the new face of influencer collabs

We’ve all seen designers apologise for tacking selfies onto work announcements to boost engagement; algorithms prioritize faces, not fonts. The more you perform, the more visible you become, and the more performance the system demands (ad infinitum).

Where once a designer might have been hired to create packaging or campaigns behind the scenes, many are now brought forward as faces of collaborations – they’re photographed in their studios and interviewed about their process as part of launch. The designer’s body, personality, and public profile become a commercial asset. Like the long-running o... See more

Many “designer” influencers barely do, or show, any actual design work at all. Instead, they build credibility by performing proximity to design, like posting brand guidelines from major rebrands or reacting to industry news like a hovering art director. Online, it’s easy to look like an authority on design without making very much of it.