Get inpsired
Posted on Monday 1st October, 2007 by James Young | No comments yet
It’s happened to all designers at some point, you’re sat there with a couple of new projects you really need to get started on but you’re temporarily lacking in creative juice.
Everyone has their own way of dealing with creative block, here are a few tried and tested ways to snap out of that lull and get those designs back on track.
1. Step back from your machine.
Getting away from the computer even if it’s only for half an hour is always a good way to snap out of that creative lull. Take a walk around outside for a bit. The fresh air will help and there’s always a good chance you’ll see something that gives you a new idea or inspiration.
2. Hit the books.
Again, it’s another excuse to step back from the computer but this time, why not take a look through some design books for a bit of inspiration. It’s not just pretty pictures that you should be looking at though, why not take a little time to research how other people work and set up sites. Don’t just restrict yourself to design books though, take a look through your bookshelf at novels and factual books, often judging a book by its cover artwork or layout might give you that little spark of inspiration to get back on track.
3. If all else fails….
If you’re still a little stuck and nothing outside or on your bookshelf gets the creative juices flowing then here are a few sites that might give you something to think about.
Patrick Haney’s flickr set of inspiring sites
Design Meltdown - Design elements, trends and problems in web design
w3c Sites - showcase of standards compliant websites
Colour Lovers - Colour trends and palettes