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.
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.
@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?
@nneuman Hi Nick, thank you. Are.na is similar to Pinterest in that it allows you to make collections of resources, but Are.na is more open-ended and more focused on general "research" that is, building ideas over time using a combination of original and found content. You can save images, text, links, files, youtube videos, pdfs, etc. all in the same place.
I did an interview on The Creative Independent where I went super in-depth on this (if you're interested): https://thecreativeindependent.c...
This company performs deceptive marketing practices, sending unmarked envelopes with just a QR code in it, without any other communication. Leave my mailbox alone.
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