Have a question or problem with the site? Check below for an answer but if you can't find your specific question listed, send us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Answer: Think of Thebackwall as a desk critique. However, instead of having a discussion between just you and a professor or classmate, you can now have that discussion with a wide variety of designers. Thebackwall gives you the opportunity to not only share your projects and get quick feedback, but it also allows you to partake in contemporary design outside of your university or studio.
Answer: Thebackwall is really for anyone looking to discuss and share ideas related to design. It's a great way for you to connect with designers outside of your discipline and/or university/studio. A pin-up can be used to quickly get feedback on an idea, clarify your thoughts, take a project in a new direction, or to simply share what you're working on with other designers.
Answer: As designers, we all know how difficult it is to share a creative project that isn't quite finished. However, it's during the process when we feel you have the most to gain from outside input, so we highly encourage users to share images throughout a project. Of course, that doesn't mean we don't want to see the final iteration of a project as well...
Answer: At the moment, each user can post up to five different projects of five images each. Your pin-ups can all be from the same project or you can choose to display five different projects — whatever it takes for you to communicate your ideas.
As far as the individual images go, they can be JPG or GIF with a max dimension of 730 px in width by 625 px in height at 72 dpi. We also recommend converting your images to RGB color mode to speed up loading times (CMYK can be significantly larger files than RGB).
Answer: We completely understand this sentiment. It's difficult to share an idea when the design and/or thoughts still aren't finished. However, we also feel that the more you discuss a project and try to explain it to another person, the more focussed it becomes. Doing this regularly will not only better prepare you for a review or presentation, but it will also help take your project to another level by giving you access to potential input from a large number of outside sources.
Answer: Perhaps you should check this out... There tends to be an aura of secrecy amongst designers these days, especially within the academic realm. While some level of confidentiality is probably warranted, we tend to agree with Mr. Jarmusch.
Answer: While we feel that the true power of Thebackwall comes from it being a public forum that allows you to get feedback from people you would otherwise never be able to discuss a project with, we also allow you to pin a project up privately. This allows you to share your ideas only with other users that you specifically give access to your projects.
Answer: This site was created out of a desire to create more collaboration in the field of design. While we as designers need to have the inspiration to take on a project, we also believe that ideas reach their full potential by discussing it and getting feedback from others.
That and it's a great way to keep in touch creatively with people outside of your immediate university or studio.
Answer: It's pretty straightforward — you create a pin-up by uploading images (sketches, photographs, technical drawings, etc), which is then available for other designers to view, critique, mark-up, and comment on.
Answer: Other than the standard comment system where users can comment directly on projects and images, we also have a Mark-up feature and a Quick Critique system. The Mark-up feature allows users to actually sketch over images with their mouse and then upload their mark-ups for you to check out later.
The Quick Critique system allows you to get more quantitative feedback on a project or individual image by allowing users to rate aspects (Overall, Visual Appeal, Clarity, Technique/Craft, Originality, and Individual Images) of your project on a scale of 1 to 5. You can also activate or deactivate either of these features on a project by project basis whenever you'd like.
Answer: Yes. Thebackwall will never use uploaded images or files for anything other than to display them at onthebackwall.com. If at any time you wish to have your projects removed from the site, you can easily delete them from your profile page. If you have any other questions regarding this topic, please read our Terms of Use and Conditions.
Answer: Registration is a quick two step process. Click here to get started and we will send you a confirmation email to the address you provide. Follow the instructions within that email to you confirm your username and you'll be all ready to go!
Answer: Two things:
1. We ask that you only upload images and projects that you either created personally or own the rights to. Please do not upload something that is not yours; simply posting someone else's work is not allowed. If you have any other questions regarding this topic, please read our Terms of Use and Conditions.
2. We also recommend that you use the most recent versions of either Firefox or Safari when using this site. In support of the awesomely titled Save The Developers organization, we do not support any IE browsers before IE7. You will also need to have the most recent version of Adobe's Flash Player downloaded on your computer. At the moment, this is Flash Player 10, which can be downloaded here if needed. Other than that, enjoy, and we honestly hope that Thebackwall helps you in all of your creative endeavors!
Answer: Oops! I assure you that this is unintentional. If your school is not yet listed on the registration page, you're probably not the only one looking for it, so send us an email and we'll get your school added to the list as soon as possible. If you would like to register right now, please choose the \"Independent\" value at the top of the list and then we can update your profile once your school has been added. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Answer: If you don't think your project falls into any of the provided categories, send us an email and we'll get it added to the list.
Answer: Using Thebackwall requires that you have the most recent version of whatever browser you're using (we highly recommend either Firefox or Safari), as well as the most recent version of Adobe's Flash Player downloaded on your computer. At the moment, this is Flash Player 10, which can be downloaded here. If you have any issues, send us an email and we'll help you out as soon as possible.
Answer: As designers just like you, we are always looking for ways to make a project better. Any and all ideas are highly encouraged, so feel free to send us an email.
Probably the best way for you to make Thebackwall a better resource is to tell your peers about it. More people at onthebackwall.com == more pin-ups == more people who see your work == more comments == more feedback == more ideas, etc, etc. If you have a friend or colleague who you think would be interested in onthebackwall.com, you can send them a personalized email to get the word out by using our Invite-A-Friend feature.
Answer: You can quickly personalize your public profile by logging in and clicking the \"Edit Profile\" link to the right. From there, you can create a custom color scheme, upload profile images, and customize your profile info.
Answer: So much it'll make your head asplode. We have everything from interactive feedback features that make getting input quick and easy to customizable profiles and unique URLs to a massive community of creatives that can introduce you to many new ideas, topics, and connections.
Answer: Your unique URL is automatically created using the username you provide upon registration. For example, www.onthebackwall.com/your-username
Answer: If you're using a program or certain technique for your work that you don't think fits into any of the skills provided, send us an email and we'll get it added as soon as possible.
Answer: For us, good design and a good playlist go hand in hand, so every few weeks we put up a new music mix consisting of around 12 songs for our users to check out while they creative-ize (not a word). Hopefully we'll get some stuff up there that you like, but if not, there's a new one every few weeks, so check in from time to time.
Answer: This site was developed specifically for Firefox and Safari, so those are the two that will work the best. While IE8 and IE7 should work fine, we no longer offer support for IE6. No offense to any of you out there still using IE6, but seriously, Firefox is free and it's far better at the internet then IE6.
Answer: At Thebackwall, you can send and receive Studio Invites to/from other users. Basically, it's our version of a Friends system. You invite another user to your Studio, and if they accept it, they will then have access to both your public and private pin-ups. Members of your studio will also be listed in the My Studio portion of your profile for quick access to their info and projects.
It's a great way to keep friends and other designers who you enjoy getting feedback from up-to-date on your creative works.
