Liv Design tips – Surround yourself in design
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| Surround yourself with inspiration and design reference |
So you've decided to embark on a journey into the world of design? Good choice. Whichever aspect of design you've chosen, whether it's web, furniture, packaging, graphics, fashion or whatever, I think the principal applies equally to all fields.
The key thing to being a good designer is to be inspired. Design is all about creativity. The world we live in is made by design. It couldn't function without it. Everything you see has been designed by someone and you've probably not even noticed. Your day in full of interaction with design from the moment you wake up. From the chair you sit in for breakfast in the morning, to the box of cereal you have, the paper that you read (or the iPad app version); even the kettle and toaster that you use.
We tend to take things for granted. We are surrounded by 'stuff'. It tends to be a fast-paced and cluttered world that we live in that we tend not to notice what's around us, particularly the world of design.
An essential part of being a great designer is to notice everything – the things around us, the world that surrounds us. Notice the little things. Observation. Look at the advertisements, see the cars, watch the people and how they act and what they wear. Learn to think about the 'how' and the 'why'. Where did that jacket come from? Why does that car look like that? What was the brief? What was the target market? A whole process of design, evolution (and sometimes revolution) has taken place before you even see it. What was the brief from the client? Why does the finished design/object/article look like that? Did price play a part? Did materials dictate the end result?
It helps with your creative output to have creative input. To be inspired you need inspiration. Surround yourself with it. Wherever you work have something on your desk, your computer, your wall, in your drawer or on your shelves. Keep a 'scrapbook' too. It can be a physical one or digital one on your computer. You will need it one day, guaranteed. It can be web downloads, pictures, photos, pages from magazines, labels, fabrics.... anything and everything. Inspiration comes from anywhere. Don't think that because you are a web designer that your inspiration and motivation can only come from other websites. It may come from a fashion magazine, or some packaging, or even a catalogue you've seen.
I add notes onto my phone and take photos nearly every day.
Change your surroundings regularly too. It's great if you've got a notice board or shelf full of inspiration and reference, but if you don't change it regularly you will start to not notice it anymore and it will become mundane, redundant and ineffectual. Remember, you need to 'see' to be inspired.
While it's vital to be motivated and inspired by other work, it's essential you don't 'borrow ideas'. Copying other work may seem like a quick design fix, but it's a) illegal b) immoral c) you wouldn't like it if it happened to your work. If you have enough reference and inspiration around you, you will find your own creative solutions to the brief.
And on a final note, you've chosen a great and rewarding career. There are few jobs in the world that you create something from nothing. At times it's hard work, it can be stressful. But enjoy it, have fun with it, and don't take yourself too seriously!
Scott Johnson, Creative Director at Liv Design Ltd, Graphic Design and Branding agency in Nottingham
