Are.na is a tool that I have been using for more than a year. It slowly replaced my Pinterest. The channel system with the connect option allows you to create online database of references, whether its text/video/link/images.

Pros:

Resource for future/new/raw aesthetics – Great Community

Cons:

Can be time consuming

I began using Are.na at the start of the year. It has been, hands down, one of my best digital experiences of the past several years. It's also the first digital product that I've felt compelled to evangelize. What makes it so great? Firstly, the product itself is simple and straightforward. It delivers on its promise as a platform for collaborative research and creative thinking. I've been exposed to numerous ideas since I began using it, and it has helped my own learning, self-development, and self-understanding. Secondly, the community is in a league of its own. It's a big mix of designers, artists, academics, illustrators, musicians, and more, all sharing their research and publishing their interests and inquiries. Finally, this is a company with a deep moral sensibility and a commitment to cultural exploration & expression. They are firmly in favor of providing an unadulterated experience to its users. No ads. No data harvesting. No algorithms. No fucking with people's neurology. Re: culture, their blog (https://www.are.na/blog) is a unique cultural object that - I don't believe - has an equal across the larger technology landscape (you're welcome to prove me wrong). If you're curious about the content on Are.na, here are a handful of my favorite channels: Abstract Formalist Comics: https://www.are.na/shea-fitzpatr... Gossip As Communication System: https://www.are.na/sarah-hamerma... Scooby-Doo Villains: https://www.are.na/drew-albinson... Stoic Electronics: https://www.are.na/zach-rose/sto... Instagrams with Good Art Direction: https://www.are.na/ben-pieratt/i... Handy Concepts: https://www.are.na/francis-tseng... Softness: https://www.are.na/edouard-u/sof... Space As Prosthetic Brain: https://www.are.na/lukas-w/space... Alright, I think you get the point.

Hello Product Hunt! We're very happy to announce that the Are.na mobile app is now available on the App Store for iPhone users! The mobile experience opens up all kinds of new ways to add, organize and access information while you're out in the world, away from your desktop. It's an evolution for the whole community, and we're looking forward to seeing what happens next. Any suggestions, comments or feedback from your side will be more than welcome.

Awesome product!

Pros:

Minimalistic aesthetic, great community, slick functionality, open API, and a great platform for research and social connection.

Cons:

Tricky to explain.

@broskoski congrats on the launch! Could you maybe explain a bit more what Are.na is? It seems similar to Pinterest, but focused on design? Do you have a website?

brilliant tool driven by a thoughtful community

Pros:

it's healthy hedonism for the web

Cons:

friend: "so what is it? a plant or a tool?"

i <3 are.na

Pros:

it's the most productive way to spend time on the internet

Cons:

it's hard to explain

Amazing app!

Pros:

Great community, ad free, no likes

Cons:

Some flows are slow/complex

For me, the best part of arena is the explore tab (are.na/explore). You get to see real time what the community is spending its time look at and thinking about. I find the content there richer than on any feed other, on any of the other platforms I use.