A Dribbble designer, Gleb Kuznetsov, was permanently banned recently from the platform, shaking the design community. Founder of Milkinside, Kuznetsov had built an audience of over 210 million views and shared more than 12,000 photos over 15 years.
His violation? Sharing his contact details with a potential client — a direct breach of Dribbble’s new monetization rules.
In March 2025, Dribbble tightened its policy, requiring all client transactions to go through its platform, claiming this would protect designers from non-payment. Critics, including Kuznetsov, argue it’s more about revenue capture than community protection.
Dribbble CEO Constantine Anastasakis confirmed that Kuznetsov was warned multiple times. However, Kuznetsov claims he didn’t see the warning email — a mistake that led to his ban and sparked outrage among fellow designers.
Now, Kuznetsov is fighting back not with words, but with innovation. He’s working on a new platform that isn’t a Dribbble clone. Instead, it will be a modern, AI-powered design hub focused on creativity, inspiration, and fair opportunity.
“There’s a big hole in the market,” says Kuznetsov. “AI has huge potential for designers. We can use it to create things we never thought possible.”
His upcoming startup aims to blend cutting-edge AI with community-driven design tools, and he plans to launch an MVP within a few months.
This move highlights a growing concern: designers are losing control over their work on traditional platforms. Kuznetsov’s mission isn’t to destroy Dribbble, it’s to empower creatives with a better alternative.
Key Takeaways:
- Dribbble is shifting from a community to a monetized marketplace.
- Designers can no longer share contact info unless payments go through Dribbble.
- Gleb Kuznetsov, banned for policy violations, is now building a new AI-powered platform.
- The new platform will focus on inspiration, creation, and empowering the design community.
As designers look for new spaces that support creativity without corporate restrictions, this could be the start of a much-needed revolution in the design ecosystem.
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