message: “Warning: there will be GIFs.” I don’t know about you, but this channel sounds like not only a great resource, but a fun place to be.
11. #smallbiz
If you belong to or own a small design firm, the #smallbiz channel could be an awesome resource for your business. It’s a community focused on small businesses where you can share experiences and learn from other small companies. Talk business, share stories, and help each other succeed and grow. Whatever business problems you’re struggling with, this channel will likely remind you that you’re not alone.
12. amateurpreneur
This is a Slack community for entrepreneurs who are just starting out – the amateurs. It’s a place where you can connect with other people trying to start businesses and share stories and feedback. Whenever you need a little help or an unbiased opinion, someone from this group might be able to help you out. Plus, this is sure to be a great place to network and make some awesome business connections.
13. #Launch
#Launch is a channel that is all about collaboration, discussion, and gathering feedback from creative people. This includes designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and really makers of any kind. Check it out for a place to discuss new products, find work, or maybe even meet a future co-founder.
14. #Freelance
Freelancers unite! #Freelance is a community to connect with other people creating their own schedules, working in coffee shops, and making a name for themselves. Share your success stories, nightmare client scenarios, and knowledge that you’ve learned over the years with freelancers from around the globe.
15. #MotionDesign
#MotionDesign is a Slack community for all types of digital artists with an emphasis on motion design. Designers, animators, and illustrators will all feel at home in this channel where you can discuss projects, provide feedback, and collaborate with one another. Plus, you’re bound to see some rockin’ animations. Talk about a great source of inspiration!
16. UIUX Design
As you can probably guess from the name, UIUX Design is a community focused on the user interface and user experience. The members of this channel include designers from all over the globe, so it’s a great place to hear different opinions and experiences. If you need some advice or are looking for a new way of doing things, this channel is the perfect place to go.
Now I’m sure we left a few out. If you’re a member of a sweet Slack channel that designers would love, let us know in the comments below!
