Editor Rob Alderson looks back on 2012 and shares some things he picked up

And just like that, 2012 draws to a close in a maelstrom of merriment during which the preceding eleven and a half months starts to blur, preparing themselves to be consigned into “The Past” (as opposed to “the past”) when 2013 rolls around. It’s been a massively exciting year for all of us here at It’s Nice That and as editor I am both proud of what we have achieved and excited about our plans for the year ahead. But rather than bore on with a chronological round-up of this year, I thought I’d share with you just some of the things I’ve learned…

Redesigns are hard

It was just before 10am on Tuesday April 2 when the fifth iteration of the website went live and I don’t mind admitting it was a pretty stressful day. So much time and thought had gone into drawing up the new designs that releasing them into the real world made a months-long process suddenly, indelibly real. And yet we’ve been delighted with the feedback mostly hugely positive, some superbly constructive and very little angry (Although one man accused us of “ruining the internet.”) Sorry to him, thanks to the rest of the you.

Print is not dead

Now I’m not denying that print faces huge challenges and in some instances publications may be up against irrestistibly destructive forces but quite simply, print is not dead. The humbling response to our first ever Annual – which sold out in just a few weeks – proves that there is still an appetite for beautiful, tangible printed objects.

Try new things

We’re big believers that sites like ours have to continuously think about what they are offering and how they are offering it and this year has been no exception. The Studio Audience podcast has added an aural dimension to our coverage which has been a joy to produce, while the Opinion pieces let us explore certain issues in and around the creative industries and Introducing… gave us a new way of writing about creatives who were keen to cover for the first time in depth. Suffice to say, we’re not planning on standing still in 2013…

Work with great people

Painfully aware though I am that this list is not exactly bristling with originality, nevertheless I couldn’t write my last editor’s letter of 2012 without mentioning and thanking the editorial staff who have devoted themselves so totally to unearthing and showcasing great talent. So I doff my cap to Liv Siddall, James Cartwright, Bryony Quinn and Alex Moshakis, plus our amazing interns Charlotte Simmonds, Rebecca Fulleylove, Catherine Gaffney, Anya Lawrence and Ross Bryant for making what we do possible.

There is so much AMAZING creative work in the world

Again fairly self-explanatory but something I am aware of all the time doing what I do. So I’d like to save my biggest thanks for all the people who’s work has appeared on It’s Nice That in 2012. Even posting nine things a day we are spoiled for choice across so many art and design disciplines and constantly surprised and delighted by both the quality and the quantity of the submissions to the site. To everyone who’s been in touch, thank you, and we hope to work with you next year and thanks as well to all our readers whose support and loyalty is genuinely extraordinary.

See you all next year!

Rob