What do you do to get inspired for web and/or print design?

Submitted by mbennett2 on Wed, 2008-09-24 15:59.

Member's Forum

This was a question posed by Natobasso at the end of this post: http://creativebits.org/smashing_magazine_40_creative_design_layouts_getting_out_box

I though it might work better as a forum topic to begin a discussion...

I will start...

Submitted by mbennett2 on Wed, 2008-09-24 16:05.

I have a box in my office that I use for inspiration. As we go through our daily life, we come across all sorts of printed materials, good and bad. If I see something that I particularly like, whether I get it in the mail or from some other source, I keep it and throw it into my box. When I feel I need some inspiration to kick start a job, I pull out the box and start looking through my saved pieces until I find some inspiration. Over the years, I have amassed quite a collection.

I suppose I sort of do the same for web design, except I just have a bookmarks folder that is for nothing but sites I might want to look at later. Sometimes it is a layout or just a color scheme, but it always proves to be a good place to start.

I do the same thing...

Submitted by onegirlcreative on Wed, 2008-09-24 16:07.

Anytime I receive mailers or anything in the mail that looks really cool, I save them. I have this huge box filled with mailers, catalogs, etc. that I think are really good design. Whenever I'm having a creative block, I peruse the contents of this box and see if something can inspire me.

Also—and I have mentioned this before in another post a few years ago—that what REALLY helps me when I'm stuck—I take a trip to the grocery store. The grocery store shelves are a plethora of graphic design. Works every time!

And of course, I'll go through my graphic design books, as well.

--------
"The name's Bond, James Bond."

www.onegirlcreative.com

Mbennett, thanks for

Submitted by natobasso on Wed, 2008-09-24 19:00.

Mbennett, thanks for expanding upon the question I posed. Def better as its own post.

I am on a "throw everything out" kick so I don't have anything to put in a box (great idea tho!). I have bookmarks up the yin yang for great sites for inspiration. I like to try to get out of my "3 columns of equal width" box in which I constantly find myself.

Coolhomepages.com has been a great resource as has been smashingmagazine.com.

----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"

Smashing is one of those

Submitted by mbennett2 on Wed, 2008-09-24 20:35.

It was an interesting question, I just figured it would get more exposure here.

Smashing is one of those fantastic resources out there. Frequently updated too, which is nice. I have a ton of links to how-tos and showcases in my bookmarks that I just haven't had time to look at. I just bookmark it and figure I will come back later to look more deeply.

That's what I love about FF:

Submitted by natobasso on Wed, 2008-09-24 20:46.

That's what I love about FF: Searchable bookmarks. Helps sift through the 100s I've got in there now.

----
Natobasso
dirtandrust.com
"Powerpoint is not a design application"

Music, a folder full of

Submitted by 3dogmama on Wed, 2008-09-24 23:06.

Music, a folder full of interesting clips, sifting through image banks online, and beer.

LOTS of beer.

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa

JD...

Submitted by Leaky Penny on Wed, 2008-09-24 23:44.

Guiness or some Cutty Sark for me please!

Leaky Penny
www.leakypenny.com

“If you do what you love to do, then you won’t do it in an average way.”
~ Angela Bassett

My sister would LOVE

Submitted by 3dogmama on Thu, 2008-09-25 13:06.

My sister would LOVE you...she's the scotch drinker in the family. Have you ever tried OBAN? A Scottish bud of mine swears by it and has the purple nose to prove it.

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa

Pollinate 2005 Video

Submitted by Mintsauce on Thu, 2008-09-25 14:38.

This is a great video (series) on getting inspired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gixJ1xvoqJU

Has some great adverts thrown in and suggestions on getting creative.

Just had a go with that

Submitted by 3dogmama on Thu, 2008-09-25 15:34.

Just had a go with that youtube link of yours for a few minutes, which scared the crap out of me. It was like looking at the inside of my skull. Thanks for sharing.
Can't wait 'til I can finish viewing it.
Cheers.
3dog

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa

Original

Submitted by Mintsauce on Thu, 2008-09-25 17:29.

I know, I just love it. My first reaction was - What? I'm not alone after all!!

The original from Pollinate (higher quality) can be found here:
Make Your Desk A More Creative Space

And another one:
How To Maximize Your Creative Potential

Thank you. I have them both

Submitted by 3dogmama on Thu, 2008-09-25 18:10.

Thank you. I have them both bookmarked.

PS. I felt bad for the elephant...

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."
— Frank Zappa

Wow...

Submitted by Leaky Penny on Thu, 2008-09-25 22:58.

Just wow.

Thanks for that GREAT link Mintsauce. Bookmarked and emailed out to friends.

Leaky Penny
www.leakypenny.com

“If you do what you love to do, then you won’t do it in an average way.”
~ Angela Bassett

one of my absolute favorite

Submitted by gwells on Thu, 2008-09-25 14:44.

one of my absolute favorite inspiration sites:

http://www.graphic-exchange.com/

i also tend to save images i find online that inspire me in an "inspirations" folder. i used to keep up with a bound book of blank pages that i taped in things that i found printed that inspired me.

I primarily poke around on

Submitted by KellyR on Thu, 2008-09-25 22:29.

I primarily poke around on the web. I have a huge amount of "Inspiration" sites that I've now amassed in my bookmarks. They all vary from anything from deviantArt to PSDTuts, DesignYouTrust, FFFFound, Smashing Magazine, Layers Magazine, flickr, etc. etc.

When I'm looking for particular inspiration, I'll do a google image search. Like if I"m working on a cover layout, I might type in "cover design" in my google image search and poke around and see what's out there.

Music also helps keep my creative juices flowing. I have an iPod at my work where I just tuck one earbud into one ear so I keep my other ear open for phone calls and the like and just jam on to my favorite music when I'm really trying to lose myself in a creative product.

I really like trying out some of the tutorial sites out there, though, I learn something new from them all the time, and a lot of them stick to current design trends.