MentalX

Design Inspiration

As of late, there has been much talk about design and inspiration (see: Luke Wroblewski and Jason Santa Maria). I am sure this is often the case, especially in graphic / web design. In the field of design, being prolific is often just part of the game. You can either get better or worse by churning out a ton of work. I personally feel that the idea of inspiration is a little overrated. Design, and the process of becoming a better designer is much about the personal growth of ideas and style. As somebody who really had to fight to become a better designer, I will outline a few things that have helped me along my path.

Environment
One of the biggest things that has helped and hurt me has been my design environment, and the people I surround myself with. There is enough internal pressure when working as a designer that the last thing you need is a boss or a co-worker who is constantly bringing you down. If you are in such an environment, get out now. You may be surprised at how good you can be in the right place.

Criticize Wisely
Criticism is part of being a designer, but it has to be constructive. In other words, if you are going to say something sucks, give a reason that is founded in sound design argumentation. No design is universally perfect. Look at everything with a critical eye, and always go one step further. If you say, “That image just doesn’t work for me,” ask yourself why, figure out what you would do to change it, and then explain to yourself why your ideas work better. Once you start this process, it will become second nature. For better or worse, you will be asking questions about web sites, billboards, menus, packaging, etc.

Practice
Just like anything else, you must practice design to get better. One of my favorite tricks (more when I was just starting) was to take a design I really respected, and rebuild it in Quark or InDesign. This allowed me to see firsthand why design choices were made by some of the best designers in the world.

Research, Look, and Think
Always keep learning. Learn about design history. Learn about color. Learn about what other people are or have had success doing. Think about society and how design fits in, or better yet, think about how your designs are a part of society. Learn new techniques. Learn about fonts. Learn about the printing process. Learn about programming. Learn new coding languages. Learn about HCI. Learn about interaction design. Think about your users (whether they are magazine readers, or internet surfers). I guess, in short, be engaged.

Do What Comes Naturally: Design Ain’t the Boogieman
Don’t worry about producing crap. In fact, produce as much crap as you want. I learned a long time ago that design is not paint-by-numbers, it is about being original and creative. Sure, know the rules but don’t let them dictate your design.

You Are What You Design
Your style is your brand, period.

Play: Do Creative Things Outside of “Work”
This should be pretty easy, but it’s often overlooked. Do something creative that is not work related. Much of design is about being engaged in your life and the world around you. The easiest way to do this is to: paint, or write, or take photographs, or make furniture, or re-decorate your house, or color, or make music, or think. Whatever you do, do something. You will thank me for it.

Grid-o-licious
Are you stuck? Start with the grid. The first thing that the grid is going to force you to do is organize your information. After all, information, and the organization of it, is at the root of design. After you get your information organized, it should be easy enough for you start building creatively. This is a much different process than starting from a kick ass concept. It is all about creating a base and moving little by little toward a finished product. It works every time.

Create Multiple Designs
Design fast, and create several different versions. There are few people that I know that can kick out one design and get it right every time. Even if you wind up using your first of five designs, I bet you learn something from doing the additional work. Design is not like a well, it will not run dry or be used up. In fact, usually it’s the opposite — the more you put in, the more you get back.

Listen to Music
Create three to five different designs for one project, listening to five different types of music. Notice a difference? Many designers I know have their favorite music and stick to it. I typically like to listen to the type of music I feel matches the tone of the project the best. If it doesn’t make the project better, it generally doesn’t hurt.