Hunting for Inspiration?

I recently read a great article that has gotten me to thinking about the way we find inspiration in our creative lines of work. I found the article through a Smashing Magazine link, but here’s my take-away:

• Everyone wants to stand out in their line of creative work (photographers, designers, businesses alike)
• Generally, when people begin a new creative project they sift through similar projects for inspiration
• Their “new” project will generally end up looking very similar to their sources of inspiration
• Instead of a fresh piece of creativity, the result is usually a repackaging of something earlier
• The author suggests taking notes on pieces you find inspiring, rather than mimicking the identical style

This article forced me to examine the creative process I go through when designing. In the early stages of research, I like to digest a ton of visual inspiration, and actually have a file of inspiring pieces of design, architecture, type, and otherwise. However, I really like the idea of taking notes on how and why particular pieces are inspiring or how they solve a problem in a particular way. It forces me to really examine what I like about something, and the excuse that it’s “just eye candy” doesn’t hold up when you have a commitment to communication via design. In our business, 99% of the time we’re concerned about how our design is communicating. Sure, there are many designers out there who are concerned purely with style, or trends. But, those are generally short-lived. A brand that is rooted in communicating a message will stand the test of time.

Next time you are tasked with a new creative assignment, rely on the talent you have within you to create the best possible solution. If you really put time and thought into it, you can probably come up with a better solution than most of what’s out there. Who knows, maybe it will be fresh idea you’re looking for to separate you from your competition? Happy creating.

Read the whole article here on the DRAWAR blog.